Latvia drafting letter to EC regarding support for tourism in EU's eastern regions

RIGA - Latvia is preparing a letter to the European Commission (EC) regarding the need to include adequate support for the European Union (EU)'s eastern regions in the bloc's upcoming sustainable tourism strategy, LETA was told at the Ministry of Economics.

Latvia is drafting the letter to EC Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas and EC Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto at the initiative of Economics Minister Viktors Valainis (Greens/Farmers).

This decision was made following the minister’s recent visit to Latvia's eastern region of Latgale, during which he assessed the challenges facing the region’s tourism sector. The letter has also received support from several EU member states.

The Ministry of Economics notes that in its February 18 communication this year on EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, the European Commission committed to addressing the challenges faced by the tourism sector in the EU’s eastern border regions in the upcoming EU strategy for sustainable tourism. In its communication, the EC commits to helping establish sustainable models, strengthen resilience, and restore international trust through targeted measures.

Valainis notes that the tourism sector in Latvia’s eastern border region has been feeling the consequences of the geopolitical situation for several years, and these challenges are now no longer just a matter for Latvia but for the entire eastern border of the EU.

"That is why we have called on other countries in the EU’s eastern border region to jointly appeal to the European Commission to include specific solutions in the upcoming EU sustainable tourism strategy that would help restore international confidence in the region, strengthen business resilience, and improve connectivity. It is important to us that the European Commission’s previously expressed commitments translate into practical support for businesses and regions that have been hardest hit by the geopolitical situation," the minister said.

The Ministry of Economics emphasizes that, given the security situation in Latvia and its negative impact on the tourism sector, Latvia is calling for solutions to be found at the EU level. Latvia intends to involve other member states on the bloc's eastern border, which are covered by the EC’s communication on these regions, in this appeal. Latvia has prepared a letter to the relevant EC commissioners, calling for the upcoming EU strategy on sustainable tourism to include concrete solutions to strengthen the resilience of the tourism sector in eastern border regions. The letter highlights the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, the need to ensure connectivity, build resilience, and restore confidence in these regions through targeted measures.

The ministry notes that the urgent need for these solutions is underscored by the fact that Latvia’s eastern border region is currently at the crossroads of long-standing structural challenges, characterized by demographic decline, the concentration of business activity outside the region, and weak international tourism flows.

The situation was further exacerbated in May 2026, which stood out as one of the most intense periods of drone incidents in Latvia’s eastern border region, particularly in Latgale, significantly affecting public perception of the region’s security. These geopolitical security conditions had a particularly negative impact on the tourism sector, affecting booking trends, event planning, and the flow of international visitors, which is why targeted support at the EU level has become critically important, according to the Ministry of Economics.