RIGA - The Transport Ministry announced that the Estonian ferry operator Tallinnk would begin sailing between Riga and Stockholm in the first half of January 2006 in what the ministry is calling a major effort to help Riga catch up with its Baltic Sea neighbors in terms of sea-bound passenger turnover.
Transport Minister Ainars Slesers and Tallink CEO Enn Pant reached the agreement.
Initially, one ferry will operate the route, with the second ferry arriving in time for the World Ice Hockey Championship, which will take place in Riga this May.
"Riga is in the worst situation compared to other capital cities on the coast of the Baltic Sea, and we can not postpone solving this issue any longer, watching our rivals developing," said Slesers, who has spearheaded the effort to entice Tallink to the Latvian capital.
In order to launch the route, which is currently operated by Rigas Juras Linijas (Riga Sea Lines), Tallink will have to ink an agreement with Riga Free Port, part owner of Riga Sea Lines.
Slesers called on the port's administration to attract yet more ferry operators in the near future and agree on infrastructure projects that were needed to ensure that the ferry lines are launched and operators stay.
In the summer, Pant told reporters that Tallink was ready to invest large funds into launching a regular ferry line between Riga and Stockholm. Tallink plans to ensure traffic between Riga and Stockholm with two advanced passenger ferries carrying some 1,500 passengers each.
However, he added that Riga Free Port should improve its infrastructure before the ferry line begins.
Riga Sea Lines is also owned by Riga City Council and several private shareholders. Last year its ferries carried 78,300 passengers, an increase of some 8 percent on 2003. A spokeswoman said the company was focusing on attaining its goals and setting further directions of development and could not comment on what Tallink's operations would mean in six months.
Tourism operators welcomed the news, though they questioned the timing.
"The more active the traffic between the two countries the better, but at the beginning of January tourist flow is not very intensive," Pauls Gusts, marketing head of Via Riga travel agency, told the Baltic News Service. He voiced the opinion that the lead-up to Christmas and New Years would be more advantageous for launching the passenger ferry.
Gusts added that the idea to launch a second ferry in May would be "successful."
A representative of Latvija Tours travel agency agreed, saying that after Christmas and New Years "comes a quiet period." Brigita Veinberga explained that during this period, there might be more passengers traveling from Latvia to Sweden to ski in the Nordic country.
"But there are very many offers for skiers to choose from, and Scandinavia is not the sunniest place," Veinberga said. "Business travelers are also unlikely to choose to go by ferry."
