Tourism Development in Riga: Resident Attitudes Toward Tourism

This study analyses tourism development in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Riga is a tourist destination that was relatively unknown during the Soviet regime and is now becoming a popular international destination. The study reveals key tourism development trends as well as those features of the city that have highlighted the impact of the global economic crisis and the recovery since the country regained its independence. The goal of this research was to analyse the attitudes of local residents towards tourism including their perception of the impact of tourism in terms of how it has developed. In addition to drawing conclusions from collected data, this study has compared current results to those of a previous study that was carried out in Riga in 1998. The current research, carried out in 2012, surveyed 696 inhabitants of Riga. The survey included 36 positive and negative impact statements in regards to how residents perceive the impact of tourism on the economy, society, culture, and the urban environment. The study indicated that several internal and external macro factors have impacted tourism development in Riga in a relatively short period of time. These factors have led to significant quantitative and qualitative changes in the tourism sector. This paper discusses how the attitudes of residents have changed depending on factors such as economic dependence on tourism, place of residence, length of residence in Riga and the respondents’ age.