Tourism association development tendencies in Latvia
Date
2019
Authors
Berzina, Kristine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Latvia
Abstract
Tourism as one of the leading industries has gained attention from scholars that are researching different
influencing factors of tourism destination development. One of the challenges that tourism destinations need to overcome
is heterogeneous nature of tourism industry that could be solved with the help of professional and regional tourism
associations. Current tourism technology from one side creates additional potential for tourism enterprises and
destinations, from other side it could decrease need for traditional tourism associations.
The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) indicates eighteen active tourism associations in Latvia.
These tourism associations have been going through different development stages in Latvia, first ones started their
activities already straight in time of struggle for independence and are actively functioning even now after 28 years of
intensive involvement in industry development. On the other hand some of tourism associations have hardly surviving
and are forced to bootstrap. Research aims to analyse different stages of tourism association development and draw
conclusions on development strategies applied by tourism association in Latvia. Research method will comprise in-depth
interviews with tourism association management during the years of 2018 and 2019. Research findings show a variety of
development strategies applied both by professional tourism associations as well as regional associations. Conclusions
indicate most successful tourism association management model, evaluation of current development stage of tourism
associations in Latvia and evaluation of future development potential.
Description
Keywords
tourism , tourism associations , cooperation , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Business and economics