This year, we have launched a new Baltic nature tourism project with the aim of developing a joint Latvian and Estonian nature tourism product adapted to the interest of UK tourists, positioning it in the market using a special marketing campaign, and increasing sales volumes.

We are looking for service providers who offer nature tourism services and wish to join this nature tourism web platform for the UK market.
To get involved, please fill out the application form, indicating the nature tourism services you provide: https://forms.gle/zrEXFrH5PBjvQocB9.

The MOST project team met for the fourth steering committee meeting online via Zoom platform on February 2. They discussed the work done in the third year, as well as the tasks planned until the end of the project. We, "Lauku ceļotājs", as before, continued to share our knowledge of sustainable tourism and environmentally friendly management. In February, our expert Juris spent three weeks in the Uzbekistan's cities Bukhara and Khiva, where he shared his experience with tourism industry professionals in this country. He also worked together with entrepreneurs on new ideas for tourism products - for example, a pilaf cooking master class was organized in the old town to popularize the city's culinary heritage. Juris also visited various tourist attractions and enjoyed the hospitality of local residents in order to get to know Uzbekistan's tourism offer better. In the third year of the project, we also got involved in creating marketing activities to promote the project and its achieved results to a wider audience.

Kick-off project partner meeting, 25th of January, 2023, Riga.
The objectives of the project are to develop a joint Latvian-Estonian nature tourism product tailored for the UK market, to launch it through a dedicated marketing campaign, and to achieve sales. The nature tourism product will be based on individual SME nature tourism products, professionally packaged and accessible from an innovative specialized nature tourism web platform linking directly product providers with the market - free independent travellers, specialized interest groups, and tour operator companies specialized in Baltic countries. The nature tourism product will include wildlife and birding holidays, nature photography, soft adventure: hiking, walking, cycling, boating, and also touring programs to include elements and values of nature, e.g., botanical, wildlife spotting, wellness/Spa, food and foraging. This concept meets the current demand in the UK market where nature tourism, escape to nature, rural holidays, outdoors wildlife are on-trend words.

Presentations:

>>> Meeting minutes

An important and frightening part of the "legacy" of the First and Second World Wars - CHEMICAL WEAPONS - has been sunk to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. You could call it a kind of time bomb. Below are just a few facts described in scientific publications.

From December 13 to 15, the team of the project "Rural Tour: Training Program for Sustainable Rural Tourism" met for the sixth meeting of the Steering Committee. It was coordinated by Trabzon Ortahisar Municipality and held in Trabzon, Turkey. For several reasons, partners from Ireland only joined online via Zoom platform.

Rudens un ziema Latvijā ir visstiprāko vēju laiks. Arī visspēcīgākās vētras un orkāni (par orkānu dēvējam viesuļvētru, ja vēja vidējais ātrums 10 minūtēs sasniedz un pārsniedz 32,7 m/s) mūsu jūras krastā bijuši g.k. laikā no septembra līdz janvārim. Vai šajā gadu mijā piedzīvosim vēl kādu stipru vētru? Pievienotajā attēlā redzamas pagājušā gadsimta spēcīgākās vētras. Sistemātiska vēja brāzmu reģistrācija tika uzsākta tikai 20. gs. piecdesmito gadu otrajā pusē, tāpēc šajā sarakstā nav iekļauta, piemēram, 1953. g. janvāra/februāra mijas vētra, kad vējš brāzmās esot sasniedzis 34 m/s. To uzskata arī par vienu no postošākajām dabas katastrofām Baltijas jūras reģionā. Minētajā vētrā Anglijā gāja bojā 307 cilvēki, Skotijā – 19, Beļģijā – 28, Nīderlandē – 1836, bet jūrā noslīka – 361 cilvēks. Kuru no vētrām Tu piedzīvoji un atceries?

From November 1 to 4, the BESTbelt conference was held in Ulcinj, Montenegro. During it, they talked about the strengthening of the European "Green Belt" (GB) territory, the creation of new green jobs and the potential of the GB for climate protection and nature restoration. It was also possible to hear success stories about the restoration and protection of nature in this area. There was a fair with traditional food and drink from the GB area, as well as various group activities and trips to visit local best practices, learn more about them, exchange ideas and discuss the potential of green jobs, restoration measures, positives and negatives aspects.

Esam izveidojuši jaunu apmācību kursu “Zaļākas nākotnes prakses. Padomi tūrismā iesaistītajiem uzņēmējiem - vietējās pārtikas, dzērienu ražošanas un pakalpojumu sniedzējiem.”. Tas veidots kā praktisks padomdevējs MVU esošās darbības pilnveidei. Ikvienam uzņēmējam jāizprot galvenie biznesa elementi, jāizstrādā uzņēmuma un produkta vai pakalpojuma vērtības piedāvājums saviem klientiem un jāizprot, kā kļūt efektīvākiem augošās konkurences apstākļos.

Kurss izstrādāts, balstoties uz rokasgrāmatu "Zaļākas nākotnes prakses. Padomi tūrismā iesaistītajiem uzņēmējiem - vietējās pārtikas, dzērienu ražošanas un pakalpojumu sniedzējiem.".

>>> ROKASGRĀMATA (PDF)

Pieaugošā popularitāte atpūtai dabā rada arvien lielāku spiedienu uz vidi un bioloģisko daudzveidību. Tā rezultātā notiek darbības, kas pat bez īpaša nodoma rada negatīvu ietekmi uz vidi. Lai risinātu šo izaicinājumu, šajā projektā tiks izstrādāti vienoti noteikumi atpūtai dabā visās piekrastes teritorijās Latvijā. Vienoto noteikumu priekšlikumi tiks balstīti uz apvienotām ieinteresēto pušu interesēm: esošo pašvaldību un dabas aizsardzības noteikumu saskaņošana, vietējo kopienu ekonomiskās un atpūtas intereses, kā arī tūristu intereses. Projekts nodrošinās tīklošanās platformu visām ieinteresētajām pusēm, kur satikties, apspriest izaicinājumus un risinājumus, informēt par savām interesēm un argumentiem un sasniegt kopīgu rezultātu.

Projektā gaidāmos rezultātus un paredzamo taustāmo ietekmi pēc projekta darbības laika lasiet šeit: https://www.celotajs.lv/lv/project/35.

From September 12 to 14, the team of the "Rural Tour: Training Program for Sustainable Rural Tourism" project met at the fifth meeting of the steering committee. It was coordinated by the Italian Travel and Tourism Federation and took place in person in Rome, Italy. Due to unforeseen reasons, partners from Romania only joined online on the Zoom platform.