The fifth and final meeting took place on May 27, 2020 in Riga, Latvia. Originally this meeting was planned on March 31 also as a final dissemination event – a seminar with ca 100 participants – SMEs. It was planned to invite the target audience – rural tourism and training sectors’ representatives as well as environment protection and sustainable rural development stakeholders. It didn’t happen as planned due to the emergency situation in the world caused by COVID-19 virus, disseminating results on-line. Instead the meeting took place in LCTA office participating only project partners. They discussed and evaluated all tangible project outcomes (printable handbook versions, an on-line training tools and on-line check lists in all three partner languages). They discussed activities which have been done in order to disseminate project results. The budget and ideas for the next project were discussed as well.

As summer approaches and thoughts linger on Latvia's beautiful nature, delicious food and its people, but it is not yet allowed to leave our homes, we invite you to get acquainted digitally with the places and opportunities offered by "Flavours of Livonia", with hope that soon they can be visited for real!

"Flavours of Livonia" - it's not just dining in a pub! It is an opportunity to meet our own hosts - food producers and providers, who are amazingly versatile, able to produce their own products, receive tourists, feed and entertain them, all in accordance with local food growing and cooking traditions. Most of the Livonian-era food traditions have survived to the present day, alternating with traditional Latvian cuisine, and these flavors can be tasted thanks to entrepreneurs who respect local food and traditions, using locally grown food ingredients, take care of the environment around the and are proudu of their delicious food!

The brochure introduces the long-distance hiking route FOREST TRAIL, which passes ~ 1060 km through the forests of Latvia and Estonia, from Riga to Tallinn. In Latvia, FOREST TRAIL runs through the Gauja National Park, the Northern Gauja Forestlands and Veclaicene. In Estonia, FOREST TRAIL runs through the Haanja uplands, the Setomaa un Peipsimaa regions and further along the coast of Northern Estonia - to Tallinn. The route along the Estonian part includes the Lahemaa National Park and the coast of Northern Estonia, which is the land of the most impressive rocks, waterfalls and clints in the Baltic States. You will recognize FOREST TRAIL as Mežtaka in Latvia and as Metsa Matkarada in Estonia.
The FOREST TRAIL includes all the typical forest types and wildlife elements of the Baltic States - plants, beasts, fungi, etc.
The FOREST TRAIL is divided into 50 one or two-day hiking sections, each of which is ~ 20 km long. You can choose any section of the hike. The brochure includes a map of the hiking route.

Available languages: Latvian, English, Estonian, Russian, German

>>> Brochure (PDF)

We have started a new project "A model for sustainable tourism in Central Asia: Building capacities, creating awareness, introducing technology" (MOST).

The project aims:

• to promote a new and well-structured model for sustainable tourism in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan that can contribute to preserving and strengthening local culture, heritage and traditions, while also protecting the natural environment;
• to support tourism companies mainly in Uzbekistan, but also in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan to adopt (SCP) practices by providing appropriate knowledge and ICT tools;
• to support regional and local authorities to plan and implement policies that assist the development of sustainable tourism;
• to raise awareness regarding sustainable tourism and consumer awareness about sustainable consumption;
• to strengthen the dialogue between authorities, SMEs and end users as concerns SCP.

Work is underway on the Silver Travelers project, which aims to close the existing gap in the provision of modern technology learning in the rural tourism sector facing new market challenges. This will be achieved through the development of mobile learning and labor market training materials for key professionals.

Europe's population is getting older. The situation of demographic change is similar in all project partner countries - Turkey, Austria, Spain, Italy and Latvia. The growth rates for travellers over 65 years have been increasing over the years and are even higher than in other age groups. The tourism industry needs improvements based on the new educational methods and tools that this project wants to offer. It targets vocational training and higher education staff, tourism educators and rural tourism companies.

You can find out more about the project here: https://silvertravellers-eu.com

CAITO project organized a destination promotion seminar for representatives of the travel trade professionals and press on 22nd of November at Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Japan (Address: 37-11 Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).

We introduced Japanese media representatives to our new Products Manual 2020 introducing the experiences in Rural area such as farm/manor house stay, sauna/spa, and organic gastronomy. The Sauna brochure is newly published, which includes sauna culture and products in each country. There are many products already introduced in the Japanese market and rural products are recognized as an important category in the European market where rural tourism is seen as a tool for overcoming excessive tourism and to ensure the sustainability of tourism.

More info: >>> Go Rural 2019, November, Tokyo

Fourth meeting took place in November 8-9, 2019 in Norway, Vestfold where HANEN has a member, an active tourism provider and good practice example. This meeting happened as planned. During the meeting partners planned details of dissemination strategy, visited several environmentally friendly tourism enterprises (catering, activities, hotels), which were also partly included in the training manual content as best examples.

Agenda >>>

2019. gada 24. augustā Suitos norisinājās Mājas kafejnīcu diena, kur darbojās 20 kafejnīcas, no kurām 16 Alsungas novadā, 3 Jūrkalnē un viena Basos, kas durvis saviem viesiem vēra vaļā tikai šajā dienā.
Esam aptaujājuši gandrīz visus Mājas kafejnīcu dienas dalībniekus un ieguvuši gan atsauksmes, gan apmeklētāju skaitu katrā “kafejnīcā”. 

Saimnieki atzīst, ka pasākuma apmeklētība bijusi daudz lielāka, kā gaidīts. Bijis ļoti daudz darba, bet kopā ar labu komandu viss izdevies godam. Bijuši arī saimnieki, kam pietrūkušas darba rokas, bet nākotnē, ja šāds pasākums notiktu, tad zinātu uz ko gatavoties un tiktu piesaistīti papildu palīgi. Par spīti lielajai slodzei un nogurumam pēc pasākuma, saimnieki ir ļoti priecīgi un gandarīti un labprāt šādā pasākumā vēlētos piedalīties arī citreiz.

>>> KOPSAVILKUMS (PDF, 1.17 MB)

>>>SUMMARY (PDF, eng)

The Baltic Coastal Hiking Project concludes, and to analyse achievements, share experiences and to officially open the E9 long-distance hiking route along the Baltic Sea coast, the Baltic Coastal Hiking final conference and joint hike from Kabli in Estonia to Ainaži in Latvia took place on 13th and 14th of September.

The final conference took place on September 13th at the Lepanina hotel in Estonia. Project partners from Latvia and Estonia shared their experiences, surprises and challenges, as well as stories and insights, during the creation and development of the 1200 kilometre hiking route. They also talked about plans to develop the route in the future and to attract more and more hikers directly from Europe. Steen Kobberø-Hansen, a representative of the European Ramblers Association, who attended both the conference and the hike, informed about the trends of hiking in Europe.  >>> PHOTO GALLERY

On September 14th, the Baltic Coastal hiking route was opened as a part of the E9 in the Baltics with a joint hike. It was a nice hike and get-together for all friends, fans and creators of the Baltic Coastal hiking route. At 11 AM the 31st day of the route was hiked with some little changes – from Kabli in Estonia (from “Lepanina” hotel) to the Ainaži pier in Latvia, about 15km. The hike ended near the Ainaži pier, where we had an informal get-together. Almost 200 people from Latvia and Estonia joined the hike. >>> PHOTO GALLERY

The programmes allow visitors to experience four unique and different ethnographic regions where authentic traditions are still part of peoples’ everyday life. They are: Setomaa region (Estonia), Kihnu island (Estonia), Suiti cultural space (Latvia) and the Livonian coast (Latvia) presenting UNESCO heritage in the following ways:

UNESCO proclaimed Intangible Cultural Heritage:

• SETO LEELO, Seto polyphonic singing tradition;
• KIHNU cultural space;
• SMOKE SAUNA tradition in Võromaa;
• SUITI cultural space.

On the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latvia: the LIVONIAN Cultural space. Livonian community has made a commitment to prepare a nomination for UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Booklet (PDF).

Available in languages: English, Estonian, Latvian