5th NORDIC-BALTIC CONFERENCE IN REGIONAL SCIENCE
GLOBAL-LOCAL INTERPLAY IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION
Pärnu, Estonia, October 1-4, 1998

Maija Rozite
University of Latvia
Alberta 10, LV 1215 Riga, Latvia
Tel.: 371 7 336373    Fax: 371 7 334765
E-mail: mrozite@lanet.lv

Under new social-economic conditions tourism in Riga has become of much greater importance in service sector. The importance of tourism industry is determinated by the following reasons: geopolitical position, historical heritage and polyfunctional structure of the city.
As the number of travellers has gradually risen, tourism industry in Riga has developed. The first records about country taverns and inns in Latvia were already found in the documents of the 13-th century, but records about the first hotels in Riga were found in 1435. In the first half of the 18-th century the first private hotels were built.
Modern tourism started in the second half of the 19-th century when travellers arrived to Riga with an aim to get to know the town or to visit different events there. Hotel network developed and the first guide books and maps about Riga were published.
Real growth of tourism was observed in the period of independent Latvia state. It was favoured by the development of a state organization- tourism board. Riga city council there was a post of superintendent of tourism matters. In the Soviet period development of tourism continued and Riga even became the most beloved destination of the tourists from the U.S.S.R.
In the structure of Riga city can be distinguished its historical centre- Old Riga and art nouveau style buildings. According to Ashworth G.J. historic city forms the core of tourist city, but tourist city is wider. It includes nearly all Old Riga, the central part of the city and radiates to city port, Pardaugava, Mezaparks, Jugla. The most beloved tourism sights, forms separate "tourist islands" in the city.