Problems and trends of regional tourism development in Latvia

Introduction. Tourism industry is one of the most promising and rapidly developing sectors of the global economy. In modern conditions of increased competition in the global market of tourist services, the problem of increasing the competitiveness of the tourism industry in Latvia is becoming more urgent, and studying the issue of the competitiveness of regional tourist markets is particularly relevant. The level of competitiveness of a particular region determines its success in relation to other regions of the state and the world, indicates the presence of existing problems and helps to find solutions to them. Aim and tasks. This article explores some aspects of solving the problems of regional tourism in Latvia. Results. Factors that hinder in the successful development of regional tourism, external and internal, has been revealed. The importance of combining the efforts of a number of territories to form a common tourist offer and its promotion both the level of Latvia and internationally. Successful initiative that promotes the development of regional tourism is a creation of tourism clusters at the national and regional levels. As a promising direction for the development of regional tourism, it’s possible to point out the expansion of the circle in territories of Latvia that have received resort status. Rural tourism contributes to development of regional tourism, but there is a certain range of problems that impede the attractiveness of this type of tourism for foreign tourists. In the order to gain a competitive advantage, Latvian regions need to step up their efforts to form an unique tourist offers. More marketing activities to promote regional tourist product in local and foreign markets require attention. Conclusions. Latvia has high potential for regional tourism, but there are a number of factors hindering its development. In analysis of regional tourism development programs Latvia has shown that regions are trying to conduct active work of the development, support and regulation of foreign and local tourism. It is necessary to develop measures to improve the tourism management mechanism, which would face coordination and cooperation among the various actors, avoiding disproportionate regulation and inefficient use of resources. In the framework of promoting the development of regional tourism, it is necessary to combine efforts of both the state and local governments, and entrepreneurs and other parties who can be involved in the tourism sector.