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Project archive

Goals Results Co-financed by
Aurora 2 (2009- 2011)
To update, transfer and adapt the Accommodation and Cultural tourism Modules in all participating countries and translate them to their native language.
  1. Restricted need analysis in the involved project countries
  2. The Module Accommodation in English, Finnish, Latvia, Dutch, Spanish and Swedish
  3. Module Cultural Tourism in English, Finnish, Latvian, Dutch, Spanish and Swedish
 The action has received EC funding

LdV logo
STEPPA (2010 - 2011)
Project’s main aim is to promote and strengthen the cooperation between the different experiences and certification initiatives for small and micro tourism enterprises working with protected areas and strengthen their competitiveness.
  1. Strengthened competitiveness and cooperation between small and micro tourism enterprises working with protected areas
  2. Created links between implementation of sustainable management systems, increased competitiveness, growth in conservation awareness and support, and businesses and destination value
  3. Promoted capacity-building on sustainable tourism approaches and evaluation;
  4. Disseminated best practices at a European level
 This project is part of the EU's Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP)

 
2008-2011 Sustainable use and management of nature resources in the Natura2000 sites - popular and potential tourism destinations in Latvia. 
The project goal is to facilitate maintenance of biological diversity in the Natura2000 sites in Latvia under growing pressure from Tourism.  1. Tourism development plans for 4 Natura2000 sites: the Dviete flood-lands nature park, the Lake Rāzna national park, the Abava river valley natural park, the Vidzeme seacoast of the Gulf of Riga within the North Vidzeme Biosphere reserve.
2. Guideline document for management of Natura2000 sites in the context of sustainable development.
3. A set of environment friendly tourism publications: hiking, boating, cycling, nature holidays in Latvia and the Baltics.		 Supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism

EEA logo

NOR logo
2008-2010 Transfer of  Quality Ensurance Tools for European Rural Tourism Sector
The project goal is to provide practical and efficient life-long learning opportunity for SMEs in rural tourism in Europe.
 Web based training tool for quality, consisting of:
1) web based quality check for minimum RT accommodation quality criteria in Europe;
2) inspector's manual;
3) virtual training module, illustrating the minimum RT accommodation quality criteria.		 The action has received EC funding

LdV logo
2007- 2008 Awareness rising Natura2000: working with Europe's rural tourism sector
1. To promote better understanding amongst a significant cross section of rural tourism providers in three countries/ regions in Europe of what Natura2000 is and what  its implications/ benefits are for them.
2. To raise awareness of Natura2000 among tourists visiting the three protected areas.
3. To create good practice guidance and practical tools for rural tourism providers on their activities in and around Natura2000 sites.
4. To dissaminate the results and experiences of the project to wider audience of rural tourism providers across the EU.		 1. Awareness and understanding of the implications and benefits of Natura 2000 raised with over 1500 rural tourism providers in three countries/regions. What is NATURA2000? - information for rural tourism providers.
2. Innovative tourism products based on Natura 2000 developed and piloted in the 3 countries.
3. Online information on Natura 2000 accessible to tourists.
4. Good practice guide - manual for tourism management in Natura2000 sites.
5. The results of the projects widely diseeminated across Europe. 		European Commission
2005-2008 AGORA-Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region
(Association is a partner in the project)
Create a network with 44 partners in ten countries all around the Baltic Sea for developing sustainable tourism with a focus on rural areas. To collect information from tourism projects in the BSR,  to save their experience and results and  to make them accessible for interested users.
Project leaflet		 1) Concrete policy recommendations; 2) Strategic concepts for sustainable tourism; 3) Network of different partners and actors from different sectors, in different reģions, with different approaches to the field. Within the AGORA project, Association will implement a pilot project "Sustainability through common rural tourism quality aspects for BSR". BSR INTERREG IIIB,
Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia
09.2005 - 08.2007 The Rural Tourism Project AMBER
The project aims to develop a self-learning vocational level training programme.

Project summary
  • 3 training modules
    • IT skills in rural tourism
    • Basic principles of Hospitality in Small Scale Rural Tourism Establishments
    • Activities in rural tourism 
      sub module Recreational fishing
  • Web based system for web site develoment including:
    • templates to create accommodation provider own website
    • learning tutorial "How to create and publish your own web site"
 EC Leonardo da Vinci programme
10.2005-10.2007 "SECTOUR Safety and security in tourism - innovations in educational programs and business practice" (Association is a partner in the project)
The project intends to reduce risk of the safety problems in tourism sector through the development of innovations in tourism education (including further education and adult education).

Project leaflet		 The project results will be: 1) Improved tourism management educational programme, online support for assessment, assistance, and continuous upgrading of the tourism guide and tourism manager qualification; 2) Material for improving the quality of tourism service enterprise management. EC Leonardo da Vinci programme
09.2005-08.2007 "Train to eco-label" (Association is a partner in the project)

2003-2006 "TOURBENCH - European monitor and benchmarking initiative for the reduction of environmental impacts and cost in tourist accommodation" (Association is a partner in the project)
To develop a practical and easy European benchmarking tool esp. for micro/small and medium sized tourism accommodation enterprises: to recognize their own environmental impacts and cost/guest, to compare (inter)nationally with similar enterprises and see their own strengths, weaknesses and saving potentials, to get recommendations for immediate action, to assess the perception of guests and to get tips how to apply for a national Eco-label, for the EU-Flower or for EMAS.
Eco-labels and Environmental Management certificates will have first ever in Europe comparable and reliable data from hotels and camping sites on the costs for and consumption of water, energy, cleaning chemicals and the production of disposal waste, per overnight and per m�. The comparison of their ecolabelled with non-ecolabelled accommodation shall confirm (or not) the preference of their licensees and shall show the potential for improvement.

Royal Accommodation Award 2006
 EC LIFE Programme, Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lavia
2003-2004 A Common Development Strategy of Rural Tourism in the Baltic countries - an Open Source Information System for Small and micro Enterprises in Rural Areas"
To develop a common open source information and reservation system primarly for the Baltic countries and easily adaptable for use in other pre-accession countries. One of the main results will be stronger integration of the Baltic RT, such as common marketing, data standards, cross country data analysis as well as common platform for future development projects. EC Phare
2002-2004 A new approach to training for quality in European rural tourism
To improve the quality of training, services and products in rural small to micro enterprises. Quality criteria, approved by international RT organizations, inspection manual, generic model of the quality criteria system (web based application), provider self-evaluation forms (web based and in print form) and virtual inspector training model created. EC Leonardo da Vinci program, Ministry of Agriculture
2001-2004 Development of the criteria for the Green Certificate, implementation and control
To facilitate environment friendly tourism development in rural areas and small towns. 1. Environmental results
- Comprehensive review of the existing situation in rural tourism in Latvia.
- Environmental control system implemented in vacation properties.
- Awareness, reduction and control of the negative environmental impact: consumption of electrical power and heating resources, water, consumption of detergents and cleaning aids, amount of waste, etc.
2. Economic results
- Preservation of nature and sustainable tourism development.
- Reduced operational costs of vacation properties due to economical use of resources.
- Development of the production and processing sector in rural areas due to the use of locally manufactured building materials and market for local foods.
3. Recognition
- Domestic and foreign tourists increasingly recognize the "Green Certificate" vacation properties.
- Rural tourism providers increasingly interested to obtain the "Green Certificate" as a high quality sign of vacation properties.		 EC Life Programme, Latvian Environmental Protection Fund
2002 Research "Implementation of the international eco-label "Green Key" criteria system to the hotels in rural territories in Latvia"
The creation of a common eco-labelling system in the Baltic States and Scandinavia.
 - Information collected about the "Green Key" criteria system in Denmark and Estonia.
- Information collected about the "Green Key" criteria system implementation possibilities in Latvia.
- The activities of rural hotels in Latvia ervaluated regarding the "Green Key" criteria.
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia
2001 Training course
To improve professional competencies of rural tourism (RT) product providers through increasing their awareness of the quality requirements, diversification of rural tourism product, financial planni ng, tourist safety and security, marketing, etc.
- Regional training seminars attracting beginners as well as experienced product providers.
- Experience exchange trips for the seminar participants visiting RT establishments.
Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia
1999-2001 Rural tourism training in Internet
To provide access to high quality updated vocational training in rural tourism.

 - Regularly up date training modules covering the most essential areas of rural tourism.
- The material disseminated in the project countries.
EU Leonardo Target programme
2000 - 2002 Virtual Market Place for Rural Tourism Sales, Development, ICT Services and Applications
To extend markets between European countries and market European Rural Tourism Micro Enterprise (RTME) products to global markets.

- RT portal for RTME.
- Increased competitiveness of RTME.
- Improved employment opportunities in rural areas through effective use of ICT (information and communication technology) by the RTME sector.
EC IST 5th framework programme
1999-2001 Analysis of Sustainable Rural Tourism Development Opportunities and Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Tourism in Latvia
To inform the public about opportunities of sustainable tourism development in Latvia and promote the idea of environmentally friendly tourism among potential tourists as well as product providers.
 - Conference on Rural Tourism Development in Latvia.
- Published study on rural tourism development opportunities in the Latvian countryside.
- Inspection of the accommodations, environmental aspects evaluation.
Latvian Environment Protection Fund, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia
2001 Training materials for development of tourist activity facilities
To promote diversification of RT product - development tourist activitiy facilities.
 Training materials for providers of fishing and horse riding services produced.
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia
1999-2000 Support to Tourism Development in Latvia
To facilitate rural tourism development in Latvia.
 - The data basis of rural tourism accommodations was enlarged and the existing information updated.
- The country holidays web site was reconstructed.
- The catalogue "Atpūta laukos 2000" was published.
- Training materials for rural tourism providers were developed and published.
PHARE programme
1999 Rural Tourism Development Target Programme
To elaborate the Rural Tourism Target Programme (for the period 2000-2006) as guideline to RT development as an important part of the Latvian national economy.
 - RT Development Target Programme completed and presented to stakeholders and authorities.
- Definitions of RT products formulated.
The program is being uccessfully - implemented in RT development.
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia
1998 Rural Tourism seminar programme in Germany
To improve operations of Latvian RT establishments through gaining German expierence about the quality, service, costing and sales of RT product.
 Seminar programme organised for Latvian RT product providers in Germany.
 Nordhein - Westfahlen
1998 Country holidays website
To open a new marketing channel for RT product.
 RT website created.
 Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia
1997 Rural Tourism Development in Latvia - Diversification of Rural Economy
To improve the quality of RT product, to increase competitiveness in Europe.
- The Quality Certificate developed and awarded to the qualifying establishments.
- Training materials published and distributed.
- The catalogue "Atpūta Laukos '98" published.
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia
1997 Rural Tourism Marketing
To promote development of RT in the Latvian countryside.
 - Increased recognition and demand for RT product as a result of successfully implemented marketing and promotion campaign in mass media and participation to travel trade fairs.
- Increased number of RT product operations.
Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia