In 1993, Asnāte established the Country Traveller association which seeks to promote rural tourism in Latvia. She has continually been re-elected as its president. The association is involved in Eurogites, which is the European country tourism association, and in ECEAT, which is the association for ecological and agricultural tourism in Europe. Asnāte has helped to draft national policy documents vis-a-vis the development of the countryside and small businesses in rural areas. She’s been actively involved in the preparation of laws and other normative documents, always representing the interests of countryside tourism companies in these processes. Under the auspices of various national and European projects, Asnāte has sought to promote co-operation between people involved in rural tourism and those who are involved in other areas of the rural economy. She has initiated dialogue with environmental protection institutions in Latvia to talk about sustainable use of natural resources and the involvement of natural resources in tourism products. Country Traveller has an Internet-based system for making reservations at countryside tourism accommodations. Asnāte is the author of the “Green Certificate,” which is a sign of quality for such facilities. She runs the Country Traveller association’s marketing activities and works with similar organisations in other countries so as to ensure an exchange of experiences in the development of this sector.
Contacts:
www.celotajs.lv