Projects

The association is currently involved in several national and EU projects that complement each other and together serve the described goals. All the completed projects have been partly (25-50%) financed by the association itself. The association is willing and ready to contribute in further projects either financially or in kind (expertise, office rooms and equipment, etc.)

The association is open not only to its members. Independent product providers are also welcome to cooperate, receive assistance and information. The association regards co-operation with local and regional tourist information centers, tourism associations, self-governments and other players in rural tourism development as vitally important.

The overall project objective is enhancing the role of military heritage tourism in economic development by extending the Baltic military heritage tourism product in Lithuania and South Latvia.

Interreg VI-A Lat–Lit

The proposed project Cross-Re-Tour will provide tourism SMEs with access to, and knowledge about, digital and green tools and business solutions in use in other sectors or large tourism corporations and show potential for testing, implementation and scaling up in SME business operations. Cross-Re-Tour supports the uptake and improvement of existing solutions and best practices, through financial and technical support, as well as transnational and cross-sectoral collaboration, whilst monitoring the potential of replicability and scalability of digital and green innovations by SMEs in other countries.

The goal of this project is not to facilitate design of new innovations. Cross-Re-Tour searched to transfer, replicate, and scale up solutions developed for operations and client and staff nudging in other domains and sectors (and potentially in larger tourism companies), towards SMEs in tourism and thus facilitates a process of open innovation.

EU

The project objective is to improve accessibility of the Baltic Hiking trails – the Coastal Hiking Trail and the Forest Trail – for different social groups by implementing accessibility and inclusive marketing solutions in the territory of both trails, in Latvia and Estonia.

Interreg V-A — Estonia–Latvia

The main aim of the project is to contribute to innovation, sustainability and resilience of the alternative cultural and creative places (ACaCPs) located on the sparsely populated areas through discovering, testing and introducing new business models and audience development models.

EU

The aim of the project is to create a joint methodology for the training of tourism stakeholders operating in European Protected Nature Areas, with a focus on Nordic-Baltic region.  Big part of the Protected Areas and their managing institutions have been united under the EUROPARC Federation – biggest network of Protected Areas in Europe. One of the most effective tools worked out by EUROPARC Federation is the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas which is recognised internationally as a model for sustainable tourism management. All the Protected Areas involved in this project have also been rewarded by the Charter for their efforts towards managing their destinations in a more sustainable way. Although a lot has been done by the EUROPARC Federation and its members within the Charter network to promote joint approach in all aspects, kostly these activities are still carried out on individual basis, on local or national level. Bringing together stakeholders and their knowledge and experience and creating a tailor-made knowledge base and a common plan for the future, would make a major contribution to achieving sustainability goals.

EU

BASCIL is an transnational cooperation project involving 15 partners from 8 countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Finland). From Latvia the project partners are Latvian Country Tourism association "Lauku ceļotājs" and on-governmental organization of agricultural and horticultural produce producers in Latvia "Zemnieku Saeima" (Farmers’ Parliament).

Small producers in rural areas have recently experienced the economic setbacks due to the pandemic. Food producers are currently facing higher production costs due to rising energy prices and inflation. All this has had a strong impact on the resilience of the local food sector in the Baltic Sea region.

The aim of the BASCIL project is to develop culinary tourism services in rural areas of the Baltic Sea region and to improve the resilience of local food producers through the diversification of their business activities in the field of the tourism sector.

Interreg BSR BASCIL
01/01/2023 - 12/31/2025 (CB0100030)

Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

The objectives of the project are to develop a joint Latvian-Estonian nature tourism product tailored for the UK market, to launch it through a dedicated marketing campaign, and to achieve sales. The nature tourism product will be based on individual SME nature tourism products, professionally packaged and accessible from an innovative specialized nature tourism web platform linking directly product providers with the market - free independent travellers, specialized interest groups, and tour operator companies specialized in Baltic countries. The nature tourism product will include wildlife and birding holidays, nature photography, soft adventure: hiking, walking, cycling, boating, and also touring programs to include elements and values of nature, e.g., botanical, wildlife spotting, wellness/Spa, food and foraging. This concept meets the current demand in the UK market where nature tourism, escape to nature, rural holidays, outdoors wildlife are on-trend words.

Interreg Central Baltic Programme

The increasing popularity of nature based recreation puts a growing pressure on environment and biological diversity. It results in behaviour that brings, even without intention, a negative environmental impact. To address this challenge, this project will develop the Code of Conduct - a common set of rules regulating the use of coastal nature areas for recreation purposes. The common Code of Conduct will be based on combined stakeholder interests: harmonisation of the existing municipality and nature conservation regulations, economic and recreation interests of local communities, and tourist interests. The project will provide a networking platform for all stakeholders to meet, discuss challenges and solutions, present their interests and arguments, and reach common result.

BESTbelt

The specific aim of the project is to facilitate adult learning in SME sector. The On-line Training „Greener future practices for local food & drink producers and providers" (on Moodle platform with printable handbook, videos and green check-list for caterers) will be a blended learning tool to educate SMEs in food & beverage sector for making their business practices greener and more competitive.

Nordplus

Projektā ar praktiskām rīcībām paaugstināsies sabiedrības vides apziņas līmenis. Izpildot zaļā sertifikāta kritērijus, saimnieki apgūs jaunas zināšanas un izpratni par vides ilgtspēju un sava uzņēmuma atbildību vides saudzēšanā:

  •  izstrādāt jaunu kritēriju grupu ēdinātājiem (restorāni, kafejnīcas, bāri) lauku apvidos, ko ievietot tiešsaistes instrumentā, t.sk. skaidrojumu un risinājumu daļu, ēdinātāju novērtējumam un uzlabojumu veikšanai Vides kvalitātes sertifikācijai. 
  • papildināt ar jauniem un izdrukāt atkārtoti „Zaļā sertifikāta” uzskates līdzekļus, izvietošanai sertificētajos lauku tūrisma uzņēmumos. 
  • sagatavot arī digitālu marketinga paketi Zaļajām saimniecībām Vides sertifikāta labākai komunicēšanai savos kanālos. 
  • Sagatavot un noturēt 4 tiešsaistes apmācību lekcijas par ZS jomām (piem., jaunumiem un risinājumiem atkritumu šķirošanā un nodošana; telpu vēdināšanu, siltumapkure, elektroauto uzlādes risinājumiem), ko pēc tiešsaistes lekcijas vienmēr varēs atrast LC Youtube kanālā.
LVAF
10/01/2020 - 09/30/2022 (2020-1-TR01-KA202-092185l)

The Rural Tour: A Training Programme For Sustainable Rural Tourism

The main objective of the project is to contribute to the sustainable rural tourism targets at the European level by developing the skills of business owners, managers, employees, VET students and potential entrepreneurs in the rural tourism sector by an innovative and easily accessible training method. Within the scope of the project, activities will be carried out to develop the capacities of the people who are active or will be active in the rural tourism sector through created e-learning environment.

Erasmus+
06/01/2020 - 12/31/2022 (CB906)

Creating attractive rural lifestyle destinations

There is a clear market demand for attractive tourism destinations that can respond to the latest travel trends: authentic lifestyle and sustainability. This demand has also grown significantly due to the recent drastic changes in the tourism trade due to COVID-19 outbreak. This is potentially a particular opportunity for rural tourism in the CB-region. The region has several specialties relating to the authentic rural lifestyle that could be further utilized in tourism, like involving visitors in everyday life and activities: voluntary work camps, hands-on handicraft and cooking workshops, farming, berry and mushroom picking, fishing, home visits, pop-up cafes and other cultural events.
To utilize these opportunities a cluster of Rural Lifestyle (RL) destinations (Söderhamn, Sweden; Aland & Lohja, Finland; Estonia; Latvia) will be created offering sufficient product provision to attract overseas tourists, travel agencies and enable local tour operators to approach their overseas counterparts. 
With support of Asian market experts, the project aims to create direct market links with travel agencies and tour operators in the target markets to increase tourist visits from Asia to the CB-region. The project also aims to create new opportunities for Rural Lifestyle (RL) destinations in European markets. 

ERDF Interreg CB

The project overall objective is to increase number of visitors to the Program area through developing and promoting two joint cross-border nature long distance hiking trails crossing Latvia and Lithuania. Project partners expect at least 5% increase in overnight stays in rural areas within a year after the hiking trails are developed and launched through marketing and promotion activities.

Interreg V-A Latvia – Lithuania
01/01/2020 - 04/30/2023 (EST-LAT156)

Latvian - Estonian Common Military Heritage Tourism Product

ERDF Interreg Estonia-Latvia project "Military Heritage" aims to attract attention of general interest tourists to military heritage tourism which is at present in the status of niche tourism in Latvia and Estonia. The cross-border scope of the project will improve the professional level of the whole network of tourism objects in Estonia and Latvia, creating a homogenous product with common identity serving to attract more domestic and incoming tourists.

Interreg V-A — Estonia–Latvia

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.
SWITCH-Asia
09/02/2019 - 09/02/2021 (19-00-A01630-000002)

Kulinārā tūrisma produkts "Rudzu ceļš"

Projekta mērķis ir izveidot sadarbību starp lauku tūrisma uzņēmējiem, kuras rezultātā tiks radīts un popularizēts nacionāla mēroga kulinārā tūrisma produkts "Rudzu ceļš", kas tematiski balstīts rudzu maizes un rudzu produktu tradīciju saglabāšanā Latvijā. Projekta aktivitātēm ir trīs apakšmērķi - "Rudzu ceļa" kulinārā tūrisma produkta izveidošana, mārketinga materiālu sagatavošana un popularizēšanas pasākumi.

Projekta ​​kopējās izmaksas ir 150 000.00 EUR

09/02/2019 - 09/02/2021 (19-00-A01630-000001)

Tūrisma produkta "Sidra ceļš" izveide un mārketings

Projekta mērķis ir izveidot un popularizēt jaunu nacionālās identitātes tūrisma produktu "Sidra ceļš". Šis tūrisma produkts atklās tapšanas ceļu no augļu dārza līdz dzērieniem, iesaistot gan augļkopjus, gan sidra darītājus. Dabīgajam sidram ir labs potenciāls kļūt par vienu no Latvijas identitātes veidojošiem produktiem, jo Latvijas platuma grādos augošie āboli, no kā gatavo sidru, piešķir tam unikālu garšu. Projekta aktivitātes ietver produkta izveidošanu un mārketingu.

The project aims:

  • through the development of mobile learning and professionals' key skills learning material relevant to the labour market and considering the usage of European Instruments (ECVET/ECTS) to close an existing gap in the provision of modern technology learning in the rural tourism sector facing new market challenges;
  • to provide access to formal contents that can be used as mobile learning - project will provide formal and sequenced learning objects using prompts in different formats, namely audio, text, videos e.g.
Erasmus+

The project goal was to develop a long distance cross border hiking tourism route along the forest from Riga till Tallinn. The Forest trail starts in Riga, then crosses Gauja national park, Ziemaļgauja and Veclaicene. In Estonia it continues through the Setomaa, along lake Peipsi and further along the coast of Northern Estonia to Tallinn. The Forest Trail guides hikers through ca 1050km of most beautiful nature territories as they would fallow the map the marked route, with a map or a mobile device in hand. Walking distances cover of average 20km per day. The Forest trail includes all forest types and wildlife features typical of the Baltic States.

ERDF Interreg CB
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2020 (Interreg Baltic Sea Region No.#R047 Baltic Sea Foo)

B2B distribution model supporting local food sector in Baltic Sea region rural areas

Local food producers and farmers in Baltic Sea region (BSR) rural areas are mainly small family businesses, who prefer to organize the sales through face-to-face contact and by phone. The market area of local food producers is usually their own home region. In many regions they have established local food networks to cooperate for marketing and information exchange. 
Local food nets in BSR region have highlighted the need for cost-efficient distribution solutions for delivering food products from farms to local restaurants/tourism farms/shops/industries.
 

Interreg BSR BSF