Travel and Professional news
On 6 July, the partners of the Northern Baltic Cheese and Fine Foods project from Latvia, Estonia and Finland met online for the first time to discuss the project's planned activities and upcoming tasks. Partners discussed the upcoming open call for SMEs, the development of the project brand identity, planned training activities, promotional events, and participation in international food industry events. They also reviewed ideas for marketing materials, the project web platform and communication activities.
On 17 June, the partners of the project "Strengthening the Regional Competitiveness of Small Cheese Makers through Networking and Knowledge Exchange" held their first online meeting to discuss the planned activities and tasks. During the project, a thematic network will be established, bringing together cheese producers and experts to facilitate the exchange of experience, knowledge, and solutions, while supporting the production of high-quality cheese. In addition, a Guide to Quality Craft Cheese Production and Marketing will be developed, providing accessible, practice-based knowledge for cheese producers.
The next partner meeting is scheduled for early November in Riga. During the meeting, the partners will agree on the content of the Guide and take part in a study visit to one of the local cheese producers to exchange knowledge and practical experience.
On June 10, 2026, a sensory analysis training session for SMEs was held at Turkalne Manor, Ikšķile Municipality, as part of the BALT-FIN-CIDER project. The event focused on enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Baltic and Finnish craft ciders, particularly in preparation for entry into the Australian market.
On 9 June, the fifth Baltic Cider project meeting took place at Turkalne Manor, Latvia. Project partners and cider producers came together to discuss the progress made so far, ongoing project activities, and the next steps.
One of the project's main tasks is the development of the Baltic Cider Terroir Map, which aims to introduce a wider audience to the regional diversity of the Baltic countries and the unique characteristics of Baltic cider. Another important initiative is the creation of the Baltic Cider Route, bringing together cideries that are open to visitors and offer an opportunity to learn about the cider-making process. During the meeting, the partners also discussed the project's marketing activities, participation in various events, and opportunities to strengthen the recognition of the Baltic cider brand together.
At the end of the project, a Baltic Cider Conference is planned, bringing together cider producers, industry experts, and cider enthusiasts not only from Latvia and Estonia, but also from other European countries.
The Baltic Cider collective is bringing its distinctive cool-climate ciders to Australia this May, with appearances in Sydney (May 14–19), Batlow (May 15–16) and Melbourne (May 21–24). The team will be pouring and presenting their ciders at:
MURBUDU CIDER and TALAVA CIDER to represent Baltic Cider at ProWine Singapore this year – one of the world’s leading wine and spirits trade fairs. As the largest event of its kind in Southeast Asia, ProWine Singapore, jointly organised by Informa Markets and Messe Düsseldorf Asia, to feature a wide range of international wine and spirit labels, alongside diverse concepts tailored to regional markets, as well as specialised masterclasses and seminars led by industry experts.
On March 25-26, the international conference “Military Heritage Tourism: Innovative Approaches and Baltic Cooperation” brought together more than 110 participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and beyond - Finland, Norway and Poland - to explore how we can present our complex history through tourism.
The event served as a platform for strengthening Baltic cooperation and exchanging knowledge on the development of a shared Baltic military heritage tourism product.
The conference focused on key topics such as responsible interpretation of sensitive history, accessibility of military heritage sites, storytelling approaches, and military heritage tourism trends. Participants explored practical examples from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway and Poland, highlighting how complex historical narratives can be communicated in an engaging, inclusive, and meaningful way.
By sharing experiences and building new partnerships, the conference reinforced the role of military heritage tourism as both an educational tool and a driver for sustainable tourism development. It also highlighted the importance of continued cross-border collaboration in shaping how the Baltic region’s history is understood, experienced, and presented to diverse audiences.
Participants also experienced a guided tour with a glimpse into Jūrmala's elegant resort heritage, interwar artistic life, and the traces left by Soviet-era sanatorium culture, and the visit to the historic leisure complex "Valguma Pasaule".
The event was organized within the project “Extending the Baltic military heritage tourism product in Lithuania and South Latvia” (Military Heritage II, project number LL-00052), which is being implemented with the support of the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021- 2027, and the project “Improved Accessibility of the Latvian-Estonian Military Heritage Tourism Product” (MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE, project number EE-LV00094), which is being implemented with the support of the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Estonia–Latvia Programme 2021-2027.
>>> Photos
Project partners and cider makers from Latvia, Estonia and Finland met in southern Finland on March 3–4 for the third partner meeting of the project “Exports of the Baltic and Finnish Craft Ciders to Australia” (CB0700297 – BALT-FIN-CIDER).
On March 25–26, 2026, in Jūrmala at the Hotel Jūrmala Spa & Conference Centre, an international conference will bring together tourism professionals and entrepreneurs, historians from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to further develop a shared Baltic military heritage tourism product.
>>> Conference Programme (in English, PDF)
Please register by March 10, 2026 by filling out the application form: https://forms.gle/i11LLwsT3MRHmbL8A
From 2 to 5 February, CiderCon 2026 took place in Rhode Island, USA – the largest event in the cider industry, bringing together professionals from around the world. This year, Baltic Cider was represented by four cider producers: Abuls, Mr. Plūme, Lauskis, and Pienjāņi. Baltic cider was presented through two activities:
- Cider Share (3 February), where Baltic ciders were presented alongside ciders from around the world;
- Baltic Cider Tasting Session (5 February), a dedicated event for Baltic cider – a professional tasting session and presentation introducing the Baltic Cider initiative, including the first results of the terroir studies, and showcasing three Latvian cider producers. The session also included a discussion with cider producers.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to learn and exchange experience, taste a wide range of ciders, and establish new contacts.
