On October 9, the annual tourism conference “The Recipe for Tourism Development: Sustainability, Responsibility, Safety” took place at Turība University, bringing together professionals from the tourism and hospitality industry, representatives of academia, and students to discuss the future directions of local and international tourism.

Opening the conference, the President of the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association and Chairman of the Board of Riga Islande Hotel, Andris Kalniņš, emphasized that sustainability, responsibility, and safety form the principles that will determine the industry’s ability to grow and adapt in the coming decade. He also highlighted that Latvia’s tourism sector serves as the country’s business card, and every stakeholder is responsible for the image we create of our nation, its people, and its environment.

“Tourism is an export-oriented industry, and we must constantly remember this. We are one of the few sectors that directly impact the national economy and people’s well-being. Therefore, sustainable tourism development is of national importance,” noted A. Kalniņš in his address.

Meanwhile, the Dean of Turība University’s Faculty of International Tourism and Chairman of the Board of ALTA, Ēriks Lingebērziņš, expressed gratitude to both local and international industry experts for their participation and shared his confidence in the promising future of the tourism field, given the strong interest among students.

Gita Seņka, the Manager of the EU project “TSSTrip”, pointed out that continuous cooperation between academia and the professional sector is crucial for promoting the development of the tourism industry and strengthening its progress towards future growth.

The conference particularly focused on the development of local and international tourism, considering perspectives from both travelers and service providers. Experts from Latvia, Austria, Turkey, and Bulgaria shared the latest trends, research insights, and practical solutions related to sustainability, digitalization, and work environment improvements.

In the continuation of the event, masterclasses were held for lecturers of educational institutions that are members of the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association, where current trends in the hospitality industry and the importance of motivation in ensuring quality were discussed. At the same time, aspiring tourism and hospitality professionals participated in a hackathon, where they worked on solving real industry problems and presented their innovative solutions to a panel of experts.

Young people from educational institutions specializing in tourism and hospitality tackled important industry-related challenges, and the best teams received prizes from the event’s supporters.

The event was organized by Turība University and the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association, with support from Paynt, Mogotel Hotel Group, Riga Islande Hotel, Cēsu Alus, BHRS, and Lido.