On 19 August, the Jelgava Water Tourism and Sports Base hosted the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania programme project WaterWays seminar “Water Tourism Trends in Zemgale”, bringing together tourism entrepreneurs, municipal representatives and Tourism Information Centres from across the region. The event aimed to strengthen cooperation and highlight new digital tools for developing water tourism products.
Focus on regional development and digital tools
The programme opened with welcome remarks and an introduction session, followed by presentations on the current state and potential of water tourism in Zemgale:
- Ilva Grasmane (Jelgava Regional Tourism Centre) presented Zemgale as a water tourism destination.
- Anna Builo-Hoļme (Zemgale Planning Region) outlined the implementation, results and achievements of the WaterTour project in Zemgale.
- Aiga Meri (Kurzeme Planning Region) introduced the water tourism portal riverways.eu and its functionalities.
These sessions provided insights into regional tourism development, digital tools and cross-border cooperation opportunities.
Inspiring success stories from water tourism entrepreneurs
A key part of the seminar was dedicated to real-life experiences from active water tourism providers featuring:
- Videga Strautniece (LAG “Lielupe”)
- Atis Luguzs (“Purva Pasaule”)
- Aleksandrs Jakovļevs (Jelgava Yacht Club)
Their stories showcased diverse approaches to product development, customer engagement and cooperation models within the sector.
Practical exploration of Jelgava’s water tourism infrastructure
In the second part of the seminar, participants went on an exploratory visit around the Jelgava Water Tourism and Sports Base and learned about the leisure boat “Mītava” and its services. During informal conversations, participants discussed joint product development, information exchange, and opportunities to strengthen water tourism offerings in Zemgale and across cross‑border regions.
The seminar was organized within the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027 project “Development of a Water Route Network in Latvia and Lithuania, Expanding the Cross-Border Tourism Product www.riverways.eu” (WaterWays).
More about the project
The WaterWays project (LL‑00011) aims to strengthen the cross‑border water tourism network between Latvia and Lithuania, expanding routes and improving accessibility for residents and visitors. The project WaterWays, or “Development of the Water Route Network in Latvia and Lithuania by Expanding the Cross-Border Tourism Product www.riverways.eu” (LL-00011), is being implemented with the support of the Interreg Latvia – Lithuania Programme!
Official project website: https://latlit.eu/theprojects/waterways/
Information prepared by:
Viktorija Reine
Project Manager of the Kurzeme Planning Region
Phone: +371 28232978
Email: viktorija.reine@kurzemesregions.lv
