Hockey Hotel Boom in Riga

Janis Jenzis, president of the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association, says that attention should be turned away from the accommodation problem during the World Hockey Championship 2006.

Each year, 10-20 new hotels are being opened in Latvia and he believes that this year even more new hotels will be opened. Some hotels are being expanded and reconstructed. He also thinks the opinion that Latvia catastrophically lacks hotels is unreasonable. It was not possible to find places for groups of 30-50 tourists at the last minute last summer, but not for individual tourists. The problem with accommodation during the championship could be solved by accommodating people in hotels located in other cities of Latvia or even in hotels near the border of Latvia, or on ferries in Riga port. Others could stay in tents, he says. Anyone thinking of opening a new hotel should remember that the hockey championship only lasts for a few weeks, he adds.

Source: Biznes & Baltija/Baltic Standby