Domestic travelers boost Latvian accommodation numbers as foreign guests dip slightly
In the second quarter of 2026, the number of Latvian residents staying at tourist accommodations rose by 3.5%, while foreign guest numbers edged down slightly. Riga and Jurmala remained the top destinations for both domestic and foreign travelers.
Data on Latvian tourist accommodations for the second quarter of 2026 show diverging trends between domestic and foreign guests. While the number of Latvian residents served rose 3.5% to reach 309,400, the number of foreign guests declined by 0.4%.
Monthly trends varied
Monthly figures were uneven. In April, the number of domestic guests grew 4.7%, while foreign guest numbers fell 2.1%. In May, both groups declined — domestic guests by 1.0% and foreign guests by 4.2%. In June, however, both categories grew, with domestic guests up 6.3% and foreign guests up 4.0%, compared to the same months last year.
Foreign guest breakdown
Foreign visitors accounted for 58.8% of all guests served in the quarter, totaling 440,600 people. The number of nights spent by foreign guests fell 2.3% to 787,500, while their average stay remained unchanged at 1.8 nights. The largest numbers of foreign travelers came from Lithuania (70,100), Germany (48,900), Estonia (43,700), and Finland (36,800), followed by the United Kingdom, Poland, the United States, Sweden, Spain, Norway, and Denmark. The majority of foreign guests stayed in Riga (72.1%), followed by Jurmala, Marupe municipality, and Liepaja.
Domestic guest choices
The number of nights spent by Latvian residents rose 4% to 504,900, while their average stay stayed steady at 1.6 nights. Domestic travelers also favored Riga most (31.2%), followed by Jurmala, Liepaja, and the Cesis, Tukums, and Valmiera municipalities.
