Tourism Law (1998)

This Law regulates tourism. Its purpose is to create a legal basis for the development of the tourism industry in Latvia, to specify the procedure in which State administrative institutions, local governments and merchants operate in the area of tourism and to protect the interests of tourists. The Law further provides for tourism policy; tourism services; and protection and security of rights of tourists. According to the Law, the main tasks of the tourism industry are to provide free and equivalent opportunities for tourism, to raise the economic effectiveness thereof and to create new jobs; to support integration of Latvia into the international tourism trade; to support the development of domestic tourism and the export of tourism services; to promote the preservation and sustainable development of the rural social, economic and cultural environment, and facilitate the development of rural tourism and eco-tourism; to support the preservation and rational use of the cultural, historical and natural heritage, as well as to ensure the development of culture and nature tourism; to ensure and promote rational use of natural curative resources for improvement of the general condition and well-being of the body, prophylaxis, medical treatment and rehabilitation, as well as to ensure the development of resorts complying with the environmental protection requirements and promoting the internal consumption and export of resort services; to increase the competitiveness of those merchants, which provide tourism services; to support the granting of tourism concessions for pensioners, invalids, young people and children; to provide comprehensive and precise information on tourism resources and tourism services in Latvia and foreign countries; to support the raising of the quality of tourism services and the qualifications of those employed in the tourism industry; and to ensure harmonised development of tourism in accordance with nature and cultural environment protection so that tourism does not come into conflict with nature and cultural environment protection.