Tourists have begun to cancel trips to the eastern regions of Latvia after the falls of Ukrainian drones and announcements of air alerts in the border areas of the country, reports Reuters.
According to the regional tourism industry association, about 85% of companies have faced booking cancellations, and some businesses have already lost more than half of their future orders. Financial difficulties may affect around 500 small enterprises.
This concerns the Latgale region near the border with Russia, known as the "land of blue lakes." Industry representatives told Reuters that hotels, guesthouses, and recreation centers are experiencing a sharp decline in the number of tourists.
"Now we understand that it will not be so easy," said Elena Kiyasko, a representative of the regional tourism industry association.
It is worth noting that in Latgale itself, there is no enthusiasm about the increased media attention. "While we are afraid to go to Latgale ourselves, we are waiting for tourists from Berlin," said Janis Jenzis, president of the Latvian Restaurant Association.
"In the media space, the 'hybrid war narrative' prevails," notes J. Jenzis. "Our tourism industry suffers most from the inability to convincingly show the real situation. Of course, everyday life flows along familiar tracks in Latgale and throughout Latvia – people go to work, events take place, hotels and restaurants are open and ready to welcome guests. However, this message cannot be conveyed by either local residents canceling reservations or the international audience."
In recent months, incidents involving Ukrainian drones have increased in the Baltic countries, which have found themselves in the region's airspace. On Monday, a French fighter jet had to be called in – the pilots did not miss and shot down the drone.
In May, a drone fell into a lake in Latvia and exploded upon contact with water. In the same month, several Ukrainian drones were intercepted in the skies over Estonia and Lithuania, and in the Latvian city of Rezekne, two drones crashed into an oil depot.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga acknowledged that Ukrainian UAVs had fallen on Latvian territory. Later, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry apologized to Estonia and other Baltic countries for the "unintentional incidents" involving drones.
