As of today, the entry fee for Jūrmala has been increased from three to five euros, reports LETA.
According to amendments to the mandatory regulations, the daily entry fee has been increased from the previous three euros to five euros. The prices for long-term passes have also roughly doubled: from 10 to 20 euros for a weekly pass, from 31 to 60 euros for a monthly pass, and from 55 to 100 euros for a pass valid for three months.
A six-month pass now costs 180 euros instead of the previous 107 euros, and an annual pass costs 270 euros instead of 180 euros.
The payment procedure has also changed: the daily pass can now only be paid for at machines using a bank card — cash is not accepted. Cash payments can still be made at the Jūrmala City Council building at 1/5 Jomas Street in the Majori area.
The city council leadership cited the need to reduce traffic intensity as the main argument for the price increase. The opposition opposed the changes, stating that the price increase could negatively impact the flow of tourists and, consequently, harm local businesses.
Opposition deputies submitted two proposals to the draft decision — to abolish the entry fee during the winter season and to exempt employees of Jūrmala enterprises living outside the city from it. The council rejected both proposals.
According to the LETA agency, traffic intensity in Jūrmala has remained consistently high over the past three years: in 2024, there were 4.4 million entries recorded, from April 1 to September 30, 2022 — 4.3 million, and for the same period in 2023 — 4.5 million.
According to the Central Statistical Bureau, in 2024, Jūrmala ranked second after Riga in the number of day trips among local tourists — about 599,000 visits. In 85.3% of these trips, passenger cars or motorcycles were used.
A pass is required to enter the special regime zone — the section from the bridge over the Lielupe River to Vaivari. It is not required to move around other areas of Jūrmala, as long as the special regime zone is not crossed.
Exemptions from the fee or discounts will still be provided to Jūrmala residents, property owners in the city, their family members, students, parents of schoolchildren working in Jūrmala in certain sectors, legal entities, large families, people with disabilities, patients of medical institutions who have signed a contract with the Jūrmala municipality, as well as participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.
The entry fee for the special regime zone in Jūrmala has been in effect since 1996. The funds collected from this fee are directed towards the development of tourist and resort infrastructure — the arrangement and maintenance of walking, recreation, and beach areas.
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