“There will be something to squeeze in.” How Kurzeme is preparing for the influx of guests to the World Rally Championship / Article

“There will be something to squeeze in”

Although guest houses and apartments are still available in many places, it is no longer possible to find a hotel for large groups, for example in Liepāja. Accommodation, as is the case every summer, is also almost unavailable in Pāvilost.

The administrator of the Karosta prison, Lāsma Ruzgailo, shows to Latvijas Radio the territory that she plans to adapt to the needs of rally visitors in July. Right in Karosta, next to the North pier, there will be a rally service park, where improvement of the territory has already started, so it will be thought about how to compete with the Karosta prison cafe as well.

“You see, we have a beautiful and wide area here, where we can place campers. The area has been cleared, let’s look further at the electricity connections, how much we can provide, also the drainage, so that we can empty the campers,” she said.

Others are also excited in Karosta, and this is another benefit related to the rally event, Sintija Pusaudze, member of the board of the Liepāja Region Tourist Information Office, explained: “I know that new accommodations are being created in Karosta, which have noticed this situation with the lack of accommodation and are promptly have reacted by offering accommodation in their properties, of course, they will not be five-star hotels. This is also an indication that businessmen are stressed that something should be completed sooner.”

On the other hand, the director of the Southern Kurzeme tourism center, Ieva Skābarde, emphasized that the tourist centers of Liepāja, Kuldīga, Southern Kurzeme, Talsa and Tukum are working closely with the organizers of the rally and a lot has already been done. A map of restaurants and camping sites is created on the “Google Maps” platform for easy navigation.

It will be more difficult for those who want to find accommodation, for example, in Pāvilost.

“It happens every year in Pāvilost, there are not enough places, but there are too many people who want to. But we still have large camping areas where campers can stay. Right here in Tašice, there is a special one for the time of the rally. The caterers think the same. It is on those days that there will be home cafes , when there will be a rally, there will be something to squeeze in,” Skābarde explained.

Sintija Pusaudze, member of the board of Liepāja region’s tourist information office, revealed that currently there are good apartments available in Liepāja, there are also separate places in guest houses, but difficulties arise for larger groups.

“We have received several requests for 44 single rooms in 4- and 5-star hotels. We can no longer offer this, as all the hotels in our city were already booked last year for teams, accompanying persons, organizers and sponsors. Currently, the big hotels are filling up in the neighboring cities of Palanga and Riga, because, as we know, the opening of the rally is in Riga at the Freedom Monument, the first stage at the Biķernieki track, then Tukums and Talsi.”

A big exam for the tourism industry

Klāvs Vikmanis, the owner of the guest house “Vērbeļnieki” and the summer cafe “Siena skūnis”, emphasized that an event of this scale is definitely a contribution to caterers and other people working in the field of hospitality. in the hottest tourist season.

“It also creates chaos, because when there is an abnormal influx, as they promise, then we cannot provide it. It is the active tourist season, so everything will be the same. Either someone will be left without a place to stay, or people, businessmen screw up the prices, then pay double or triple. As was the case with the “Brainstorm” concert, they close in time, and then there are those who pay,” he pointed out.

The director of the South Kurzeme tourism center Ieva Skābarde revealed to Latvijas Radio that they even appealed to tourism entrepreneurs not to artificially raise prices. The good news is that the rally does not take place in just one place, but the stages are in different places in Kurzeme, starting from Liepāja to Talsi and Tukum.

“The biggest crowd will start two weeks before, when the ordinary fan, who is still sleeping at the moment, will come. Now there are active teams and big fan groups. Then the biggest will start a mess,” she pointed out.

It will be a real test and exam for the tourism industry, as around 50 thousand fans, many with their families, will attend the rally.

The experience of Sweden and Estonia confirms that the rally generates a large turnover for entrepreneurs.

Sintija Pusaudze, board member of Liepāja region’s tourist information office, stated: “It will be a tough test, because we will have to receive people in addition to the already hot summer season. If we can show quality service, they will come back to us on vacation, that will be the biggest contribution, because the marketing that will unfold the world rally championship, we can’t lift it even in ten years.”

The organizers of the rally work closely with the tourism centers of Kurzeme to solve current issues. The next meeting with the rally organizers is expected at the beginning of June.