Photo: BalticTravelnews.com
Author: Marta Mackeviča
Source: BalticTravelnews.com
On February 7, the prestigious “Tourism Person of the Year” awards were presented for the 20th time, recognizing outstanding contributions to Latvia’s tourism industry. This year, the award in the category “For Significant Contribution to the Development of Hospitality” was granted to Ieva Treija, the owner of Gemoss, who has been supporting various Latvian tourism and hospitality projects and initiatives for over 30 years. After a long hiatus, the category “Entrepreneur/Manager in the Transport Sector” returned this year, with the award going to Arnis Jaudzems, CEO of Sixt Baltics and Finland. The other nominees in this category included Aivis Eida, head of Lauvas Tours, and Oskars Lūsis, CEO of OsaBus and Dispo.
Awards in Six Categories (35 pictures)
Reklāma
In the category “Entrepreneur/Manager in the Accommodation Business”, the award was presented to Ruslans Jamčinskis, manager of Monika Centrum Hotel. Other nominees included Mairis Arājs, manager of Bahnhofs Hotel Alūksne, and Jeļena Stirna, General Director of Mogotel.
“In 2024, Latvia’s accommodation sector saw many positive trends indicating the industry's recovery and growth following the impact of the pandemic. A key factor was the influx of tourists, driven by both domestic and international visitors. Throughout 2024, accommodations in Latvia—particularly in Riga and major cities—experienced rising demand, largely due to increased activity in conferences, events, and cultural programs,” said Aivars Mackevičs, the founder of the award and director of the tourism news portal BalticTravelnews.com.
In the category “Entrepreneur/Manager in the Travel Agency and Tour Operator Business”, the award went to Jūlija Rimļina, Chairwoman of the Board at Atlantic Travel. Other nominees included Svetlana Teličāne, manager of Al Svets, and Karina Puzanova-Kļujeva, head of Coral Travel Latvia.
The “Tourism Information Center Manager” category saw nominations for Toms Treimanis (Valmiera Tourism Information Center), Jelena Kijaško (Rēzekne Tourism Information Center), Aleksandra Stramkale (Jūrmala Tourism Information Center), and Inese Turkupole-Zilpure (Bauska Municipality Tourism Information Center), with Inese Turkupole-Zilpure taking home the award.
Finally, in the “Entrepreneur/Manager in the Restaurant Business” category, the nominees were Māris Astičs (manager of Ferma Restaurant), Kristaps Sīlis (chef of John Chef’s Hall), and Rita Auziņa, Chairwoman of the Board at Lido, who won the award.
Honoring Excellence in Tourism Since 2004
The award was first presented in 2004 at the Balttour tourism exhibition, and including this year’s recipients, a total of 131 industry professionals have been honored. The award statuette is created by artist Ieva Strazdiņa, and the Latvian Investment and Development Agency is the award’s main sponsor.
The “Tourism Person of the Year” award is traditionally given to the most outstanding leaders, representatives, and supporters of Latvia’s tourism industry from the previous year. It recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development, promotion, and advocacy of Latvia’s tourism sector. Nominees must be successful and responsible professionals with an impeccable reputation who have emerged as leaders in their respective fields.
To publish this article please contact BalticTravelnews.eu editorial board
MOST POPULAR of WEEK
