Latgale region and Utena County both see tourism as a strategic key industry in their future economic revival. This project is the direct continuation of the previous projects between Latgale region and Utena County that have been cooperating to establish joint tourism destination. Previous cooperation provided awareness of the administrative capacity, further development needs and common strategy.

In this project the knowledge of tourism development is to be deepened and turned into specific investments in the water tourism infrastructure as well marketing, product development and capacity building activities. The project is aimed to diversification of the tourism products, raising economic gains from tourism, improving water accessibility, and improving tourism coordination in the BCL. The Project will invest into the 19 water objects, which are located in the 8 municipalities (9 objects in 3 districts of Utena (LT); 10 objects in 5 municipalities of Latgale (LV). Totally 30 sites will be facilitated with infrastructure or prepared for further investments by technical designs (11 technical designs in 4 muniicpalities in LV area).
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Latgale region and Utena County both see tourism as a strategic key industry in their future economic revival. This project is the direct continuation of the previous projects between Latgale region and Utena County that have been cooperating to establish joint tourism destination. Previous cooperation provided awareness of the administrative capacity, further development needs and common strategy.

In this project the knowledge of tourism development is to be deepened and turned into specific investments in the water tourism infrastructure as well marketing, product development and capacity building activities. The project is aimed to diversification of the tourism products, raising economic gains from tourism, improving water accessibility, and improving tourism coordination in the BCL. The Project will invest into the 19 water objects, which are located in the 8 municipalities (9 objects in 3 districts of Utena (LT); 10 objects in 5 municipalities of Latgale (LV). Totally 30 sites will be facilitated with infrastructure or prepared for further investments by technical designs (11 technical designs in 4 muniicpalities in LV area).

The investment sites have been selected based on the Concept of river and lake use. The investment has to gain multiplicative effect and the site has to respond to certain criteria: closeness to the towns or easy accessible via good quality roads, existing enterprises, high interest and willingness of the local authorities, natural (ecological, hydrological) preferentiality of the lake or river. Some sites (for example, Balvi lake, Vilaka lake) are expected also to gain important regional impact – improvement of the quality of city-environment, facilitation of public places and promotion of the recreation and health of the local inhabitants.

These reconstructed and facilitated places will be linked to the network of more than 150 tourism providers in Latvia and 102 providers in Lithuania. The activities to develop and promote specific water tourism products as well as region as a whole are envisaged. The project partners will coordinate development and promotion of 10 new water-based tourism products, conduct 4 training and experience exchange seminars, 4 product development workshops, 5 water-related public events, publication of maps. Extensive marketing campaign in central and regional media is planned. The websites www.latgale.lv, www.utena.aps.lt, www.balticlakes.com, and www.ezerukrastas.lt will be regularly updated with topical tourism information and project related information. The joint participation in the tourism exhibitions Balttour and Vivatour is also planned.
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Within the Project:

• Construction works at 10 public recreation sites in Latgale: 1 Pristaine public recreation site in Ilukste county, 3  public recreation sites in Ludza, 1 active tourism centre in Livani, 4  public recreation sites in Balvi, 1  public recreation site in Vilaka, completed.

• Preparation of 11 sets of technical documentation in Latgale: 1 feasibility study and technical documentation for walking and water route in Kraslava, 2 technical designs for illumination in Ludza, 2 technical designs and 5 sketch designs in Balvi, 1 technical design for reconstruction of summer stage in Medumi, completed. Construction works at 3  public recreation sites in Utena district and 3  public recreation sites in Anyksciai completed. Acceptance sertificates for 16 sites and 11 sets of technical documentation signed (in total 27).
• Participation in Balttour 2009-2010,Vivattur 2009-2010 with joint tourism offering and marketing. A mobile exhibition stand was produced (60m2). Joint edition of brochures, tourist, location maps and Aukštaitija culinary route in Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian and English were produced.

• Local workshops and international workshops were held, as well as local and cross border seminars were organised. 14 new cross-border tourism products have been elaborated.
• Special water events - Neptun Festival in Ludza with more then 5000 participants and Water sport event in Līvāni (about 1 000 participants) organised and advertised.

• Marketing campaign advertised Baltic Country of Lakes on many popular internet sites: inbox.lv, one.lv, tvnet.lv, rus.delfi.lv; articles published in press: Ieva, Lublu, Sestdiena, Lilit, Klubs, Geo, Patron, Copes Lietas, Lauku avīze, Balvu vaduguns, "LeVojageur", "Naša gazeta", "Sestdiena"; on tram in Daugavpils, on autotrailer in Aglona (3 days, 13-15.08.2009), on 30 buses in Riga, on Latgales Radio, MIX FM, Maxima, Alisa Plus, Latvijas Radio 2 and LTV7 in programme "Skatu punkti".

Latgales reģiona attīstības aģentūra

Saules iela 15, Daugavpils, LV-5401, Latvia Tel.: +37165428111 Fax: +37165428111 Website: www.latgale.lv Contact person: Director Maris Bozovičs E-mail: maris.bozovics@latgale.lv

Utenos apskrities viršininko administracija

Aušros g.22, Utena, LT-28142, Lithuania Tel.: +37038964022 Fax: +37038959536 Website: www.utena.aps.lt Contact person: Leonas Rutkauskas, Head of Strategic investment section E-mail: leonas@utena.aps.lt

Anykščiu rajono savivaldybes administracija

J.Biliūno street 23, Anykšciai, LT-29111, Lithuania Tel.: +37038158146 Contact person: Vilma Vilkickaite E-mail: vilma.vilkickaite@anyksciai.lt

Utenos rajono savivaldybes administracija

Utenio sq. 4, Utena, LT-28503, Lithuania Tel.: +37068611867 Contact person: Alvydas Gražys E-mail: a.grazys@utena.lt