Baltic airports - how they do? (Archive)

[Janis_LV]

Well, Czech Airlines has bad reputation, working as a tour guide I experienced, that everytime some from my group traveling with Czech Airlines lost his/ her luggage. AirBaltic would be better, I will be happy to see many rich Italians next year in Riga's pubs and restaurants and italians - they are the most lavish ones. Not like Finns or Swedes, who always are close with their money.

[QUOTE=Gatis]Czech Airlines in March start flying Riga - Roma. Finally more South Europe. It's a pitty that Air Baltic did not do it.

In November 2004 Riga serviced 82,7% more people than in November 2003.[/QUOTE

[Janis_LV]

Well couple weeks ago - some friends from UK visited me, finally... and just because there was this Ryanair route. Not that they are poor or students, no. Actually one of them spent about 300 pounds in one evening in bars discos,restaurant. There are just poeple who prefere to spare on flight ticket and spend this money buying something else. Yesterday I was around midnight in Old Town. On the main pedestrian street were not many poeple, but I was surprised that almost all of them were english speaking and they were not like students or something. It was something unusual a year ago.

And statistics shows in Novemer more than 80% more passengers in airport that last november - it's all Ryanair.

Ryanair doesn't mean that that now we have achieved our maximum in tourism. Not at all. But it is significant development and gain for all tourism industry here and the poeple of the city, who hopefully will take the advantage of the more and more coming tourists.

Originally Posted by LV ELF

The thing is that Ryanair due to its nature of having really cheap tickets does not attract many tourists who are willing to spend a lot of money while traveling. Most of them are either students (who tend to stay in hostels anyway) or families with many of their own expesnses. But that is better than nothing, I guess

[Janis_LV]

Well this summer according to statics of Riga Tourism information center, italian tourists were the next after Germans and Scandinavians. And you could see it on the streets. Don't know why (I suppose most of them before xoming here have no idea how beautiful it is here , but they ARE really comming here.

And single horny man? - Well, I heard that f.e. in UK Riga is seen as the best place to have stag night in Europe. Cheap alcohol, beautiful, soemtimes also cheap, hornier-than-anywhere-else girls... if that's something attracting people no mater italians or swedes or whatever, I can imagine nobody who is losing something in this situation, only the men and only their money, all the others are gaining. So don't underestimate horny single italian man as a potential visitor.

Originally Posted by LatvianGG

Well, from waht I 've heard, only a bunch of italian single and horny men are interested into a city-trip Riga after visiting inbox.lv chat servers

[Gatis]

Somehow I am not too happy with Riga becoming sex-tourism capital. I understand that this means some money... but this means also increase of influence of organised crime.

[MCarr]

Originally Posted by Gatis

Somehow I am not too happy with Riga becoming sex-tourism capital. I understand that this means some money... but this means also increase of influence of organised crime.

More money? only is prostitution is legalised otherwise as tax free only pimps make the real money there

[Gatis]

No, here is meant money left by these visitors in cafe's, pubs, hotels, taxi driving etc. But I think that it is little income in comparison with the bad image of the country.

[Janis_LV]

Originally Posted by Gatis

No, here is meant money left by these visitors in cafe's, pubs, hotels, taxi driving etc. But I think that it is little income in comparison with the bad image of the country.

Well, of course I am not referring to prostitution as such. Just the girls really LOOK sexier here than in many places in Western Europe. And as share of women in society is the biggest in the world (Latvia is even in Guinness record book with the biggest proportion of women in society) so there is not so much competition. It all makes Riga a perfect place for horny single men.

About image - it is an important thing, but we can create it ourselves. It's possible to control it. Like - you can call Riga as a "city of cheap prostitution" = bad! But you can also say "Riga - The REALY hottest nightlife in Europe" = GOOD, although both mean more or less the same. But there must be professionals and big money invested. Definitely.


And Riga must have diverse images to implement in advertising. For each target group corresponding one.

[LatvianGG]

Yesterday Riga Airport had it's 1 000 000th passenger this year...
Next year they plan to have 2 000 000, and in 2010 about 5-6 mln.

[ch1le]

1 000 000! WOW WOW... id like to see you double it, imo its impossible!

[Gatis]

I think that way too. We can bet. I would say that next year in Riga - 1,6 mio passengers. And then already the airport would nearly burst from people.

[ch1le]

1.6 seems more probable..
Great, our airports are expanding, soon tallinn will overrun Vantaa and take over the world!... well, no... but still... with this growth staying the way it is...

[John]

Even 1.6mio is quite optimistic figure. This means the growth should be ~60% what is not a very easily reachable goal. But we'll see.
I'd say 1.4million is a more realistic possibility

[Gatis]

Let's see after one year. To reach 1,6 mio there is needed the same increase as in this year - around 50%. In June - December the main limiting factor for further increase of passengers has been the low number of hotels in Riga - it is hard to get any place. But some 60 hotels are u/c or in project stage.
- - -
In press conference there was also told that next boom of activities is expected around March. There are expected several new companies in Riga, including one cheap airline. But the main key to success in Riga is local "Air Baltic" - if they will succeed, airport will develop.
There are not expected numerous new destinations over the next year. The existing ones would be strenghtened.

[ch1le]

well, 1 thing is certain... Riga airport will be the main hub in the baltic area for sure!

[MCarr]

Originally Posted by ch1le

well, 1 thing is certain... Riga airport will be the main hub in the baltic area for sure!

Probably, they even have their national airline named after the region name: Air Baltic

Air Baltic could be something like SAS and the main hub based in Copenhagen to serve all scandinavian countries.

[NorthStar77]

Originally Posted by Gatis

Let's see after one year. To reach 1,6 mio there is needed the same increase as in this year - around 50%. In June - December the main limiting factor for further increase of passengers has been the low number of hotels in Riga - it is hard to get any place. But some 60 hotels are u/c or in project stage.

60 hotels?? WOW

[MCarr]

Originally Posted by Gatis

it is hard to get any place. But some 60 hotels are u/c or in project stage.

Damn it, how come Im not designing any of those 60? Am I missing something here???

[Gatis]

Yeah, 60. But only 1 highrise. There are rumours about two more highrise hotels under preparation.
Air Baltic is to large extent owned by SAS, btw. State is going to sell its share soon.

[ch1le]

tallinn is getting largest 5 star hotel in the area and its in One of the twins! so beat that!!!!! tallinn has like 4 hotel highrises, Radisson sas, viru, olümpia and soon tt2!

[Edd]

@ch1le: Wow, that's great! It's unbeatable!

60 hotels is not that good as in Tallinn but still it's ok.

If seriously: How many places are in hotels today in our capitals? And how many places are planned? (time for which it's planned should be also included)