EU Structural Funds for Tourism Development in Latvia

Currently, Latvian tourism industry is facing different problems; however, tourism in Latvia is considered one of the opportunities for the state economic development (Latvian Tourism Development Agency, 2010). Having joined the European Union (hereinafter-the EU), Latvia as one of the less developed EU regions had the opportunity to have financial aid provided by the EU for economic and social development. The EU Funds Projects for development of rural tourism during the period of 2004-2006 were implemented within the framework of the activity "Promotion of Rural Tourism and Craft". The EU Funds support for 2007-2013 has to be a logic continuation for the already made investments. The support has also to be based on the obtained experience and reached results during the period of 2004-2006 (LR Finansu ministrija, 2007). The aim of this study is to identify the support receivers of the activity "Promotion of Rural Tourism and Craft" for the period of 2004-2006 who have used the EU funds for rural tourism business and who are doing the business at the moment. The methods applied in the study are quantitative research method, questionnaire, analysis, and monographic method. The results demonstrate supervision incompleteness of fund utilisation as not all support receivers who have been questioned are doing business in rural tourism.