The fourth “Home Café Days” organised by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) has come to an end, with 617 improvised cafés being visited by Latvian residents. From 28 June to 15 September, café enthusiasts in 41 destinations across Latvia could enjoy a wide and diverse range of special dishes, as well as the unique, authentic atmosphere of the café days.
“This year’s Home Café Days attracted a record number of visitors – 86,000, which is 24% more than last year, demonstrating the consolidation of this campaign in Latvia. The positive feedback from the regional coordinators and the participants themselves only confirms the significant impact of the campaign on tourism growth. Moreover, about half of the participants admit that they have considered offering catering or tourism services on a regular basis in the future, and several of them have started their own business as a result of this initiative,” says Inese Sirava, Director of the LIAA Tourism Department.
This summer, Home Café Days took place in 41 destinations across Latvia. The highest number of home cafés was in the Tukums and Cesis region – 30, in the Selija region – 28, and in the Madona region – 26. For two years in a row, the largest number of visitors has been welcomed at Ozolmajas Ranch or the “Ranch Taste Festival” in Balvi Region, with up to 780 guests. From 10 to 11 August, around 600 visitors visited the café at Bramberģe Manor in Jelgava Region. Likewise, the café with the witty name “Kabaci vajag?” (“Need a summer squash?”) confirmed that this is a perennial question for at least 540 people. On average, 145 people visited each home café.
Wit, family heritage, honouring one’s grandmother, culinary mastery – these are just some of the trends that characterise this year’s home café menus. The hosts are particularly creative, organizing various themed home cafés – country, medieval, and in the theme of the Latvian TV series “At The Castle.” This year has also seen the emergence of a new trend: gastronomic performances. Of course, this year’s cuisine was also diverse: Moroccan, Greek, Italian, Georgian, Mexican, etc. Home Café Days also offered visits to otherwise inaccessible sites of cultural and historical value, such as manor houses and other historic buildings that have been restored by private enthusiasts.
The offer of the Home Café Days was particularly wide, allowing visitors to experience the intangible cultural heritage of Latvian fishing, with them being invited to both coastal fishing villages and farms whose owners use the benefits provided by Latvian lakes.
The campaign “Home Café Days” is organised by LIAA together with the Latvian Rural Tourism Association “Lauku ceļotājs”. The number of cafés is increasing every year, proving that there is a high demand for recreation in the countryside. On Home Café Days, farms, backyards of community enthusiasts and enterpreneurs, farmsteads and other places became home cafés.