A new form of vacation is gaining popularity in Europe, already dubbed "coolcation" — traveling to cooler countries instead of traditional trips to the south. At first glance, this trend could play into Latvia's hands; however, industry representatives are currently assessing the tourist season quite cautiously. This is reported by [TV3 News](https://tv3.lv/zinas/latvija/98-restoranu-zino-par-turistu-samazinajumu-vai-latviju-varetu-glabt-tas-vesais-klimats/). The situation is particularly challenging, according to restaurant owners. According to Sandra Kļaviņa, a board member of the Latvian Restaurant Association, a survey conducted by the association revealed a troubling picture. > "98% of restaurants reported that they have fewer tourists this year than last year," she said. Entrepreneurs believe there are several reasons for this. The decisions of tourists are influenced by the war in the region, reports of incidents involving drones, and insufficient promotion of Riga abroad. > "Riga is advertised much less actively than, for example, Vilnius," Kļaviņa believes. For the restaurant business, foreign guests are particularly significant, as tourists make up a noticeable portion of visitors during the summer season. At the same time, the industry is facing rising costs. Representatives of the restaurant business once again remind about the high tax burden and continue to advocate for a reduced VAT rate for catering enterprises, as is done in many other European countries. Meanwhile, official statistics appear less dramatic. Anita Priede, a representative of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, notes that the number of served tourists — both foreign and local — has indeed decreased slightly compared to last year; however, the difference does not exceed two percent so far. According to her, there are no grounds to speak of a serious failure of the season at this point. At the same time, experts are pointing out a new opportunity for Latvian tourism. Due to record heat in Southern European countries, some travelers are increasingly choosing destinations with more comfortable temperatures. According to Priede, this trend is already beginning to reflect in the statistics. In particular, the number of tourists from Spain, Portugal, and other countries with hot climates is growing, as residents of these regions increasingly prefer to vacation in cooler parts of Europe during the summer. However, industry representatives emphasize that it is not wise to rely solely on climate. Even if the "coolcation" trend continues, Latvia needs to promote itself more actively in the international market, develop urban infrastructure, and make travel within the country more convenient and understandable for foreign guests.