Ance agrees with this assessment: “Absolutely true! What I like most is that Riga is so empty that I can walk in the middle of the street peacefully at 8 AM and 5 PM, and not a single car will pass by me! It’s also really cool to stroll through a completely empty IKEA on weekends, and it’s super great that I can pop into Snatch or Italissimo at any moment, and everything will be free and magnificent!” However, not everyone agreed with this assessment. In the comments section, many pointed out that their experience is completely different and that the streets of Riga, public transport, and cafes are far from empty. For example, Agnese writes: “Try taking public transport somewhere on a weekend… it will be quite difficult to get inside already at the third stop after the final one.” Indra also shares her observations: “In which area of Riga exactly? I live in a quiet center, cafes and restaurants are full. The streets are full of cars. Yes, maybe there are fewer pedestrians because everyone is driving. The public transport that runs on Valdemara Street is also full.” In turn, Zane writes: “I don’t know where you walk, but on Sunday evening around 6 PM, the nearest cafes to my home were bustling with people. I live in the center.” Although these are personal observations of residents, the Latvian Restaurant Association also expresses concern about the situation. Industry representatives point out that the number of foreign tourists this summer is significantly lower than usual. “Unfortunately, the crisis in tourism continues. Information about Ukrainian drones that have lost their way and are falling in Latvia has spread widely in international media, and people are afraid to come to our region,” explains the head of the Latvian Restaurant Association, Janis Enzis. The association notes that in mid-summer, the streets of Old Riga, restaurants, cafes, terraces, and hotels should typically be full of foreign guests. The summer season traditionally allows tourism and catering businesses to earn enough to better survive the quieter autumn and winter months; however, this year, the situation is reportedly significantly more complicated.