International students develop ideas to boost tourism in Jēkabpils

Twenty-six international students are exploring ways to make Jēkabpils more attractive to visitors as part of a tourism study project, LSM reports, citing Vidusdaugavas Television.

The students, enrolled in a tourism strategic management master’s programme at Turība University, come from Sri Lanka, India, Egypt, Armenia and other countries. Their visit began at Sēļu sēta, where they learned about the lives of Selian farmers in the 19th century.

For several years, the programme has included an assignment to study a place in Latvia and propose ways to improve its tourism offer. The students are divided into five groups, each focusing on developing a different area of tourism.

Ideas include modernising cultural heritage tourism and making greater use of the Daugava River. Italian student Alessia said Jēkabpils could develop its cultural heritage while drawing on the work of local artists. Turkish student Nazim suggested kayaking and zip-line rides as potential active tourism attractions. The river is often associated with floods, but the students see opportunities to use it for recreation.

Turība’s dean of the International Tourism Faculty, Ēriks Lingebērziņš, said the students can offer an outside perspective and help identify new ways to develop tourism.