Do you agree that Jūrmala stopped developing after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Tourism should be supported by state-financed marketing activities. I think that the process of obtaining a visa is too difficult, with too much bureaucracy involved. Those who can afford to travel often decide that they’d rather go to other countries like Turkey or Cyprus. But there have been good developments that have drawn in more tourists, like joining the European Union in 2004. Despite the fact that the current political situation with our eastern neighbors is unfavorable, a lot of Muscovites still have wonderful memories of Jūrmala and some are happily buying up property here. Everyone wants to own a property near the sea. We have pine forests, a mild climate and a lot of places for active recreation. In the summer hotels are full and sanatoriums fill up quickly too. Do you think that Jūrmala has been able to reorient itself to the western customer? There are a lot of young people who are coming here for the first time – not just those nostalgic tourists who miss the good old d
