Paper short abstract:

The aim of the report is to ascertain the extent to which traditional textiles are used in the offer of the rural tourism of Latvia (in its different regions) and which kinds of ethnographic textiles are most often used in order to create visitors a notion of cultural particularity.

Paper long abstract:

There are a number of different ways how the modern society makes use of the ethnographic heritage in order to preserve and sustain features of the traditional culture and express its national particularity. The tourism industry also uses cultural heritage as an element of its offer. One of the tourism branches in Latvia is rural tourism, which is closely connected with recreation in the nature and eco-tourism. Also in tourist attractions which are not directly connected with cultural and historical heritage, the cultural particularity is emphasized through various natural environment components like natural building materials (usually wood) and constructions, interior design components like furniture, textiles and others.

The aim of the report is to ascertain the extent to which traditional textiles are used to emphasize cultural and historical particularity within the rural tourism environment in Latvia, which kinds of ethnographic textiles are most often used and whether they are related to the cultural and historical heritage of the place, as well as what are the differences (if any) between different regions of Latvia.