About Cluster

Gauja National park Tourism Cluster was created in 2012 by an NGO “Tourism Association of Sigulda City Region”. This NGO was established in year 2000 as an association of local Sigulda city tourism entrepreneurs.

Creation of the Cluster was fostered by a project “Development of Gauja National park Tourism Cluster” funded by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia. Project will be running until June 2015.

Today cluster combines more than 50 entrepreneurs, 9 municipalities, Latvian Nature Conservation Agency, Joint Stock Company “Pasažieru vilciens” (“Passenger train”), Joint Stock Company „CATA” and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences.

At this moment it is the largest tourism Cluster in the Baltic’s!

In 2014 name of the NGO was changed to “Gauja National park Tourism Association” so it could truly represent all new members and the Cluster.

All sorts of tourism entrepreneurs are represented in the Cluster – castles and manors, companies working in nature tourism, all kinds of active tourism, wellness and health tourism, culinary or food tourism, rural tourism and other tourism forms. All kinds of lodging – camping, hotel, manors etc. - are represented in the Cluster also.

Cluster is managed by a Steering group of 12 representatives that is re-elected every 2 years. At this moment Cluster Steering group are as such:

	1. Janis Stepins chairman of the “Gauja National park Tourism Association” representative of “Kārļamuiža” country hotel
	2. Solvita Muizniece board of the “Gauja National park Tourism Association” director of Bīriņi castle
	3. Ieva Stipniece representative of Valmiermuiža brewery
	4. Dace Vanaga-Mikane board of the “Gauja National park Tourism Association” director of "Rehabilitācijas centrs"Krimulda"", SIA
	5. Rudīte Vasile representative of "Mārkulīči"
	6. Austris Brutans board of the “Gauja National park Tourism Association” Chairman of the board  “Veckalns” SIA
	7. Andra Magone manager of Cēsis city Tourism development and Information Center
	8. Laura Skrodele board of the “Gauja National park Tourism Association” director of Sigulda city Development Agency
	9. Sarmite Usane director of Līgatne municipality Culture and Tourism Center
	10. Dace Jase director of Public relation and Tourism Department in Valmiera city municipality
	11. Rolands Auzins director of Vidzeme Regional Administration of Latvian Nature Conservation Agency
	12. Andris Klepers representative of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, associate professor

During last 2 years many activities have been done and several are still in the process:

• An uniting brand – Enter Gauja – was created with logo and a brand book;
• Marketing strategy 2013-2019 was developed;
• A monitoring system of tourism market in the Cluster was set;
• A web-page www.enetergauja.com  was created;
• many joint marketing activities have been done – brochures and maps printed, video “Wonders of Latvia” filmed by Ashley Colburn, photography and video portfolio for each member created, mass media from Russia visited;
• evaluation done for all routs that exists in Gauja National park – in total length more than 1400 km. This information will be used in developing self-manageable rout planner in this web-page.
• Several new joint offers were created in the cluster by it’s members – a new brand “Enter Manors”, a set of 30 new nature tourism routs and a SKI Winter Pass – joint client card for all skiing slopes in Gauja National park;
• Cluster members have been to experience exchange to Lapland and much more!

Gauja National park Tourism Cluster will keep on working also after project will end, bringing added value to local municipalities, Vidzeme region and Latvia.

All Cluster activities are focused on achieving a goal that starting from 2018 Gauja National park will gather 8% from all incoming tourists that visit Latvia outside Riga. In 2012 this number was 3% and thanks to Cluster activities it is growing.

If you want to find out more about us, please write an e-mail or give a call!