There are 2,384 tourists from 19 countries on board, most of them from Germany.
Rīga is the first of the cruise ship's nine stops on the two-week "AIDAdiva" sea voyage route. Next, it will visit Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm, as well as several ports in Norway, concluding its sea cruise at Warnemünde in the port of Rostock in Germany on June 8.
Riga Freeport told LSM.lv that the visit of "AIDAdiva" is the long-awaited return of the cruise company "AIDA Cruises" to Riga after a long break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ieva Lasmane, head of the Tourism Department of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency said:
"This is an important event for the development of tourism in the city and proves the attractiveness of Rīga as an excellent cruise destination. Tourists from Germany are one of the largest target groups of Rīga, and the return of such a large cruise line to Rīga shows that the negative impact of the geopolitical situation on tourism in the Baltics is diminishing,"
During their stay in Riga, "AIDAdiva" passengers have various excursions around the capital laid on – cultural and local tourism programs and culinary tours, and some of the ship's passengers will go on excursions further afield to Sigulda, Rundāle and Bauska. There are also some who have chosen to go for a guided bog walk.
A total of nine visits by "AIDA Cruises" ships are planned this year, and the ship "AIDAdiva" will visit Riga five times this season, while in July and August it will be possible to see the cruise ship "AIDAmar" in the port of Rīga and also the cruise ship "AIDAluna" in October.
For the 2024 cruise season, 67 ship visits are currently registered for the port of Riga, which is five more than last year. Nine ship visits are planned for two days with an overnight stay in Rīga, while 13 ships will visit the port of Rīga for the first time.
