British Stags Ruining Riga Reputation
British stag parties are being accused of ruining the international reputation and tourism industries in eastern European cities such as Prague, Budapest and Bratislava.
Riga, the capital city of Latvia has denounced British people as “savages” and “hogs” after repeated incidents of raucous stag parties getting out of control and urinating on the Freedom Monument. The worry from European tourism ministers is that the cities will be marked with an indelible stain from the British romps which will dissuade other tourists from visiting their historic cities.
In a blunt address to the British, Nils Usakov , Riga’s mayor said that the overriding number of Brits on tour was harming the reputation of Riga: “If we also had other tourists, then British visitors who piss about all the time would not be as noticeable. Let’s not be politically correct. Unfortunately this is their speciality,” The Times reported.
Riga is in a tricky situation, with Latvia suffering in the recession more than its European counterparts, such as Greece and Turkey. The country is desperate from economic stimulation from foreign tourists. Stag parties are a means to and end, bringing in a significant amount of wealth to the country, but dare Latvia risk destroying a popular revenue stream in order to try and entice a smarter clientele?
Mr Usakov said that Riga was investigating whether to employ tourism police specialists to deal with the influx of drink related arrests in the city. The easy access to the country through cheap flights and rock-bottom bargain holiday prices make Latvia a popular destination for budget-conscious Brits, but whether stag parties will move on to another location for debauched celebrations is another matter.
City Break Destinations News posted by Terence Oakwood on 06 August 2009
