Estimating the Development of the Latvian - Estonian - Russian Transboundary Tourism and Recreation Region

In 2004, the Pskov - Livonia Euroregion was established across the borders of Estonia, Latvia and Russia (the Pskov region). Tourism became a cooperation priority in the Euroregion. This necessitated research on the local tourism and recreation areas. This study aims to estimate the development prospects of transboundary microregions which have been identified by the authors within the Latvian-Estonian-Russian tourism and recreation mesoregion. The authors employ ten additional criteria proposed in the general conception of transboundary tourism and recreation regions. The article identifies five microregions: Pskov-Pechory- Tartu and Pskov-Izborsk-Cesis (first level), Pytalovo-Rezekne (second level), and Izborsk- Pechory district- Setomaa and Lake Chudskoe area (third level). The authors classify the microregions according to their level of development. The development of the Izborsk-Pechory district-Setomaa microregion is defined as ‘above average’, that of Pskov-Pechory-Tartu as ‘average’, and that of Pskov-Izborsk-Cesis as ‘below average’, and finally, the development of Pytalovo-Rezekne microregion is described as ‘poor’. The Lake Chudskoe area microregion is classified as an ‘emerging’ one. The overall level of development of transboundary tourism and recreation microregions is assessed as ‘below average’. The results of the study can be used in preparing recommendations for the development of transboundary microregions within the Latvian-Estonian-Russian tourism and recreation mesoregion

Development stages of ethnic contact zones in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since the end of the 19th century

The analysis of changes in the ethnic structure of the population is one of the most cen­tral topics in the study of the development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This work aims to identify stages in the evolution of ethno-contact zones in the Baltic States, using ethnic statistics from the end of the 19th century to the present. This study employs, for the first time, a methodology for identifying stages of ethnic contact zone development. This metho­dology simultaneously considers the direction of change in the ethnic mosaic index used to determine the phases of growth and dissolution of ethnic contact zones and the positive or negative dynamics of the proportion of titular ethnic groups. The ethnic mosaic index helped identify five prominent ethnic contact zones: the capitals of the Baltic countries, Ida-Viru County in Estonia and the Latgale region in Latvia. Over the past century and a half, these ethnic contact zones have exhibited three different types of dynamics. The first is characteristic of Tallinn, Riga and the Latgale region, where phases of ethnic contact zone growth and dissolution alternate as the proportion of titular ethnic groups changes in response to the vicissitudes of history. The second is peculiar to the Estonian county of Ida-Virumaa, which has experienced phases of ethnic contact zone development and an increase in the non-titular population. The third, exemplified by Vilnius, combines phases of ethnic contact zone growth and dissolution with a rise in the proportion of the titular ethnic group. The proposed methodology can be extended to the analysis of ethnic contact zone development in other territories as well

Changes in the structure and geography of tourist flows during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tourism suffered more than many other sectors amid Covid-19 travel restrictions. This article looks at the impact of the pandemic on the territorial redistribution of tourist flows in the Baltic region. The study draws on regional annual and monthly data on international and domestic tourist arrivals between 2019 and 2021, available on the websites of the statistical offices of the Baltic Region countries. The regions earlier dependent on tourist arrivals from Russia experienced the largest drop in inbound tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, domestic tourism burgeoned in most of the region’s countries. In 2021, the most dramatic increase in domestic arrivals occurred, year on year, in the border regions of Russia’s Northwest Federal District; the growth was also notable in Finland and the Baltic States. Domestic tourist flow compensated, partially or even fully, for the decrease in inbound tourist flow in most regions. The structure of inbound tourism changed markedly during the pandemic, with the share of tourists from the Baltic States growing. The strongest rise was in some regions of southern Finland and more modest in Latvia and Lithuania

Population Ageing as a Sociodemographic Problem in the Baltic Region

Population ageing is a major problem of European development in the 21st cen­tury. Rapid population ageing in most developed countries will continue to drive the dependency ratio up. This research aims to forecast dependency ratio in the Baltic region until the end of the century. A more detailed population analysis and forecast is provided for the case of the Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The authors use Bayesian probabilistic predictions based on data from the Pop­ulation Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Principle research methods include multi-factor simulation modelling; some find­ings are presented on schematic maps. The study shows that by the end of the century the highest dependency ratio in the Baltic region will be observed in Poland, while Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden will also face significant challenges. The authors put forward demographic policy recommendations for those Baltic region states that will reach the highest dependency ratio by the second half of the 21st century

Possibility of an ultra-precise optical clock using the 61S0→63P0o6 ^1S_0 \to 6 ^3P^o_0 transition in 171,173^{171, 173}Yb atoms held in an optical lattice

We report calculations designed to assess the ultimate precision of an atomic clock based on the 578 nm $6 ^1S_0 --> 6 ^3P^o_0$ transition in Yb atoms confined in an optical lattice trap. We find that this transition has a natural linewidth less than 10 mHz in the odd Yb isotopes, caused by hyperfine coupling. The shift in this transition due to the trapping light acting through the lowest order AC polarizability is found to become zero at the magic trap wavelength of about 752 nm. The effects of Rayleigh scattering, higher-order polarizabilities, vector polarizability, and hyperfine induced electronic magnetic moments can all be held below a mHz (about a part in 10^{18}), except in the case of the hyperpolarizability larger shifts due to nearly resonant terms cannot be ruled out without an accurate measurement of the magic wavelength.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Geography of inbound tourism and transboundary tourism-and-recreation region-building in Sweden

Sweden’s tourism industry stands out for its large contribution to the development of the national economy. The vast size of the country makes it possible to trace differences in incoming tourist flows from neighbouring countries. This circumstance accounts for the novelty of this study, which lies in viewing national tourism geography from the perspective of the theory of transboundary tourism-and-recreation region building. Interregional differences in the structure of incoming tourist flows help identify the country’s cross-border tourism-and-recreation regions and delineate their borders. This research employs statistical and cartographic methods. The incoming tourist flow to Sweden grew steadily until 2020. However, the Covid-19 crisis has led to a drastic reduction in the number of incoming tourists. Based on the 2019 statistics, the findings confirm the existence of a developed transboundary tourism-and-recreation mesoregion that brings together Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. The formation boasts strong tourist links. There are another five cross-border tourism-and-recreation mesoregions: Sweden-Norway-Denmark, Middle Sweden-Norway, Sweden-Norway-Finland, Middle Sweden-Finland, and South Sweden-Finland. The number of tourists visiting cross-border mesoregions indicates the degree of development of the latter

Russian-Estonian border in the context of post-soviet ethnic transformations

The authors explore the main trends and regional peculiarities of ethnic transformations during the post-Soviet period in the Russian and Estonian borderlands. Special emphasis is placed on the dynamics of the share of two dominant ethnic groups – Russians and Estonians. It is argued that the main trend of ethnic transformations is an increase of the share of the dominant ethnic groups in the structure of population. The almost Russian-speaking Ida-Viru county in Estonia is an exception, where together with a small growth in the share of Estonians, there was growth in the number of Russians. The authors analyse the dynamics of smaller Baltic-Finnic nations – Ingrians and Setus (Setos), living in the Russian border area with Estonia

Старение населения как социально-демографическая проблема Балтийского региона=Population Ageing as a Sociodemographic Problem in the Baltic Region

Population ageing is a major problem of European development in the 21st cen­tury. Rapid population ageing in most developed countries will continue to drive the dependency ratio up. This research aims to forecast dependency ratio in the Baltic region until the end of the century. A more detailed population analysis and forecast is provided for the case of the Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The authors use Bayesian probabilistic predictions based on data from the Pop­ulation Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Principle research methods include multi-factor simulation modelling; some find­ings are presented on schematic maps. The study shows that by the end of the century the highest dependency ratio in the Baltic region will be observed in Poland, while Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden will also face significant challenges. The authors put forward demographic policy recommendations for those Baltic region states that will reach the highest dependency ratio by the second half of the 21st century

Towards a classification of transboundary tourist and recreation mesoregions in the Baltic region

In the wake of the Covid-10 pandemic, the Baltic region saw a dramatic reduction in tourist flows in 2000-2021; the decrease was as much as tenfold in some destinations. This study aims to classify the 16 transboundary tourist and recreational mesoregions of the Baltic region according to 2019 tourist flows. The research evaluates, for the first time, the 2020-2021 decline in tourist flows across these regions. The main outcome of this study is grouping the mesoregions into three orders according to the size of 2019 tourist flows. Four mesoregions were assigned to the first order (with over 500,000 arrivals), three of them located in the southwest Baltic region; nine, the second order (from 100,000 to 500,000 arrivals); three, the third order (from 50,000 to 100,000 arrivals). The most substantial fall in tourist flows occurred in 2020-2021 in the mesoregins including Sweden and Russia and the least marked in those involving Denmark, Germany, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The findings may help track the future restoration of transboundary tourist flows in the countries of the Baltic region