TOURISM PLANNING AND IDENTIFYING ITS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL IN LUDZA

Nowadays the actual problem is the reduction of population in small towns thus affecting the preservation and development of territories. Due to the migration and the negative natural increase of the population, the population of Ludza district is decreasing faster than the national average. Urban tourism is a growing tourism market. World tourism trends in today's market suggest that the number of tourists attracted by cities is increasing. Development of the tourism sector is one of the priorities of Ludza town development, as it promotes employment, business development, attraction of investments, as well as recognition of town image. In general this can be seen as a significant contribution to economic development but so far in the framework of the development of the Ludza town, tourism development opportunities have not been fully identified and used, and development is necessary continuously. It is important to conduct surveys, including surveying local people and tourism experts to find out the interests of visitors. This article will analyze the main principles and objectives for tourism development in towns. The aim of the article is to theoretically justify the need for tourism planning and identification of development potential in the town, studying Ludza's example.