We are proud to be one of the oldest and strongest companies in travel business in Latvia, founded in December 1994. However, the beginnings of Impro Travel date back to the early 1990-ies, the wild and unpredictable times when Soviet Union had just dissolved, Latvia regained its independence and everything habitual collapsed. These political changes brought many obstacles preventing people from travelling, like a lot of hassle obtaining a visa or unusual requirements in the East, while the economical breakdown made it almost impossible due to very low or no income at all for months that made the prices in the West seem very high.

At that time tourism in Latvia was still stuck in the Soviet traditions but western Europe and the rest of the world was yet to be researched and discovered. The courage to risk and explore was much needed. To grow and develop, a lot of creativity and improvisation was required, hence the name – Impro Travel.

Those days back the easiest way to get an invitation for obtaining a visa was participation in an international sports event, so the first tours were built around a participation in marathons across Europe, and very soon turned from a hobby into business. To cut down costs by gathering a full group and make the trip more diverse, the visits to sports and culture events were topped up with a sightseeing program. The comfort level in these trips was rather moderate, and the travellers themselves had to think about a lot of things. Night rides in a bus or overnights in campings, hostels and inexpensive hotels gave the opportunity for people with average income to see the world which would be rather impossible in other circumstances.

The incoming department was opened in late 1990-ies to welcome the curious western Europeans willing to see how the Baltic countries, once behind the iron curtain, are recovering from the Soviet occupation and regaining their true identities.

Also in incoming travel we stick to the same values of creativity and joy of discovering. We aim at immersing the traveller into the local culture and confronting them with the unknown and the unusual. That’s why our tours are never for ticking major tourist attractions off the list but rather for using all senses to experience the country and its people, evoking emotions and widening one’s horizon by being a traveller, not just a tourist.