As Liepāja prepared to become the European Capital of Culture in 2027, the city welcomed British travel and lifestyle journalist Debbie Ward, who explored Liepāja’s cultural and historical heritage, tourism offering and preparations for this major cultural event.
Debbie Ward has more than 20 years of experience in journalism, specialising in travel destinations, cultural heritage, gastronomy and outdoor activities. She has travelled to more than 65 countries, and her work has appeared in several leading UK publications.
From 22 to 27 September, the journalist visited Latvia, exploring Riga, Kuldīga, South Kurzeme and Liepāja. During her time in Liepāja, she discovered the city’s rich cultural and historical heritage, coastline and diverse cultural scene, while learning more about its preparations for the European Capital of Culture 2027 programme.
The experiences and insights gained during her visit are expected to contribute to an upcoming travel feature in The Guardian. The internationally recognised newspaper reaches approximately 22 million readers each month across its various platforms, with an international audience spanning more than 180 countries.
The journalist’s visit provided an opportunity to introduce Liepāja to a wide international audience as an attractive cultural and travel destination, while raising the city’s profile ahead of its year as European Capital of Culture.
The visit was made possible with financial support from the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).
The Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 programme is delivered by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, the City of Liepāja and official partners – the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, with the co-founding from the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, Jsc; its partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, Ltd; its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd; alongside its maritime mobility and international communication partner SIA “Stena Line”, Ltd;
The Foundation’s media partners are: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd; SIA “Žurnāls Santa”, Ltd; SIA “Tvnet grupa”, Ltd; and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
