RIGA, March 30 (LETA) - Daugavpils local council does not rush to place Ukrainian refugees in hotels, but is using municipal buildings for the purpose, LETA learned from the local council.

Daugavpils local government's spokeswoman Gunta Locmele said that asylum seekers from Ukraine mostly are accommodated in hostels of municipal institutions and state education institutions.

"The number of refugees in the city is not that big so that we would need to use hotels. If the number of refugees increases, we will consider cooperation with tourist facilities," she said.

In Jelgava, refugees from Ukraine are accommodated in Zemgale hotel.

"An agreement has been reached with the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies that starting from tomorrow refugees can be accommodated in the university's hostel. There are negotiations also with hotel Akva," said the local government's representative Egita Veinberga.

Santa Graikste, the executive director of the Latvian Association of Hotels and Restaurants, said that local governments could involve local tourist accommodation facilities in accommodation of refugees more actively.

Graikste said that local governments more often choose to open new hostels, spend additional money to buy the necessary equipment, but instead they could use ready-made infrastructure and support tourist facilities who have been fighting for their survival for more than two years already.

She said that it is not clear how local governments will use their new facilities when refugees will no longer need them.

As reported, tourism businesses have already voiced readiness to participate in providing coordinated assistance to Ukrainian refugees, offering accommodation and jobs. Rural tourist facilities are already equipped with everything that is necessary, therefore no additional money should be spent on mattresses, kitchen equipment, washing machines and other household goods.