The Latvian Competition Council decided to initiate an in-depth investigation into the merger case that had been opened on October 6, 2025, concerning the acquisition of decisive influence by a natural person over AB “NOVATURAS.”
The Competition Council received a merger notification from Nešets Kočkars, who exercises control over SIA BALTIC WORLD, a tour operator operating under the Anex Tour brand in Latvia. The notification concerns the proposed acquisition of decisive influence over AB “NOVATURAS.”
Nešets Kočkar is an international entrepreneur and investor active primarily in the tourism and related industries, providing a wide range of travel services, including air transportation, hotel management, and tour organization. He controls more than fifty companies, among which SIA BALTIC WORLD is the principal economic operator in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The company organizes and sells package tours to various destinations abroad, including flights, accommodation, transfers, and excursions.
AB “NOVATURAS” is a leading tourism service provider operating in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. It offers comprehensive tourism services to a variety of destinations, including air transportation, accommodation, transfers, and other services such as guided sightseeing and excursion trips. In Latvia, its business is conducted through SIA “NOVATOURS,” which is registered as both a tour operator and a travel agent.
According to the information provided by the parties to the transaction, their activities overlap in the market for package tourism services. In light of this overlap, the Competition Council deemed it necessary to examine more closely the potential effects of the merger on competition in specific local markets and across Latvia as a whole.
Pursuant to the first part of Article 16 of the Latvian Competition Law, the Competition Council therefore decided to initiate an in-depth investigation into the proposed merger. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the possible impact of the transaction on the structure of the relevant markets and on competition among tourism service providers.