It is something of a relief to note that regardless of what has been taking place in the world over the last year, there was a small growth in the number of foreign tourists visiting Estonia – approximately 4 percent by the end of 2008. A rise in the number of visitors from Finland and Russia mostly accounted for this, although their visits tended to be shorter than they have been in the past. Estonia has also become more popular as a destination for Latvians and Lithuanians. Here, the fact that different regions in Estonia have carried out effective marketing campaigns in these countries has played an important role. In tougher times, when people from neighbouring countries decide to spend their vacations closer to home, perhaps Estonia is the right choice for them? While the number of business trips of these target groups has fallen abruptly, Aripaev concludes, Estonia needs to lure business events from countries in Europe that are further away – wouldn’t Estonia be a cheaper option for them?

 

Aripaev, 2009-01-19