Domestic tourism expected to increase this year

According to Statistics Estonia, a total of 770,000 domestic tourists stayed the night at Estonian accommodation establishments in 2009. Overnight stays by domestic tourists increased last year in Lääne and Tartu County.

According to Statistics Estonia, the number of domestic tourists who stayed the night at accommodation establishments was 766,593, which is 19% less than in 2008; domestic tourists also remained the largest customer group for accommodation establishments. Estonian Tourist Board director Tarmo Musto said that the decrease in domestic tourism could be seen in advance, considering the economic environment. "Domestic tourism was hit significantly harder than foreign tourism last year in all of the Baltic States. This development was to be expected as domestic travel experienced noteworthy growth during the boom, and the economic growth had to stall or reverse at some point," he said. Thanks to economic growth, Mutso said, people were able to spend more on short personal vacations, such as spa getaways, and companies and agencies invested more into seminars and corporate events. When the recession hit, however, discretionary spending was the first to be cut. Data also show indirectly that as a whole, domestic tourism continues to be popular and use of commercial lodging in particular has decreased.

Mutso says he believes that general optimistic attitudes will spell a more positive year for Estonian domestic tourism. "It seems to me that people's attitudes have become more optimistic and little by little, they are allowing themselves more discretionary spending," said Mutso, striking a hopeful note, and said that the Estonian Tourist Board is doing all it can so that Estonians would travel more at home. He added that local tourism companies are also exerting more effort in the name of customers by making their services more attractive and featuring many special offers "Anyone who wants to receive good, comprehensive information on where and in what ways to travel in Estonia should come to the Tourest 2010 fair, which has a separate area with 160 domestic tourism service providers, called "Puhka Eestis" ("Visit Estonia"), said Mutso. The opportunities for travel within Estonia can be viewed on the www.puhkaeestis.ee (www.visitestonia.com) website which currently lists over 100 special offers from tourism companies.

The number of nights spent by residents of Estonia in 2009 dropped in all counties in 2009, except for Lääne County and Tartu County. The greatest decrease was in Tallinn (-71,247 or 25%) but domestic tourism also dropped markedly in the cities of Tartu and Pärnu and Harju, Saare and Valga County, among other places.

In early February, Enterprise Estonia again launched the "Puhka Eestis" spring campaign, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, the primary output of which is the www.puhkaeestis.ee website - featuring opportunities for spending a holiday in Estonia and the country's main tourism sites - and a consumer game promoted on outdoor advertising media and in TV, Internet and radio spots.

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