Opportunities for Cooperation between Estonia and ... - Valitsus

APPENDIX 12
TOURISM
Tourism is commonly understood to mean holidaymaking and recreation away
from home, but it can sometimes cover business travel too. Tourism consists
not only of the actual travel but also the provision and use of various services.
Sometimes tourism is simply defined as any trip extending more than 80 km
from the traveller’s home and involving a stay at the destination of less than
one year.
Tourism is not just a developing business sector. It contributes substantially
to the international perception and image of travel destinations and areas.
Developing tourism between Estonia and Finland is important for the promotion
of integration between the two countries.
Tourism is principally of financial importance for Estonia and Finland. In 2007,
tourism accounted for about 8% of the Estonian GDP and 2.4% of the Finnish
GDP. Last year, tourists logged 5.3 million overnights in Finland and 2.9 million
in Estonia. In 2007, a total of 1,656,000 Finns visited Estonia; some 53% of
them stayed overnight, the rest were day-trippers.
Although Estonia and Finland are to some extent competitors in the tourism
industry, they are perceived as a single destination at least by tourists from
outside Europe. Because of this, the public tourism authorities and tourism
businesses in Estonia and Finland should find out how they could pool their
resources. The aim might be to develop a common marketing strategy and
shared procedures. Cooperation between the Estonian Tourist Board (Eesti
Turismiarenduskeskus) and the Finnish Tourist Board (MEK) should be
considerably enhanced.
Helsinki and Tallinn are already considered twin cities by many tourists, because
their sights and services complement one another. This should be seen as an
opportunity for the Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau and the Tallinn
Tourist Bureau (Tallinnan Ettevõtlusameti turismiosakond) to join forces in
marketing the twin cities in overseas markets. Many tourists also consider
the opportunity of adding St Petersburg or Stockholm to a trip to Helsinki and
Tallinn, and this ‘triangle concept’ should be exploited in developing tourism in
Estonia and Finland.
Travel by Estonians and Finns across the Gulf of Finland is important not
only for enlivening the tourism sector but also for the integration of the two
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