TALLINN - The government is planning to endorse a national tourism development plan for 2007-10, according to reports. Under the plan, the state will invest 1.8 billion kroons (115 million euros) to facilitate growth in the number of foreign tourists' overnight stays in Estonia, export of tourism services and modernization of the tourism information system.
The plan's target is to increase foreign tourists' overnight stays from 3 million in 2005 to 4.7 million in 2013.
The plan includes 85.9 million kroons in investments this year to advertise Estonia, while over the next three years some 86.4 million kroons per year will be allocated for this purpose. The plan also envisages spending some 91 million kroons per year on spreading information about opportunities of domestic tourism.
According to the program, the export of tourism products must grow from 15.2 billion kroons in 2005 to 20.5 billion kroons in 2013.
To achieve that aim, some 131.2 million kroons per year in 2007-2010, both from the state budget and EU structural funds, must be invested in the development of different tourism products to boost the country's international competitiveness.
In order to promote tourism-linked education, the development plan calls for investing 131.8 million kroons this year, 138.9 million kroons in 2008, and 139.2 million kroons a year in 2009 and 2010.
