Tourism board targets Latvians

RIGA - The Estonian Tourism Board on May 17 launched in Latvia a culture campaign for weekends off titled ‘Rezervets’ (Booked), the aim of which is to attract Latvians to savor Estonia’s great cultural values, said the Estonian Tourism Board at a press conference in the Estonian Embassy in Riga, reports LETA. Representatives of the Estonian Tourism Board emphasized that a travel promotion and information site Visitestonia.com is available in Latvian.

The culture break campaign ‘Booked’ means that the best cultural and travel places have been reserved for Estonia’s neighbors – Latvians - and they are welcome to visit Estonia for new experiences. “It is a friendly advertisement campaign oriented toward the Latvian audience, welcoming our neighbors to take advantage of a variety of multiple tourism opportunities available in Estonia; we bring choice, information and convenient services,” Elin Priks, marketing consultant of Enterprise Estonia, the Estonian Tourism Board, said.

In the first quarter of this year, tourist numbers in Estonia have increased rapidly, which hints that in 2010 overall, a record number of tourists could visit Estonia.
As Priks noted, the increase of tourist flow can be explained with both one-time factors, like a skating championship, or the Metallica concert, as well as increased activity in the business sector, mainly from bigger interest from foreign businesspeople in the Estonian economy.

The Estonian Tourism Board has explored Latvian tourism habits, especially those related to the Estonian market. It appeared that more than 90 percent of Latvians who have visited Estonia do so repeatedly. The majority of Latvians go to Estonia by car. Latvians are active visitors of big cultural events. For example, they like the Song and Dance Festival, and also went to Estonia for Madonna’s concert, the first and only in the Baltic States.

The main motivation for Latvia’s inhabitants to go to Estonia is the country’s rich culture and historical heritage, as well as entertainment possibilities, which will be promoted in a framework of Tallinn - the Culture Capital of 2011.
“This campaign [Tallinn 2011] is important not only on the international level; it is also intended for local audiences to show that Tallinn is a good place to live, to develop, and to grow,” said Andri Maimets, the communication manager of Tallinn European Culture Capital 2011.