Visit Estonia

🌍 Estonia, known for its advanced digital society, is great for conferences, meetings, and business events. Our country is forward-thinking, blending technology with strong cultural roots. 🏙️ By pairing modern infrastructure, easy accessibility, and a dynamic start-up culture with centuries-old traditions and a naturally sustainable mindset makes Estonia deliver memorable and impactful experiences.   Estonia is the ideal destination for those who value creativity and reliability – it is a place that works for you. 👉 Learn more about business events opportunities in Estonia here: https://lnkd.in/dGz5Diys

We are now introducing the 8th member of the Visit Estonia B2B team, and this time, it’s Dana Noormets. She’s our business tourism wizard and shared a story as her introduction: "During the PCMA Convening EMEA congress, which brings together the whole #meetings industry, Michael Bungay Stainer asked us during his keynote: 'What's your best? When do you shine, and when do you flow?' I checked my notes, and I had written down something that I believe perfectly describes the business events industry and why those of us in it love what we do: • Helping people, making them smile (for example, sharing the Estonian story about our digital society, and explaining in all seriousness about how we’re not (yet) able to get divorced online) • Sharing good emotions (like telling people that in Estonia, you can have an 'underwater gala dinner next to a real submarine') • Telling a story I’m passionate about (explaining in detail how at Schiphol airport, the taxi from the runway to the terminal takes 20 minutes, whereas in Tallinn, in the same amount of time, I’ve landed, exited the plane, retrieved my luggage, left the terminal, and am probably already watching the evening news at the hotel) • Solving problems (such as how Estonia’s nature can help recharge your batteries, leading to better problem-solving when you extend your business trip here) • Embracing new and unpredictable situations – fun starts outside my comfort zone (incentive off-road adventure with retro jeeps, where the worse the weather, the better the experience!)" Dana emphasizes that, after 18 years in the industry, she still loves her job and discovers new stories every year about why Estonia is the perfect destination for business events! Look at her travel tips, too 👇 #teamvisitestonia #b2bteam #destinationmarketing

Proud to share a recent gastronomy undertaking in Sweden. Thank you, The MICHELIN Guide and Helina Andruškevitšus from Visit Estonia for a delicious happening!

The international organization Green Destinations, which promotes sustainable tourism development, has announced this year's top 100 success stories of sustainable destinations. From Estonia, ten stories were submitted to the competition, and in a tight contest, the stories of Hiiumaa, Lahemaa, Järvamaa, Tallinn, Tartu, and Viljandimaa earned a spot in the TOP 100. 💚 Tartu's success story this year is the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024. On January 26, Tartu held a grand opening event for the title year, focusing on accessibility and sustainability. ♿ ☃️ The village of Väätsa, located in the middle of Järvamaa, has become one of Estonia's landmarks of winter atmosphere, attracting people from across the country and beyond. The apartment festival, snowman parade, and Christmas windows are well-known events the local community organises. 🟢 Hiiumaa’s success story this year was the consistent and effective implementation of the environmental label Hiiumaa Green Label, which has fostered an eco-conscious mindset among local businesses and promoted environmentally friendly solutions. 🎻 The Viljandi Folk Music Festival, which originated from a student initiative, has grown from a one-day event into the most prominent music event in the Baltic and Nordic countries. For three decades, the festival has involved young people in its organization and provided them with opportunities to perform. This has led to a new generation of musicians, who have made a name for themselves across various genres, growing with the help of the festival. 🚌 Lahemaa’s success story highlights sustainable transport solutions. The Lahemaa Tourism Association has made sustainable travel more accessible for visitors in several ways. For example, in cooperation with the Tallinn Tourist Information Centre, they guide visitors to use buses heading to Loksa and the Viru Bog, and the bus stop formerly known as Loksa Road was renamed "Viru Bog" to help those arriving by bus find their destination more quickly. During summer weekends, an info café-bike rental operates at the Loksa bus station to encourage visitors to explore the national park by bike. 🎵 Tallinn's story emphasizes the commitment of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation and the city of Tallinn to promote environmentally friendly and responsible event management. 2023 XIII Youth Song and Dance Festival, which brought together over 125,000 participants, implemented ecologically friendly practices in collaboration with sustainability experts and key partners such as Acento and Eesti Pandipakend. A comprehensive waste reduction strategy centred on reusable dishes was developed, preventing more than 3.5 tons of plastic waste.

In our 7th Friday B2B team intro, we're excited to introduce Kristiina Kästik, the powerhouse behind travel trade marketing at Visit Estonia. With almost 20 years in the industry, Kristiina has played a key role in forming partnerships that have elevated Estonia's visibility on the global travel trade stage. 🌍✈️ Her expertise doesn't stop there - she also collaborates closely with Tallinn Airport team for new airline routes, helping to bring more direct flight connections to Tallinn. Her efforts in this area are crucial in making Estonia more accessible for the world to discover. 🛫🤝 From managing large-scale projects to fostering lasting partnerships, Kristiina's the team captain with 100% dedication, strategic thinking and soothing levelheadedness 🙂. And don’t miss her exclusive travel tips! 👇 #teamvisitestonia #destinationmarketing #fanofmuhuisland

Autumn is a season of change. The average temperatures will fall from 15 degrees in September to 0 in November. Days will be shorter and cozy season awaits. 🥶 During cold and darker days it's important to still be active and reload your batteries. Are you a person who thinks that there's no cold weather, only wrong clothes and go hiking in a bog or some nature-trail? Would you like to visit indoor attractions and museums and learn something new? Or would you relax in spa and forget about the dark and cold and dream about the summer? 🤔 👉 If you need any ideas about what to do during dark nights, then click here: https://lnkd.in/d7RB-mgW

Here comes the vol 6 of Visit Estonia's B2B team intros! Meet Evely Baum-Helmis, dedicated to elevating Estonia’s tourism presence in the #DACH region, where the fascination with the Nordics is booming. Germany and Switzerland are embracing the Nordic trend, and Estonia is at the forefront of the #coolcation movement! Evely says that their partners there firmly believe in Estonia and its tourism product, sustainable travel and food experiences. Sustainability isn’t just a passing trend in Estonia, it’s a way of life and Evely is working closely with key organizations, partners, and tour operators there to ensure this message resonates. 💚♻️ On a personal note, her heart skips a beat with excitement as Hamburg - her second home - is finally directly connected to Tallinn via a new direct flight route! This quick and convenient link brings Northern Germany even closer to Estonia. ✈️🇪🇪 Check out Evely's travel tips and favourites! #teamestonia #visitestonia  

Attention to all Finnish friends! Yesterday, a cultural holiday campaign started in our primary target market, Finland, focusing on brand-new or refreshed cultural experiences in Estonia.    The campaign aims to catch the attention of travellers and culture scouts in Helsinki and the surrounding area so that they will be eager to spend some cultural time in Estonia during the autumn and winter months.    Campaign videos run until the end of November. Even though these cool videos are in Finnish, it would be a shame not to share them with you!   Estonia is waiting for you - it's about time to visit us!   👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dpEmfRy6 #finnishguests #visitestonia #newexperiences

As we are getting on with our team introduction, this time it is celebratory, as we are welcoming back Andrus Hindrek Leonard Nõmm as the new head of tourism marketing at Visit Estonia! 🎉 For many, he is already a familiar face at Visit Estonia, as he has been part of it for a period of time earlier, but he explains his return to the tourism department like this: "One thing that has always appealed to me about Visit Estonia is that tourism is viewed both in a sector-specific way and often across sectors. Visit Estonia can contribute to the entire journey of tourism economics: from product development and environmental issues to destination management and marketing the country. Such comprehensiveness within one department and team is relatively unique among national tourism developers and marketers worldwide. I joined the team that I was a part of years ago because I feel that after international experiences and further studies, I have more to contribute to and say about realizing Estonia’s tourism marketing vision." As mentioned, Andrus has previously led Estonia’s tourism marketing for a long time, but he has also worked in the hotel industry, managed a translation and consulting bureau, and served as Estonia’s tourism representative in London. "In the last decade, I resided in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. I was a marketing manager at a leading, service-oriented software company focusing on the markets of Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. I continued also my tourism education at Otago University in New Zealand, working on my doctoral thesis on the impact of tourism and decarbonization on regional destinations and their management up to 2040. I believe this is an interesting and rewarding project that is not just for academic debate but has practical value to build upon," says Andrus. His free time is filled with exploring the world with friends or behind a camera 📸, baking in the kitchen, or on long walks and discovery trips his dog. In Estonia, Andrus' undeniable favorite is his hometown, Pärnu. "Both in its vibrant summer atmosphere and in the peaceful calm of winter," he says. In general, there are few places in Estonia that Andrus, with his wanderer’s soul, has not yet reached! He firmly believes there’s reason to be confident and proud of what Estonia has. Welcome back, Andrus and happy globetrotting under the Estonian flag once again!

Visit Estonia reporting its September doings from JATA Expo in Tokyo, our B2B colleauge Agnia on the fieldwork in Japan!