Estonia plans grants to draw tourists beyond Tallinn

Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs plans multi-year grants for regional tourism organisations to encourage visitors to explore destinations beyond Tallinn, ERR reports. The organisations would also help address transport gaps that make it difficult to reach attractions in rural areas.

A draft regulation proposes funding destination management organisations, known as DMOs, for 2027 to 2029. Examples include the Tartumaa Tourism Foundation and the Onion Route in South Estonia; the Tõstamaa Manor Foundation and Soomaa Tourism in Pärnu County; and the Hiiumaa Development Centre and the municipalities of Saaremaa, Ruhnu and Muhu.

The organisations would work with municipalities, businesses and other partners to strengthen tourism’s contribution to local economies. The proposed grants would run for three years, compared with shorter funding periods so far. Recipients’ own contribution would rise from 50% to 55% by the third year, to reduce reliance on state funding.

Tourism sector lead Kristina Jerjomina told ERR that the draft also puts greater emphasis on reducing seasonality, improving the impact of tourism on regional economies and ensuring visitors have a good experience. The annual funding total would increase by about 200,000 euros, and the range of eligible costs would expand, while grant use and reporting would be simplified.

Under the tourism sector’s plans, at least 53% of overnight stays should take place outside Tallinn by 2029. Overnight stays in spring, autumn and winter should account for 65% by the same year.

The grants are intended to support the development of cultural, heritage and food tourism, improve the quality of tourism products for international visitors and make them available beyond the peak summer season. The plans also include further digitalisation and automation, including making more services bookable online.

A major challenge for regional tourism is getting from a bus or train station to a forest trail, manor or museum, as well as finding clear parking information. Grant recipients would not be expected to buy buses or operate routes. Instead, they would work with regional public transport centres, municipalities, technology companies and tourism businesses to identify improvements, map access to key attractions, study visitor travel patterns and test possible solutions.

The proposed grants would total 1.97 million euros a year. Funding decisions would take into account how far a destination is from Tallinn and how well it is connected to other places.