STUDY TRIP IN ESTONIA
Study trip in Estonia
In August, the Estonian Tourism Organization (ERTO) organized a study tour for the members of the Dedoplistskaro Tourism Development Association (DTDA) to familiarize them with the services and quality system of the Estonian tourism sector.
The Georgian group visited various rural tourism facilities in different regions of Estonia within the framework of the project “Development of Rural Tourism Services in Dedoplistskaro District, Georgia” funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia (ESTDEV).
We visited protected areas with well-equipped infrastructure and good examples of cooperation between the state sector and private business. It is noteworthy the management system of protected areas: there are economic forests, where the trees, cut down after agricultural activities, are replaced with ne
w trees. Even the bark of the tree, obtained in the production process, is returned to the forest to spread on the paths. In the protected forests, the state organizes proper infrastructure, walking paths, rest areas, watch–towers, cleaning, etc., and informational materials are prepared. Entry here is free for visitors. For example, Ranameetsa-Tolkuse Nature Monument receives an average of 60,000 visitors in the year. Businesses operate under appropriate conditions in protected areas. Local volunteers and environmental activists are involved in the protection of such places.
We got acquainted with the services of accommodation and conference rooms. We visited apple cider, berry liqueurs, apple juice, apple vinegar, cow cheese, goat cheese, soap, and other small factories, a horse farm, Santa Claus house, horticulture, herbal tea farms, flower farms, solar parking place, Manila Island tourist farm, a forest house near Viljandi, where we were offered delicious local food and thought-provoking stories, a garden design service farm, a wood factory in Avinurme, we learned to bake local rye bread, we saw a modern museum of the Estonian epic hero Kalevipoeg in a former school building, accompanying adventure park, playground, casual cafe, and village community center; We visited a biological farm of Thuringian goats, where goat milk cheese, condensed milk, and medicinal cosmetics are produced from biologically pure plants. We were in the green key holder hotel “Pesa”, which is very popular among European visitors; we got acquainted with the working principles of the Coupland network (a specially arranged place for remote work) in the forest, in an unusual environment, in the training center organized by professional business consultants, we got acquainted with the traditions of organizing various festivals (cucumber, open cafe days, exhibition of agricultural products and seed material, etc.), it was exciting and unusual to get to know the history of Estonian sauna, which is included in the list of the cultural heritage of UNESCO It was also fascinating to connect different periods of Estonian history with getting to know the swamps. Among the dolls made by the hostess in the hotel on the shore of Lake Vaskna, we found a couple dressed in Georgian clothes. In the mini farm of exotic and local animals, we also saw funny animals: llamas, alpacas, ostriches, miniature sheep, foxes, and others.
The hosts explained to us that they have a wine road in Estonia, they produce wine from various fruits, berries, and grapes, and invited us to the Uue-Saaluse small family winery. Here we tasted wines made from paradise apples, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, and grapes.
At the café Suurmuna Mag near the highest peak of Estonia – Suurmuna Mag (Big Egg), located at 318 meters above sea level, we heard an interesting concept, how one cafe can become an example of skillful production, a meeting center for locals of different ages and a place to sell their own products, as well as a cultural center for the guests coming from big cities.
We saw a tourist accommodation set up by the forest owners and tasted a delicious Estonian dish made with local meat and vegetables.
After seeing almost every business, we also heard the stories of the owners. The start was associated with some difficulties, of course, but the State and the European Union helped, and today businesses are already working on the development, refinement, and improvement of products and services.
After generalization, we can establish the common features of the visited businesses: all of them are searchable on the Internet, all are marked on the Google map, and all are findable on the website https://www.visitestonia.com , everywhere there is a small informational brochure about local businesses or a map.
Everyone tries to do well in their niche and collaborate with others when necessary, for example, when they need catering services along with meeting room services, they hire a nearby partner catering company.
In every company there is a possibility to buy their or local souvenirs, you can pay by bank card, also.
There were many good examples of how one can turn one’s profession or hobby into a business, and all that is required is determination, the use of local, “hand-held” resources, and small expenses.
All rural tourism facilities try to use seasonal, local natural materials, raw materials, food, and building materials in their activities: crutches for covering buildings, plants for food and decorations, and even “weed” plants to decorate the gardens next to cultivated plants. In Estonia, as a member of the European Union, various products made in European countries are available of course, but Estonians prefer local products, for them it is a matter of prestige.
We all returned to our native region full of impressions and business ideas. Many important conclusions can be drawn from this trip. It’s good when you read something or look it up on the Internet, but seeing it with your own eyes is something else. All participants were interested in seeing a business similar to their field or close to it, they all saw the same object in their own way.
