Face to face: Andrus Nomm

London-based Andrus Nomm provides Travel Daily with an insight into Estonia’s tourism numbers and updates.

How many Brits currently visit Estonia each year?

In 2012 Estonia had 54,305 overnight visitors from United Kingdom. As Estonia is a more remote destination in Europe, especially from a UK perspective, the tourist numbers are reflected in the number of the direct flight connections available between UK cities and Estonia’s capital Tallinn. There were some cuts on winter 2012/2013, but the good news about connections is that easyJet is operating direct flights to Tallinn now from Gatwick airport and Ryanair from Stansted.

What type of traveller typically goes to Estonia? Are they travelling outside of Tallinn?

Today the average visitor from UK to Estonia tends to be a fairly well-off frequent traveller who takes at least two or three short trips a year. They stand out from the rest of the crowd because they tend to be less seasonal and travel there almost all year round.

Even though the majority of tourists from UK are there for a short break in Medieval Tallinn Old Town, there are signs of an increase in stays in the areas outside of Tallinn. Places such as Saaremaa, Muhu islands and resort Pärnu on the west coast, also the university town Tartu in the southern part of the country are gradually growing in popularity.

Have you noticed any other trends in tourism?

There has been an increase in the special themes like bird watching and wildlife watching. Estonia’s natural pearls include rare bogs, important stopover sites for migratory birds, a surprising density of predators, ancient limestone cliff with abundant fossils and a phenomenon called the “fifth season.” For such a small country, the diversity of Estonia’s landscapes is unique in Europe. The great numbers of large carnivores – more than 150 wolves, about 700 lynx, and 550 brown bears – indicate the richness and ecological potential of Estonian forest ecosystems.

What tourism developments has there been in Tallinn?

There were two major site openings in Tallinn last year. Both of them have turned out to be very successful and have welcomed more visitors than originally anticipated.

The Tallinn TV tower was opened after reconstruction and became very popular amongst locals and tourists wishing to see a different view of the old town roof-tops.

The Seaplane Harbour was opened as a new department for the Estonian Maritime Museum. The Seaplane Harbour is more of a destination style theme park and offers a different experience to classical museums.

Over the last few years the chefs in the restaurants have made a lot of effort to raise the quality and the uniqueness on their menus. The local food culture scene is diverse and unique. The way Estonians prepare their food has been influenced for centuries by the culinary arts of Germany, Russia and Scandinavia. One of the causes for the jump in quality is due to the launch of the annual top 50 restaurants and eating places in Estonia. The best are selected by leading figures from the world of food – representatives of the restaurants themselves.

What resources do you offer to the UK travel trade?

A full schedule of events, accommodation and tourism providers can be found at www.visitestonia.com and for those sending guests to Estonia, a selection of photos, videos and downloadable brochures can be found in a dedicated agent support section.

The newest addition to the Visit Estonia website, suitable for FIT (frequent independent traveller), is a travel planner that agents can use to put together a tour. Just select the dates and time for a stay in Estonia, determine the areas of interest and the planner will automatically produce an itinerary highlighting the most suitable attractions, events and restaurants.