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In January, the Foreign Visitors Survey focuses on tourists from Russia

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Posted on 2 January 2015, 10:00
Today, on 2 January, Statistics Estonia and Enterprise Estonia (EAS) will commence the last round of the Foreign Visitors Survey at the border crossing points of Estonia. This time, the focus will be on Russian tourists visiting Estonia.

The last round of the Foreign Visitors Survey takes place on 2–12 January and focuses on foreign visitors arriving from Russia. “At Christmas, Russian tourists are an important clientele for Estonian trade and catering enterprises,” explained Maiki Ilves, Deputy Head of the Methodology and Analysis Department of Statistics Estonia. “In 10 days, we will interview approximately 750 Russian tourists and ask them about their travel motivation, behaviour and satisfaction,” Ilves noted.

According to Tarmo Mutso, Director of Enterprise Estonia’s Tourism Development Centre, Russian tourists are very important for Estonia, as they like to travel to Estonia also in the low season, eagerly consume what is offered and make a considerable contribution to the economy. “With the interview round that is held in January, we wish to specify how Russian tourists arriving in Estonia for New Year’s Eve differ from Russian tourists travelling in other periods with regard to their preferences and expenses,” Mutso added.

Statistics Estonia’s interviewers interview foreign visitors at the airport and railway station in Tallinn and at the border crossing points in Narva, Koidula and Luhamaa. The interviewers carry an employment certificate that has been issued by Statistics Estonia and bears their photograph.

The Foreign Visitors Survey has been commissioned by Enterprise Estonia, who uses the received data in providing input to the tourism sector. The information received from the survey is also an important data source for Eesti Pank (central bank of Estonia) in calculating Estonia’s income from tourism. In addition to Enterprise Estonia and the tourism sector, the data received from the survey are also necessary for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and to local governments. For example, based on the survey data, it can be decided which new tourist attractions, roads and border crossing points should be invested in.

Statistics Estonia organises the survey in co-operation with the Police and Border Guard Board, and enterprises engaging in passenger transport.

The results of the survey will be published in spring 2015.