InFAcTo project e-newsletter www.infactoproject.eu
No.3 June, 2013 Dear reader, Finally!!! Our project, International Food and Activity Tourism, is finally nearing its end and all the partners can heave a sigh of relief and contentment for work well done. I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the fabulous team of partners which formed during the project – we worked well together and ended up being a really inspiring InFAcTo team! This final newsletter will give you an overview of the last activities of the project: from the final convention and coordination team’s study tour to the Netherlands through to the tour operator and press visits and project publications. Enjoy and be inspired to come and sample the tourism packages developed in the project during the summer holidays! Jaana Räisänen Project Manager Häme Development Centre Ltd.
InFAcTo project presentation at Suomenlinna for the Central Baltic Joint Steering Committee meeting on 11 June 2013
Inside the issue: Mystery shopping and quality assessment of local food and activity tourism enterprises involved in the regional packages
2-3
Website analyses
3-4
InFAcTo entrepreneur evaluation
5-7
Market research
8-10
Project final convention in Hotel Salzburg
11-15
Partners´ fam trip to Holland
16-17
Italian journalist´s visit to Saaremaa
18
Russian tour operators visited Häme region
19
Fam trip for German tourism professionals
20
Russia is the nearest and most promising foreign market for Võrumaa and Setomaa
21-22
Finns residing in the Netherlands delivered training in Kuressaare
23
Saaremaa entrepreneurs´ visit to Setomaa
24
Project publications
25-27
Project partners
28
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InFAcTo project e-newsletter
MYSTERY SHOPPING AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL FOOD AND ACTIVITY TOURISM ENTERPRISES INVOLVED IN THE REGIONAL PACKAGES Text by Lea Sudakova (Estonian University of Life Sciences) with added material from Roger Evans and Erika Jeret (Evanter OÜ) and Merit Mikk (Centre for Ecological Engineering) Semi-structured interviews were carried out along with mystery shopping visits to all partner areas; additional information was also obtained from enterprises´ websites. Merit Mikk and Lea Sudakova undertook quality assessment visits in Saaremaa and Häme regions, while Jaana Räisänen and Lea Sudakova visited businesses in Võrumaa. Roger Evans and Merit Mikk also did mystery shopper visits across the regions. MAIN FINDINGS:
• Businesses are willing to provide services to foreign customers but quality of provision varies significantly across enterprises and even within the business. Travel agencies and tour operators are, however, interested in guaranteed and stable quality which meets the expectations of their target groups (All pilot areas);
• In some cases prices are higher than foreign visitors would expect in Estonia, this might be an issue when selling packages through travel agencies (Saaremaa);
• Some businesses have already identified their target groups and are not motivated to sell their products through travel agencies (Saaremaa, Häme);
• Some businesses are sufficiently diverse in meeting their visitors´ expectations and therefore they have little or no motivation in being part of regional packages (Häme, Võrumaa);
• Many businesses were not always easy to find, and more clearly marked directions and signage (preferably including English) would be helpful especially for foreign tourists. In a number of cases the actual business premises (e.g. reception) were hard to identify (All);
• Provision of tourist information varied a lot, e.g. in Häme region motorway service areas prominently displayed the “i” logo yet tourist information was
scarce. The quantity and variety of tourist information differed greatly between tourism providers;
• Knowledge of the local area tourist product varied between operators and their staff, regions should consider providing “local knowledge” training prior to the start of each tourist season to raise staff awareness of the tourist product in their area;
• Local food is seen as a growing trend in food tourism and nearly all providers have something local on their menus. However, local and organic food should be more prominently promoted in order to become the main motivator for gourmet tourists to visit the area (All);
• Local food restaurants are not easy to find in some areas, they should be more clearly advertised and better signage provided (All);
• Stories should be better exploited for added value (Võrumaa, Saaremaa). Good examples of using stories are in Häme region – e.g. Aulanko Rantasipi and the Reindeer Park;
• Informal cross-marketing/selling between tourism enterprises was observed to happen in Häme and Võrumaa but could be formalised and more wide spread;
• In some cases, mainly in Häme region, strategic management problems were visible e.g. no promotion for foreign markets, no cooperation with travel agencies, no interest in investing in the enterprise where the owner was a public administration body;
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• Feedback from the www.booking.com website should be taken into account when designing packages, some site visits and discussions revealed that in some instances providers assessed their facilities to be at a good level of quality while customers were not satisfied e.g. with the cleanliness of the facility. One such case was identified in Häme but it actually concerns all pilot areas;
• Many operators revealed that they do not systematically collect and/or record visitor data and feedback on guest satisfaction levels (All);
• The best quality indicator in tourism is the ratio of repeat guests. Iloranta Farm in Häme region has had repeat quests of the 4th generation. Tourism provid-
ers should be trained in how to understand the value of collecting/recording visitor data and feedback and how to encourage and ensure repeat visits (All);
• Water-based activities should be better promoted (All);
• Websites in foreign languages are frequently of low quality in terms of language and information provision, information is often out of date, different from the national language version e.g. pricing and in some instances inaccurate e.g. descriptions of bedding arrangements in rooms (All). Regarding the last finding a website assessment study has been implemented by the project partners.
WEBSITE ANALYSES Text by Roger Evans (Evanter OÜ) An evaluation of Estonian InFAcTo tourism entrepreneur websites commenced in May 2013 and the following gives some details of early findings. Websites varied enormously in the amount of information made available, the usefulness of this information varied a lot in terms of assisting visitors decide on where to stay or to visit, the clarity and ease of use of websites varied from excellent to very difficult, some were well upto-date whilst others appeared to have not been changed for a number of years. In a number of cases very helpful features included good descriptions of how to find the venue, photographs of access roads and listings of dates for events and other activities in the area and neighbouring communities. Descriptions of facilities were excellent in some websites whilst others were quite inadequate especially with regard to foreign language versions, common problems arose in terms of whether meals were included in the price quoted, especially breakfast, the number and arrangements of beds and how these were described. Where this information was not made clearly available potential clients would either have to make enquiries (by
phone or email) or simply move on to another more helpful and informative website. The evaluation identified a series of common issues including:
• Differences in pricing between language versions. • A number of websites still give prices in Estonian Kroons.
• Differences, even contradictions, existed between language versions in the information provided for even simple items such as the number of bedrooms and the bedding arrangements.
• Commonly, foreign language versions were out of date: - prices referred to previous years or to some services which were no longer available; - descriptions referred to developments which had clearly been finished in previous years or for example: that the facility would be open in the 2011 season; or in which the latest news was from 2010; in summer 2013 some sites still offered winter 2012/2013 activities on their front page;
InFAcTo Page 4 project e-newsletter - some sites merely stated the page was under construction but had information from several years earlier; - others had internal links to empty pages or linked only to Estonian language pages, or had headings looking like links which were empty.
• Some websites had links which were broken or which transferred to pages in which access was prohibited (a serious problem where this link was to a booking page).
• Some websites used different names for the company on different pages.
• Websites often did not offer live links to nearby tourism attractions.
• Web links to service providers e.g. transport services were no longer relevant as the linked service provider had changed their website or service arrangements.
• Descriptions of how to access the facilities varied significantly, some gave only very local information whereas others gave details of route finding from the main entry gateways to Estonia.
• References to the availability of food varied significantly, for some websites it wasn’t possible to clearly see what meal options were offered or how the meal options could be purchased.
• The quality of English language grammar and spelling varied from excellent to poor, in some cases it was not possible to understand what was being described and reference had to be made to the Estonian language versions. Most common errors in English include spelling, word order, vocabulary (wrong words selected), phraseology and collocations. However, the quality of writing in Estonian could also be considerably improved.
• Where references were made to certification schemes it wasn’t always possible to understand what these schemes were certifying.
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• Some pages contain both Estonian and English (or even more languages) which made locating information rather cumbersome.
• The design of websites was sometimes difficult for readers with visual impairment, issues included: small print, uncomfortable colour combinations for reading and links which were unclear. Designers could refer to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) for guidance.
• The volume of information in foreign languages pages is often much less than in Estonian for several reasons but there are cases where vital information is missing e.g. in some cases only contact details are given. Although this is an interim report on the website evaluations is appeared that websites were not always seen by entrepreneurs as an important marketing and sales tool, they suffered from a lack of regular maintenance and updating of the information contained. Where this concerned foreign language versions it gave an impression that foreign visitors were not valued or perhaps even welcomed
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InFAcTo ENTREPRENEUR EVALUATION Text by Roger Evans (Evanter OÜ) INTRODUCTION Entrepreneurs completing the survey were from a very wide range of tourism sectors covering: accommodation, activities including riding; food processing and sales; food service; tourism development; Tourist Information Centre; tour operator/agency; Häme Medieval Market The evaluation questionnaire asked questions relating to a wide range of project activities and also about entrepreneur’s future plans. The results for each question are summarised as follows: 1. The project has fulfilled its objectives: The great majority of respondents were very positive totally agree/agree = 87.5% 2. Participation in the project fulfilled my expectations: The great majority of respondents were very positive totally agree/agree = 79% 3. The project helped me to improve my business and products/services in the following ways: a. improved quality: totally agree/agree = 66% b. increased the number of products/services: totally agree/agree = 66% It is clear from the above that for many entrepreneurs the project has helped to improve their services or products within their existing business situation. However, when asked about expanding their business only 29% totally agreed or agreed while 45% said they did not know. It may take several more years for entrepreneurs to be in positions where they can grow. 4. The project provided me with new contacts: Again entrepreneurs were very positive that the project had provided them with new contacts across a range of sectors including:
• tour operator: totally agree/agree = 79% • entrepreneurs: totally agree/agree = 88% • educator/trainer: totally agree/agree = 79%
5. Entrepreneur respondent participation in project activities: Across the range of respondents the entrepreneurs had been involved in all project activities including: training courses and workshops, entrepreneur placements, tourism packages development, the final convention and the development of thematic tourist maps. 6. The most significant issue or lessons learnt included: Entrepreneurs were asked what they felt were the most significant issues that came up and/or lessons learned during their participation in the project. A range of responses were given and included the following:
• training on various issues is important both in technology and marketing;
• to get confidence that I am doing the right things; • the importance of networking, exchanging experiences and making new products;
• obtaining lots of good experiences (skills); • training for the sake of training makes no sense, one should contribute to actual cooperation;
• packaging; • launch of the food trail in western Saaremaa; • information from Russian, German and Dutch as customers – I learnt to look at my enterprise from the international customer perspective;
• networking in how many excellent tourism products and choices the are in this area;
• we can benchmark the tourism packages shown in the partner regions;
• when one gets to know closer the products and services of other entrepreneurs one can recommend them if we are full or for extra activities and vice versa
• lots of new ideas/thoughts and working skills which can be applied in my work;
• I also liked the workshops, it was possible to learn to know local entrepreneurs better, also tourism pack-
Page 6 project e-newsletter InFAcTo age with a map, I thoroughly considered my services;
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• I would recommend following a carefully considered
• study trips, contacts and new ideas have the power of advancement;
plan;
• our tour guides association is trying to get new quali-
• opportunities to see and learn, experiences during the cross border placement (in companies) to see their different activities and get some good ideas.
fied guides through the training given by Tavastia Vocational College;
• our aim is to get our association-based event and organisation to be working smoothly.
7. Unexpected results from participation in the project: Almost two thirds of respondents indicated they’d found an unexpected result from participating in the project and on the whole these were positive. A range of explanations for this were given as follows:
• perhaps there was nothing I actually did not know, but my own experiences crystallised and settled;
• Innovation; • I gained lots of courage for further activities; • we discovered new materials and techniques for handicraft;
• we have found good partners from Estonia from unexpected fields;
• the guided walks in English idea came as a result of the project and we have now concentrated on good marketing;
• contacts with tour operators of whom we may expect all manner of good things in the future;
• several activities and plans which were launched did not become operational.
b. E-Business or E-Marketing
• • • •
developing our internet homepage; focusing on marketing; e-marketing definitely needs more attention; we now have ideas and confidence how to do emarketing better but it must be consistent;
• we have the basic web pages, we will be developing e-marketing where possible;
• new web pages to new format, that’s how we could get going;
• there is always room for development in e-marketing; • we intend to develop our e-marketing to also include Russian clientele;
• finding new ways of e-communication. c. New activity tourism
• working with others; • currently our possible options are being implemented, further developments require serious investments;
• food trail (various workshops within the region, e.g. 8. New activities intended for future development: Entrepreneurs were asked to look into the future and outline what activities they planned to undertake, while most responses were very positive, some did not wish to say what their plans were and others were not yet sure of their future plans. The following are their responses under several general headings: a. Grow the size of my business
• improve and primarily develop existing products, also do product development for packaging, labelling and content;
• local food, products made by myself and their value; • definitely make more products from local raw material • yes, over time create more accommodation places and improve service quality;
making dry stone walls, making ceramics, cleaning up fishing nets, legends and presentation of the region);
• activity tourism – workshops in handicraft; • we plan new guided tours in different languages as the anniversary year (of Sibelius) approaches;
• this is further into the future, too early to say out loud; • in cooperation with other enterprises in the area (as we had already done before this project);
• we need to update our products all the time; • as a bus company we aim to plan more packages for the Häme region too. d. New food tourism
• my contribution would be to develop new products
Page 7 project e-newsletter InFAcTo from local raw material and promote them;
• preparing menus according to food/ingredient, or colour;
• cooking more with old local and organic recipes; • richer menus, testing new foods, cooperation having Russia in mind;
• food trail (cooking with visitors). Legends of the region and presentation of village life;
• we are planning to arrange a food day in Setomaa; • some ideas for more playful food packages; • our association is involved with the Culinary Journey to Häme project;
• yes, using our heritage, medieval banquets with programs from medieval association members as character actors to enliven the occasion;
• themed tours to places offering culinary delights; • we are always developing our food products; • something in this field but I do not feel like explaining it yet. e. New accommodation facilities
• retro: Soviet style accommodation, (soviet?) thematic accommodation;
• completion of a warehouse currently under construction;
• simple accommodation in summer for smaller parties; • also definitely in the future; • medieval and Viking style tents for rent, and guiding customers on authentic overnight and other medieval ways and habits;
• our locations is so good, that we should be able to exploit it better;
• well, possibly at the moment.
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 7 9. Interest in future project participation: Interest in further project participation was on the whole very high with 80% or over saying they would like to participate in future projects themed around the following topics: new product/service development, quality management, customer service & understanding tourist needs, product packaging and working with tour operators and marketing. Fewer entrepreneurs were interested in business diversification - 50% and almost 60% were interested in sustainable development. CONCLUSION Overall, feedback was very positive; entrepreneurs found the project to have been helpful, inspiring, supportive and above all it gave them many opportunities to learn, benchmark and identify new opportunities. Many of the respondents indicated they would be interested in further projects particularly in the areas of new product development, quality and customer service.
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MARKET RESEARCH Summary of a report prepared by: David Lamb, Caroline Shahin and Paul Mayfield, Food & Drink, SAC Consulting, 28th January 2013. Compiled by Dr Roger Evans. The marketing research identified two key trends in that for businesses, the main focus areas were for visitors from either other Nordic areas or from German or English speaking companies. In contrast tourism intermediaries indicated significant efforts to look beyond traditional markets, towards the Far East and to the USA. For many Finnish and Estonian accommodation providers, a large percentage of business was domestic, with business clients a particular target. This varied however depending on the type of accommodation provision, as there were seasonal examples including skiing and summer focused activities. For many seasonal resorts, the difficulty lay in sustaining a year round business, and for other businesses relying on corporate trade, in sustaining business over the weekends and during the summer. Many businesses interviewed were conscious that they could be doing more to attract visitors, and keen to consider all aspects of delivery, for example, food and drink businesses had considered a number of options:
• by attracting visitors to food production facilities, including farms;
• supplying local food and drink to local hotels and restaurants;
• focussing on traditional and artisan methods. Examples of using local chefs were found in both Finland and Estonia and where this has achieved successful transfer into restaurant kitchens high profile chefs in such kitchens use local produce. There was
also evidence of connections with hotels and tourism agencies; both in food and activities, where there are food companies making links with restaurants, but this is currently on a fairly small scale, particularly in Estonia. Labelling of local food on menus was relatively limited and procurement of local food was inconsistent.
LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT THE REGIONS In Häme – Finland Many entrepreneurs showed a positive attitude to innovation, and often demonstrated an appetite for adding new activities, especially where these reflected the desires and demands of visitors. Provision of activity tourism was centred on a few key areas: Group trips
Family, golf and nature packages
Programme services
Conference packages
Accommodation and cabin arrangements
Guide and bus arrangements
Lake cruises
Some activities provided were thought to be missing key features of the demand from many European and Far Eastern tourists including: a lack of a full range of additional services; customer service and quality expectations; language options. There were also some barriers noted, particularly the availability of materials in other languages. This may not be a barrier to visitors from other Nordic regions, but for visitors from further afield it can present problems. In terms of food and drink no clear provision was provided in the region for visitors from Helsinki but some collaboration existed between businesses and there were activities centred around one destination offering a number of food and drink outlets and experiences including a glass museum, chocolate factory and shop, honey products and textiles.
InFAcTo project e-newsletter High quality of both experience and of food is offered including meat, game, berries, fish, pickles and sweets, but not reflected in basic searches for information through secondary sources. A wide range of food and drink is available though and this highlights the potential for local food supply, and for engagement with visitors interested in Finnish produce. In Saaremaa – Estonia A clear artisan tradition was in place in the community bakery and farm shop visited, and bread and beer feature on the online guide to Saaremaa, while bread making was also seen in the neighbouring island of Muhu, at an organic mill. There was still greater scope to link this to eating traditions and activities in a manner much more apparent in central cities such as Tallinn and Helsinki. There were clearly good products on Saaremaa, and good tradition with friendly customer service: traditional areas of berries, mushrooms, bread making (with the plan for a community kitchen and the organic mill), and beer, fishing and hunting. A great deal of further potential exists in offering a wider range of products for sale and links with food tourism. In Setomaa / Võrumaa - Estonia The apple festival and several cultural events were of interest to tourism agencies; music festivals are examples of where the stimulation of tourism would be possible. In this region there is however a conflict between a desire to keep the culture private, and a willingness to keep people from leaving the area through the development of new work opportunities in tourism.
ESTONIA SUMMARY With regard to quality, many facilities were of a standard that made them immediately appropriate for an international market. In some instances, adaptation of these facilities for an international market would not be difficult, and may be economically advantageous. This would be in the provision of extra services, or extra information, and can be summarised as follows:
• providing extra services for visits e.g. guided tours, audio guides, interpretation boards;
• providing extra services for activities e.g. equipment hire, sale, routes and guides;
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• additional local information e.g. history, links and cultural background. As regards the creation of links, the service that many individual businesses were creating, sometimes in collaboration with others, were packages for visitors. Many businesses interviewed were conscious that they needed to offer more than a single activity or the simple provision of food and drink or accommodation, and some therefore had added additional services. In interviews with tourism intermediaries a number of key issues were highlighted. In Estonia there is a need to build the reputation of Estonia as a destination:
• matching the services to customer requirements; • creating new business models; • ensuring visitors go beyond Tallinn; • improving product quality and service. In terms of working with international visitors, the issue of quality and service is an area where improvement is required since service quality that many businesses consider adequate for the domestic market is inadequate in comparison with that found in neighbouring areas such as Finland. Tour operators in particular commented on the need for businesses to adapt for new emerging markets, e.g. Asia as follows:
• new business models are needed - Free Independent Travellers (FITs) and business tourism;
• their markets require businesses to be able to construct packages of products and services, including conferences;
• better use could be made of culture, history, heritage and nature, including food and connecting this with local traditions utilising nature and heritage. The key for operators is to make these links between businesses. The tourism agencies differed in their approach in Estonia, as some were keen for links to be made between businesses, while others simply wished to see businesses come to them with their services, but with greater information. Agencies were offering packages such as rediscovering
Page 10 project e-newsletter InFAcTo nature, ecotourism, canoeing and spas. They found that they have to work with the businesses somewhat to engage them and are also interested in developing Estonian regional food specialities as part of the offering. For FITs the importance is on experiencing a different environment and atmosphere, and in activities such as walking and cycling in a natural environment, which many Dutch and British visitors enjoy, while others such as the Japanese are more interested in regional handicrafts. Many tourists want to taste, touch and make the product themselves, and often don’t have their expectations met. There is demand for small farms with activities, and demand for herb farms in particular catering for active engagement. The difficulty faced by Estonians is in providing a stimulus and offering the service and information required by visitors. There is no great difficulty in providing activities, as they can offer packages including golf, tennis, concerts and more, and it is not difficult to find such additional activities, but the problem occasionally arises in putting components such as information, heritage and activities together in a single package, due to a lack of experience and trust in micro businesses
FINLAND SUMMARY The issues in Finland often reflected those encountered in Estonia, but tourism agencies indicated that they were at a different stage in development. The major target market areas for foreign visitors to Finland were:
• Russia, UK, Germany, Sweden, US and Japan • Southern Europe, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland and China A consistent aspect was in encouraging tourists beyond the main centres, and Helsinki in particular. International visitors to the Häme region are most interested in the Castle area and nature park for a short stay, and thereafter areas like the Iittala area, the Art Museum and shops. For these visitors, it would be useful if there were more guided leaflets available in several languages. Generally, regionally and nationally it was felt that more
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 10 collaboration would be helpful; programmes creating linkages between businesses, for example by subsector, e.g. food, experience, nature etc. may help through encouraging entrepreneurs to recognise the merits of signposting between themselves.
CONCLUSIONS There is no single factor determining the established market demand, although the responses of tourism intermediaries did agree with the evidence gathered through consumer research which identified the kinds of activity looked for by tourists visiting the regions. The clear requirements of consumers visiting each region are as follows: 1. Clear signposting of activities and services 2. Information available in a variety of languages 3. Wide range of activities 4. Availability of local food 5. An understanding of culture and history in the areas visited 6. Strong links with nature 7. Good quality customer service
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PROJECT FINAL CONVENTION New offers of local food and activity tourism for foreign markets in Estonia and Finland Text Text by Erika Jeret and Roger Evans (Evanter OÜ) and Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation
The final convention of the Central Baltic INTERRG IV A programme project International Food and Activity Tourism was held at the Hotel Salzburg, Tallinn on 11 April 2013 The InFacTo project, which started in May 2010, brought together training institutions and tourism organisations from Saaremaa, Võrumaa and Setomaa in Estonia and Häme region in Finland. Project partners are Kuressaare Regional Training Centre, Võru County Vocational Training Centre, Saaremaa Marketing Association, Union of Rural Municipalities of Setomaa, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Imago OÜ, Estonian Rural Tourism, Centre of Ecological Technologies and Evanter OÜ from Estonia and Häme Development Centre, Tavastia Vocational College, Häme University of Applied Sciences and Kiipula Foundation from Finland. The Estonian partners emphasised offering and marketing of local food whereas Finnish partners focused on active holidays and service provision and diversification. The objective was to provide more active holidays and pastime activities for tourists, and project partners worked towards increasing the number of activity and local food providers and further strengthening their collaboration. The most important target group and beneficiaries of the project were existing or start-up companies in tourism, service providers, food growers or small producers.
Convention participants
An initiator of the project was Dr Roger Evans (Evanter OÜ) from the UK who had forged strong links with Estonia while working at the Scottish Agricultural College and frequently came over to conduct training seminars for small entrepreneurs (including tourism providers) and students. Dr Evans has now adopted Estonia as his second home and continues to be active in delivering training and providing advice to rural enterprises.
Convention opening by Dr Evans
In his opening address at the final convention Dr Evans mentioned that one of the reasons for launching the project was a desire to enhance cooperation skills and transfer expertise in various aspects of diversification of products and services. He stressed that both Estonia and Finland have regions which could successfully cooperate amongst themselves and also do cross-border work which would be beneficial for entrepreneurs in terms of learning and product development. One of the many benefits of the project is certainly the opportunity for entrepreneurs to better understand tourists – Estonians now can anticipate Finnish tourists´ wishes and expectations better, and the same applies to Finns in having a better insight into Estonian visitors. Other presentations at the convention were given by project manager Jaana Räisänen (Häme Development Centre) and Merja Pollok (Finnovate Ltd) from Finland, Asnate Ziemele, executive manager of Latvian Rural Tourism Organisation, and Levo Tohva from Matkajuht OÜ (Estonia).
Page 12 project e-newsletter InFAcTo After lunch the convention participants worked in different groups where topics included local food and tourism packages compiled during the project, modern equipment used in outdoor activities and a 3D virtual landscape theatre. The latter visualised the future prospects of Aidu open cast oil shale quarry where an up -to-date water sports and leisure centre will be constructed within a few years. The landscape theatre is supported by Comcot, another Central Baltic INTERREG IV A project. Teacher Silvi Pihlakas from Võru County Vocational Training Centre with first-year students of tourism and catering management Kairi Song and Maarja Klaas cooked and prepared dishes on the fusion menu for 90 guests.
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 12 Nopri dairy farm presented its creamy caramel and garlic -flavoured cheese spread, and Taarapõllu farm had brought its dried berry snacks. The InFAcTo project brought together food and activities, and trained tourism entrepreneurs who receive foreign tourists as well as small entrepreneurs whose products and services visitors consume. Teacher Marve Koppel from Kuressaare Regional Training Centre remarked that the project had enabled the county to access essential tourism-related information from both Finland and South Estonia. She said that today’s trend in tourism is to seek adventure and experiences thus it is vital to understand that food tourism, food experiences and experiential food (tourists are involved in cooking) have claimed a strong footage beside other types of special interest holidays. Other beneficiaries of the project were food processors, food providers and training providers. People have acquired a better grasp of the notion of consistent quality, quality standards have been agreed upon, enterprises active in the food sector have been mapped and thus a small action group has formed where members collaborate amongst themselves and
Fusion menu for 90 quests
In the afternoon, staff and students of the same Centre offered local regional food for blind tasting: chocolate truffles rolled in hemp flour, black pudding, flummery and other dishes from Võru County which are traditional in the region.
Blind tasting
Jaana Räisanen (Project Manager) talking with Artyom Ushnichkov (Programme Manager; Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013; Joint Technical Secretariat, Tallinn Sub-Secretariat)
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between areas. Visitors are now able to choose between several food trails, food providers have thus acquired a new output in their marketing. Entrepreneurs visited project partners in Hämeenlinna and South Estonia where they learned from best practices of these areas and shared and exchanged ideas, obtained new skills, learned about the culture of work and customer care. Marve Koppel added that Kuressaare Regional Training Centre and Tavastia Vocational College are intending to further collaborate to exchange staff and students following the end of the project.
joint marketing. The aim of the food trail is to present the journey of food from growing it in the field or picking berries and mushrooms in the forest through to cooking various dishes in the kitchen. Tourists can also join in the cooking if they wish to. An Estonian-Finnish joint brochure of tourism products, another output of the project, is living proof that ideas, skills and contacts obtained during the InFAcTo project will continue to develop along with cooperation between partners for years to come.
A food trail has also been created in South Estonia where the objective is to develop new attractive offers of local food and activity tourism for foreign markets in Estonia and Finland. Võrumaa and Setomaa jointly produced a brochure Uma Mekk (Local Tastes and Impressions), which is a collection of information on eatingplaces and other tourism companies offering local food. Eda Veeroja, an initiator of the food trail, said that they have distinctive farms and products in the area but small farms are hardly able to effectively sell their products to foreign markets, however, the intention now is to go for
Jaana Räisänen presenting in the main hall
FUSION MENU One of the highlights of the final convention was certainly the lunch and its fusion menu. The latter was created by combining the flavours and tastes from each participating region and re-filling the hungry participants of the day. As for the starter Saaremaa fishermen had caught lots of flounders and smoked them to tickle our taste buds in anticipation of the main course.
and truffles. Again, these were no ordinary truffles but the chef had merged Estonian and Finnish ingredients and tastes so the white chocolate truffles had a filling in which Estonian kama flour (a mix of cereals and peas), liqueur, walnuts and dried berries completed a wonderfully coordinated symphony of local foods and flavours.
Now this was a surprise where mashed potatoes acquired a new counterpart – crushed hemp seeds - and otherwise what one might call a standard meal became an immediate hit. Novelty for many, this dish has long history and roots in Võru County where it is called either timp or temp. As for meat there was smoked pork, again rather conventional food, yet this meat was smoked in a traditional way in a smoke sauna. Brown gravy from smoked meat is combined with cranberries and flavoured with horseradish dotted the i´s and crossed the t´s. Dessert comprised coffee – the hot drink that both nations on either side of the Gulf of Finland love so much –
Enjoying the creative lunch menu
Page 14 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 14
LADIES AND HOSTESSES, LET ALONE ROYAL MISTRESSES The Hunting Hall of the Salzburg Hotel was a host to four project regions – Saaremaa, Setomaa, Võrumaa and Häme whose entrepreneurs presented local food in many a variation. Tables were laden with jars and pots, with jams and chutneys, home-made bread and pies, dried berries and fermented cabbage. Each nook and corner of the hall was full of surprises, for instance, the band of ladies from Saaremaa, each a master (or rather a mistress) of her trade – be it baking bread or pies or preserving soft fruit and berries. Liisi Kuivjõgi, the Syrup Lady, presented her juniper syrup which came in its natural taste as well as a range of flavours. The juniper sprouts´ journey from trees to syrup is several days long and is full of manual work. Old traditions are followed literally and a wood-heated cooking range is employed for the job. Cooks recommend adding this syrup to hot or cold drinks, yoghurt or breakfast cereals; using it in baking or with ice-cream, in marinades and salad dressings. Nectar from prickly conifers makes a tasty ingredient in many dishes and its makers are happy over its increasing popularity. Another table carried loads of home-made loaves of bread and breads baked in a pan. The latter, called pan bread, appeared to be a dish made of potato, onion and smoked meat which is hearty enough to double as a main course. Every lady would have their recipe and often leftovers of a previous meal would be included in the dish. Women were telling
stories of their mothers or mothers-in-law making pan breads to various different recipes. Apparently a creative attitude towards food is not something excitingly novel but resourcefulness and re-use simply accompanying cooking irrespective of times and circumstances. When speaking of Saaremaa food, mustard from Mustjala is its staple feature now along with many relishes, chutneys, ketchups and so on. Most apprentices can probably cook strawberry or black currant jam but creating harmony in vibrant notes of apple and chocolate or rhubarb, celery and beetroot is a task for truly experienced masters and mistresses. The Setomaa display featured food, handicraft and publications on this particularly exciting area of Estonia. Part of the food offered was actually of royal origin. Traditionally, people compete at the festivities of the Seto Kingdom Day for the title of the best producer of beer, wine, pies, bread etc. Rieka Hõrn, the royal master of sõir (cottage cheese), presented her cheese, and the royal pie maker Sirje Kruusamäe offered her wonderful savoury open pie. Lady of the Setomaa Tourist Farm, Laivi Mesikäpp, the proud author of a cookbook of Seto food, had brought delicious sour milk jelly and buckwheat salad. Partners and entrepreneurs from Võru region had brought flavours from their area and lots of publications. Võru County Vocational Training Centre, students of which also made a presentation of tour
InFAcTo project e-newsletter
Page 15
packages at the convention, promoted a new food trail in the area under the name of Uma Mekk (Local Tastes and Impressions). Regarding food flavours, Nopri farm dairy served creamy caramel and garlicflavoured cheese spread. This dairy is also included in several tour packages. Taarapõllu farm offered dried fruit and berry crisps and flours which are widely known in Estonia today but possibly less so beyond our borders.
Häme region in Finland was represented through local food as well as medieval handicraft and atmosphere. Local tastes comprised bread, cheese, jam and a shot of spirits, all beautifully served as a ´set´ on a plate of a chip of wood. Representatives of the region were mostly dressed in medieval clothing celebrating the area’s tumultuous history.
3D LANDSCAPE THEATRE Film viewing in the landscape theatre is like going to the cinema, yet the pictures are very different. Spectators are seated in front of an unusual screen which is not flat but curved. It feels a bit like sitting inside a white-walled barrel. Two films shown during the InFacTo final convention were: a new tourist trail in Setomaa (south-east Estonia) and a future vision of an enormous open cast quarry in Ida-Viru county in the north-east of Estonia. Smart technology allows the combining of map applications, tourist sights and sites into a ´film´ and technicians take viewers in a vertiginous flight across the countryside, seeing landscapes from a bird’s perspective, at a ground level or even under the water. The first trip followed a flight path in and above the wooded areas in Setomaa, looked down on a viewing platform, whooshed spectators to Seto Tsäimaja (teahouse in Värska which provides local Seto food) and then swiftly through an open gate into the courtyard of Seto Farm Museum, located next door. Well, it seemed we flew in, and in such a rush that the gate would have hardly stood up after our headlong dash. Along the tourism route, sights were marked with sticker-like labels, pointing out General Reek´s summer cottage, the Northern Camp of the Estonian Army between the two world wars, Saatse boot (a peculiar stretch of road which crosses the Estonian-Russian border twice yet you do not get stopped by border guards or have your documents checked), Jumalamägi (God´s Hill), to name but a few of the fascinating places in this thrilling corner of the country.
The second trip took the viewers into a completely different world. To be precise, the world is still under construction. One part of it is being built, another part being developed and some swathes still on drawing boards. Aidu open cast quarry where mining of oil shale has been completed is going to be restored and current plans foresee a rowing canal, which meets international criteria, white water river rapids for rafting and kayaking, a residential area, a wind farm with multiple wind generators, pyramids as landscaping features and much much more. The technicians took us on a dizzying journey across the future landscapes of Aidu and one could suspect them of quite deliberately flying up and dashing down, bumping into hillsides and dropping into water for the fun of it. The scale of the planned development is immense and we can only hope the brave ideas will be achieved with lots of investors and service providers. The landscape theatre helps to visualise the future in three dimensions and thus gives it a human dimension too to actually comprehend the scope of developments envisaged. What would have required a great effort in explaining and expressing plans only a few (dozens of) years ago was now shown within a few minutes thanks to technological advances. By the way, it takes a day for two technicians to even set the theatre up and half as long to dismantle it, not to speak of days and weeks spent on getting the film programme up and running, so the landscape theatre should not be considered as a travelling circus.
Page 16 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 16
PARTNERS´ FAM TRIP TO HOLLAND Holland, home of tulips, bicycles, cheese, windmills and clogs Text by Raili Mengel-Sünt (Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation)
In the period preceding the study trip to Holland there perhaps were not many expectations but after we received a personal e-mail from Jari (Suomi House Jari), we started feeling we were expected over there and some sensation of travel anticipation crept in. And soon the day came when we landed in Amsterdam and to meet us was Jari Einiö. Again, we felt we had been expected as we were made most welcome and Jari handed us a detailed schedule covering our trip. Altogether it gave us a strong feeling of security. On day 1 we had a guided tour to discover hidden treasures of Amsterdam, had the first dinner and then the hustle and bustle of the big city felt rather cosy and sufficiently liberal.
The official start of the study trip came on the second morning when our hosts made their presentations. We were given an impressive overview of the tourism industry in Amsterdam and Holland (presentations can be accessed on the project website: www.infactoproject.eu).
Since Amsterdam is famous for its canals we also had a boat tour along canals and waterways, and visited a private museum - Museum of the Amsterdam Canals. Our hosts and local entrepreneurs had already presented us what they do; now it was our turn in the afternoon to give a presentation on tour packages compiled in Estonia and Finland. Our audience comprised Dutch tour operators and a representative of the Estonian Embassy Argo Kangro. Participants in this Meet and Greet event: were: Desiree Peters (Marketing and Operation Manager from VOIGT Travel), Jari Kivelä (Travel Agency Finland-Vakantie), Sabrina Sprong (Edelman PR for Estonian Tourism Board). The InFAcTo Project’s joint brochure Food and Activity Tourism: tour packages was also presented at the event.
Professional feedback was provided by the tour operators to the study tour participants on bottlenecks in collaboration, and advice on how to overcome difficulties
InFAcTo project e-newsletter and for the improvement of packages. Some of the contacts created that day have already proved fruitful and collaboration has commenced. The day was brought to an end in an art gallery which astonished us by its bouts of inspiration and the owner’s modern, resourceful and holistic approach and views.
Page 17 nature reserve. Our thanks go to the tour guide Andre who looked after us on the tour.
The entire programme of the tour was very diverse and took into account the specific features of the project (active holidays and local food), desire to learn about the Dutch market and create contacts for further cooperation. Regarding food we experienced lots of different tastes and mostly through various approaches to cuisine international (Sukabumi restaurant), national (Broodje kroket), modern (Kookstudio De Laurier), homely (Coffee and Tea House - Wind in the Willows) and exclusively simple yet highly professional (Restoran De Kas).
After two days in Amsterdam we travelled to see rural areas of the country. Our aim was to visit a cheese market, a farm, learn about tourism activities in Flevoland (through Flevoland Marketing Organisation), enjoy the beauty of coastal area of Lelystad and De Oostvaarders
The national marketing slogan for Estonia is “Positively Surprising”, yet we agreed that even Holland, one would say a fairly well-known destination, can still be surprising. Non-existing expectations were replaced by wonderful experiences and emotions by the end of the trip thanks to Jari Einiö´s professional tour management.
Page InFAcTo 18 project e-newsletter
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 18
ITALIAN JOURNALIST´S VISIT TO SAAREMAA Text by Taavi Tuisk (Kuressaare Regional Training Centre) Journalist and a blogger Isabella Mancini visited Saaremaa and the InFAcTo project between the 13th and 15th of May. During three days she took part in a Saaremaa package “Three Villages Tour“ which was developed during the project. She also participated in an international tourism seminar in Kuressaare. The last day of the visit was spent in the eastern part of the island and the neighbouring island Muhu where she visited different artisan food producers and tourism sector companies that have been taking part in the InFAcTo activities. ______________________________
Isabella (left) meets a resident of the small family zoo and the energetic host Helena Erik on the island of Muhu. More at www.jaanalind.ee/en/
Isabella Mancini: “I was ignorant. I ignored the fact that Estonia could be so beautiful. I ignored the fact that Saaremaa was an island full of surprises, where people are so hospitable and courteous, nature is languidly beautiful, filled with amazing native flowers and beautiful birds. But the thing that struck me most, as well as the kindness of people, is the intensity of sunlight. The inclination of the rays of the sun draws the shadows incredibly beautiful at any time of the day: for the photo enthusiast it's a godsend! And then the contact with nature, with animals, both domesticated and wild. It's a place where, for me, the time has lost its meaning (and does anyone know what it means!): and there is a great sense of well-being.“
Isabella at Vanatoa Tourism Farm on the island of Muhu. More at www.vanatoa.ee
Isabella meets Tihuse Riding Farm owner, Martin Kivisoo. More at www.tihuse.ee
Page 19 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 19
RUSSIAN TOUR OPERATORS VISITED HÄME REGION Text by Jaana Räisänen (Project Manager, Häme Development Centre Ltd) Natalia, Ekaterina, Marina, Evgeniya and Evgeny from tour operator companies from St Petersburg and Moscow visited Hämeenlinna region in May 2013 to familiarise themselves with the InFAcTo packages and meet the entrepreneurs behind them. They had a full programme of 2 nights and 3 days in the area getting an overview of the reasons why Hämeenlinna region would be an interesting choice of holiday destination for their Russian customers. The chocolate factory of Kultasuklaa together with the Iittala glass design outlet were among the favourites as
were the Häme Castle and Prison Museum, however, what made the biggest impression was the beautiful countryside and hospitable people they met. They were also taken by the taste of Lapland that they got from the Iittala Reindeer Park as well as Leppäniemen Hirsihuvilat log cabins by the lake Iso-Roine and the cosy accommodation at the Emilia hotel, and have since contacted the companies to start business with them. That is the best feedback we can get – congratulations to the companies!
Russian tour operators in Hämeenlinna – peek into the chocolate making process
Russian tour operators in Iittala Reindeer Park
Russian tour operators in Iittala Reindeer Park
Russian tour operators in Häme region
Page 20 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 20
FAM TRIP FOR GERMAN TOURISM PROFESSIONALS Text by Mrs Merja Pollok from Finnovate On Wednesday, May 29th, they arrived: Rita, who writes articles for a well-known German Incentive Magazine and also takes care of Finnair’s PR in Germany. Eija, the owner of Finnreise Spezial, who has been selling Finland to holiday makers for more than 20 years, and last but not least, Henrik from LOMA Reiseagentur, specialists on Finland for more than 30 years. All three guests have visited Finland before but Hämeenlinna region was not familiar to them. The day was sunny and warm and so Finland offered a perfect welcome to the guests, who had been suffering from a cold and rainy May in their home country. They were surprised how short the transfer from Helsinki Airport to Hämeenlinna was. During the following days the visitors grew to know the city of Hämeenlinna with its great nature and the surrounding waters. The history of the area as well as the culinary delights and the wide variety of activities were included in the programme. Everybody was touched by the little home of Jean Sibelius, they loved the romantic stories of Hugo in Aulanko and wanted to stay longer in the prison! How surprising was it to find a little piece of Lapland in Iittala. Different kinds of water vehicles were used: the Swan of Hopealinja (Silverline), the big church boat that the visitors rowed themselves, and finally the
Guests with hosts Merja Pollok and Leena Puumalainen and Sari Pirnes-Torvinen from Aulangon Kievari
lovely float that took the group to Iloranta. The trip ended perfectly with Finnish songs during the lovely lunch with Leena and Mikko. The guests really appreciated the information provided and were certain that their clients will also be interested to come and experience the area of Hämeenlinna in the future.
PLACES VISITED: • Birthplace of Jean Sibelius • Hotel Emilia & Restaurant Gingerbread House • Sokos Hotel Vaakuna • Spa Hotel Rantasipi Aulanko • Aulangon Kievari Tavern • Silverline, m/s Swan • Prison Museum • Häme Castle • Iittala Glass Centre • Reindeer Park • Kriipi’s Cottages • Petäys Resort • Hahkiala Manor • Leppäniemen Hirsihuvilat log cabins • Iloranta – farm tourism resort
Cruising with Finnish Silverline
Page 21 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 21
RUSSIA IS THE NEAREST AND MOST PROMISING FOREIGN MARKET FOR VÕRUMAA AND SETOMAA Text by Eda Veeroja (Võru County Vocational Training Centre) Russia is the closest foreign market for Võrumaa and Setomaa and has a good potential to increase. Artyom Tatarenko, a reporter of CheTV (an independent air-time and Internet Pskov-based TV channel), Alexey Nekrasov, a blogger, photographer and the art-director of TIR Club, and Denis Kugay, a blogger, ventured on a quest for authentic cuisine and impressions local to Võrumaa and Setomaa between the 13th and 16th of June
Other places visited included:
Aarne Leima, Seto sootska (locally elected king for a year), welcomed the Russian guests at the Koidula border crossing point. First the group visited Vahtraoru farm where the owner Silver Hüdsi presented his “Vana Jüri Seebikoda”, which is a workshop manufacturing handmade soaps. Silver talked about soap making, training sessions and the farm shop, and also of Jumalamägi (God’s Hill). He explained the origin of hill’s name and why there is a statue of Peko (Seto god) situated there. The guests were very interested and asked a lot of questions.
The visitors were genuinely surprised to discover so many peculiar little places in the area – museums, little shops hidden in the countryside and villages. They admitted to have driven several times to Tartu through this area and having no idea of the little gems a short distance off the road
• • • • • •
Obinitsa museum Taarka Tarõ café Piusa Ürgoru Holiday Complex Piusa caves and visitor centre Saatse boot Armunud Kunstnik handicraft shop
The next stop was Saatse museum followed by visiting the Seto Farm Museum and Tsäimaja (tea house) in Värska. A guided tour at the farm museum was like a walk through Seto history and later the visitors were given a taste of Setomaa as well. Thereafter Tiina Pihlas showed them around Värska Resort and Water Park. The next destination was Obinitsa village where Kauksi Ülle and Evar Riitsaar showed their Seto Art Gallery Hal’as Kunn. The hosts talked about their work and life in and around the gallery.
Guests in Seto Art Gallery with Kauksi Ülle (Setomaa)
In the evening Russians visited Setomaa Tourist Farm where they met some local entrepreneurs. Discussion topics covered local life in the area, the food trail publication which is now available in Russian and future cooperation prospects in marketing of the wider region. The second day began with a visit to Vastseliina Bishop Castle where an introduction and overview of the history of the place were given. Our guests put on suits of chain mail (armour made of small metal rings) and helmets of the medieval knights and got the first-hand feeling what it was like to run around wearing only a part of the heavy gear (a full mail weighs 16 kg).
Dinner at SetoResto with entrepreneurs (Setomaa)
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InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 22 The trip continued to Võrumaa with visits to Võru Tourism Information Centre, Pokumaa theme park, Uhtjärve Ürgoru Nõiariik (Sorcerer’s Kingdom) and the Road Safety Teaching Centre, the tour guide was Helve Alla. The long day full of action ended with dinner in Ööbikuoru Villa along with Võrumaa tourism entrepreneurs. The InFAcTo team of Võrumaa Vocational Training Centre presented the new Food Trail booklet published in Russian.
Vana Jüri Seebikoda soap shop (Setomaa)
On their third day the group were treated to pork smoked in a traditional smoke sauna on Mooska farm and climbed to the top of Suur Munamägi Hill in Haanja. In Kagu Veski Guesthouse they saw the start of a kick-bike marathon and also ventured their first steps in becoming kick-bikers although Artyom had a bit of a crash but luckily, no lasting injuries. Lunch was taken at yet another tourist farm accompanied by songs and legends of dark sides of our history and forest brothers. Alt-Lauri eco farm was the next port of call where the trio was escorted to the fields to pick a mix of greens and make a healthy and fresh salad for a snack.
Guests at Metsavenna Farm (Võrumaa)
Saturday evening was spent in a smoke sauna at Hämsaare farm. Later in the night the guests still had enough strength to explore night life in Võru and scored Captain Morgan T-shirts. The last day of the trip started in the Kubija Hotel and Nature Spa. There was also a walk round the Vastseliina country fair to meet the organisers of the fair. Other places visited in Võrumaa included:
Boys and cars in action (Võrumaa)
• • • • • •
Vaskna Farm Ööbikuoru Visitor Centre Võru beach Tamula Hotel Hämsä Inn Seedri Farm
The overall impression was that we live so close to each other and we could spend more holiday time and do more business together. There will be a travel blog and TV programme on CheTV covering this splendid tour coming soon.
More action at the Pärlijõe kick-bike marathon (Võrumaa)
Page 23 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 23
FINNS RESIDING IN THE NETHERLANDS DELIVERED TRAINING IN KURESSAARE Text by Marve Koppel (Kuressaare Regional Training Centre) The Centre for Ecological Engineering and Kuressaare Regional Training Centre arranged two cooking training sessions from 29 to 30 May where trainers were Finns who reside in the Netherlands. The training kitchen of Kuressaare Regional Training Centre was taken over by a Finnish chef Kati Koskinen and tourism entrepreneur Jari Einiö. The topic of training on the first day was “Food offering as a holistic concept, local raw ingredients and food workshops“ and was aimed at local tourism businesses. The second day under the title “Food offering as a holistic concept, examples from the Dutch kitchen” was targeted at chefs. Kati Koskinen has plenty of experience in arranging interesting workshops and she is also involved in a catering company. Kati pays a great deal of attention to attractive presentation of food where important elements are room design, lighting, decorations, table setting and so on. Pure taste, seasonal produce, combining new exciting tastes with traditional ones are just some of the key words which characterise her menus. Her workshops focused on the Dutch kitchen which apparently also included some flavours of Finnish cuisine. In theoretical overviews she looked at history of Dutch cuisine (colonial cuisine, new modern cuisine) and how to employ room design when putting food on the table. In the practical sessions some of her menu dishes were cooked and the produce used came in part from Saaremaa, lots of organic food was included too.
Page InFAcTo 24 project e-newsletter
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 24
SAAREMAA ENTREPRENEURS´ VISIT TO SETOMAA Text by Inge Uulits (Epi Farm, Saaremaa Marketing Association) Participants of this study trip were members of Saaremaa Marketing Association and represented food processors, caterers and tourism promoters. Upon arrival in Setomaa Ritta Nutova, a guide from ABZ Tours travel agency, met us and we were promptly whisked for a delicious traditional Seto lunch at Värska Tsäimaja. Dinner was another memorable meal and took place at Taarka Tarõ in Obinitsa where traditional food was also highlighted, which eventually seemed to be a common underlying thread in the region. During our two-day tour we visited local history museums, art galleries, and a chapel. At all these places staff strongly emphasised the need to tell their own “story“ and those stories were told with great enthusiasm by virtually everyone we met. One of the most fascinating stories was of Peko, ancient Seto god of crops. A local farmer engaged us fully with a rich story told in the most vivid way. The same man has a family-run business making artisan soaps and a small farm shop with an assortment of local food products. At the Seto Farm Museum we also saw an interesting fifteen-minute video for children about ancient Seto legends which covered ways to bargain with Devil. Every museum had a shop where souvenirs and craft items made locally were sold. Landscapes in Setomaa with beautiful lakes and large, dense forests are quite different from those on Saaremaa. One of the unique attractions was the Nature Reserve of the Piusa Caves. These sandstone caves are home to the largest population of hibernating bats in the Baltic states. In the visitor centre we sat in chairs carved from tree trunks and watched an informative presentation about the caves and bats. We stayed overnight at Setomaa Tourist Farm which was a relatively new complex. Accommodation facilities were pleasant and clean but we felt it lacked the unique colour and character of the region. On our second day we visited the impressive Nopri Dairy Farm and learned a lot about their activities. Tiit Niilo, who runs this operation, spoke enthusiastically about developments in the local rural area and of the importance of local food, especially for children. We also wit-
nessed Tiit speaking to a group of school kids and he was very good at explaining various themes, which was a delight to hear. The range of Nopri dairy products is quite wide and above all, they are delicious. We had ample time to chat with Tiit and exchange our thoughts about rural life and issues regarding entrepreneurship. We realised that we experience very similar situations, specifically that life and livelihood of our villages is slowly fading. Efforts made by food and tourism entrepreneurs in Setomaa are the beginning of something good which will certainly make a positive impact on other regions across Estonia. All of us truly enjoyed this tour as we saw a variety of places, and met knowledgeable and enthusiastic people. In future we should arrange a longer trip to allow visiting more wonderful places which produce and market local food.
Page 25 project e-newsletter InFAcTo
InFAcTo project e-newsletter Page 25
PROJECT PUBLICATIONS JOINT BROCHURE Food and Activity tourism tour packages Hot off the printing press – the joint brochure Food and Activity Tourism: tour packages – was first presented on 11 April at the InFAcTo final convention. The tour packages presented in the brochure have been developed by small entrepreneurs and tourism teams. Pristine nature, unique cultures, hospitable entrepreneurs and local flavours – these are the ingredients which are included in the brand new tourism packages on offer at the destinations of Hämeenlinna region in Finland and Võrumaa, Setomaa and Saaremaa regions in Estonia. Hidden treasures, off the beaten track, traditional food made from mostly local ingredients and activities honouring local culture and traditions are all waiting for the traveller. Try out just one region or combine a few – the choice is up to you! The brochure was published in English and is targeted mostly at tour operators.
The brochure cover
FOOD AND ACTIVITY OF SAAREMAA ON A MAP One of the final InFAcTo project products will be a map of Saaremaa where food and activity tourism related enterprises are all laid out. The map will be on a 1:200 000 scale and thus suitable for tourists visiting Saaremaa. The map is a practical tool aimed at being used by tourists as both a reference and a marketing and promotional leaflet that gives emphasis to the food and activity tourism enterprises of Saaremaa and neighbouring smaller islands. The map will be published in both Estonian and English and distributed in the 2013 tourist season.
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InFAcTo project e-newsletter
PROJECT PUBLICATIONS KIIPULA FOUNDATION BROCHURE Small acts, big impact? - accessibility in travel and tourism Booklet prepared by Pirkko Mykkänen and Piia Kokko-Parikka Kiipula Foundation and newsletter report compiled by Roger Evans, Evanter OÜ. Accessibility in the travel and tourism industry can be considered from three perspectives: 1. the functional environment, 2. service process and 3. communication. 1. Issues to be considered in terms of accessibility of the functional environment include the destination being easily reachable, the design and implementation of the structures, and equipment - all these are questions of physical access. 2. Service-process aspects under consideration include the readiness of staff to encounter diverse customers. 3. Communication factors include matters related to the channels, methods and tools used in marketing and communications, and the issues of easily reachable and reliable information. Easy-to-read materials and accessible web pages, for example, are also helpful in ensuring that marketing reaches its target audience. From the perspective of business operations, accessibility can also be viewed as offering a competitiveness factor which can be used to even out seasonal fluctuations in tourism destinations. Accessible destinations and restaurants may be the future trump card within tourism as the number of senior citizens increases and while they may perhaps need more services, they also have time and money. For this reason, accessibility should not be viewed as a superimposed element, detached from overall activity development. Instead, it should be seen as an integral aspect of developing and marketing the tourism environment and associated products and services.
The brochure cover
The purpose of the InFAcTo booklet “Small acts, big impact? - accessibility in travel and tourism” is to demonstrate the advantages of physical accessibility in the implementation of tourism services. Physical accessibility guarantees the suitability of services and their availability for use by all target groups – regardless of age, gender, mobility and nationality.
What is accessibility? The environment or an individual building is accessible when it is functional, safe and pleasant for all users. Accessible facilities and the functions within them are as logical and easy to use as possible, and access to all spaces and floor levels within the building is easy. There are many factors which impact upon physical accessibility. With regard to outside areas, surface materials, variations in surface shape and the existence and clarity of signposts have an impact on how easy it is to move around in the area. Buildings and accommodation must be effortlessly accessible, but also moving around and functioning in indoor areas must also be as easy as possible too. Factors that should be taken into consideration when planning an accessible environment can be found in the following checklist:
•
parking spaces with a disabled sign that are wide enough for wheelchair access to vehicles;
• •
the yard area and doorways are clearly visible and well lit; the building entrance is flat or if stepped is equipped with a ramp;
• •
the doors are light and wide enough for a wheelchair;
• •
a multi-storey building is equipped with a lift;
there is clear signage in the building for the different facilities;
a person in a wheelchair has access to the spaces he or she needs;
• •
each floor has a toilet suitable for a person in a wheelchair; there are no unnecessary thresholds or other obstacles in the corridors and lobbies;
•
indoor passageways are wide enough, multisensory (colours, contrasts, surface materials) and well-lit;
•
the stairs have handrails on both sides and contrast stripes on the edges of each step;
•
the placement of furnishings allows for spaciousness and clarity;
• •
coat racks are placed at a suitable height; everyone is able to exit the building in an emergency.
InFAcTo project e-newsletter
Page 27
PROJECT PUBLICATIONS SETOMAA AND VÕRUMAA PRODUCED A JOINT PUBLICATION OF THE REGIONAL FOOD TRAIL Picking berries and mushrooms in the woods, cooking meat in a hole in the ground, tasting monk eggs in a medieval atmosphere are just a few of the activities offered to foreign tourists in south-east Estonia. Active people of Võrumaa and Setomaa decided to come together under the Food Trail slogan in order to make it easier for visitors to locate thrilling activities and wonderful farms and providers. The Food Trail designed in the InFAcTo project envisages visitors following the journey of food from field to table and also taking part in it. “Local Tastes and Impressions” is the title of the publication accompanying the trail and provides information on eating places and tourism businesses in these two areas and thus helps both domestic and incoming tourists to make (first) acquaintance with food from the southern corner of Estonia.
Joint Publication - Local Tastes and Impressions (front)
The road to publication took three years to complete and was packed with learning from each other, consultancy, placements for entrepreneurs and advice. The people behind the food trail map consider it important to include companies that provide local food made from local ingredients. One of the conditions for being included in the publication was that the business had to have something extra as well, such as walks, handicraft classes or other activities. The idea for the design of the publication originates from Eda Veeroja, teacher of Võru County Vocational Training Centre. The trail map also doubles as a place mat when laying a table. The map part of the area is kept white so that children can colour in with crayons while waiting for the food to be served. The food trail map was launched on 11 April at the InFacTo final convention in the Hotel Salzburg, Tallinn.
Joint Publication - Local Tastes and Impressions (reverse)
PROJECT PARTNERS
Lead partner Häme Development Centre OY (Development Centre Ltd Häme) Talaskuja 3, 13200 Hämeenlinna, Finland Leena Puumalainen Phone: +358 400997914 leena.puumalainen@kehittamiskeskus.fi
InFAcTo Project Manager Jaana Räisänen Phone: +358 503454933 jaana.raisanen@kehittamiskeskus.fi www.kehittamiskeskus.fi
HAMK University of Applied Sciences PL 230, 13101 Hämeenlinna, Finland Merja Helin Phone: +358 36466908 merja.helin@hamk.fi www.hamk.fi
Kiipula Foundation / Kiipula Centre for Vocational Education and Rehabilitation
Võru County Vocational Training Centre
Kuressaare Regional Training Centre Kohtu 22, 93812 Kuressaare, Estonia Marve Koppel Phone: +372 4524605 marve.koppel@ametikool.ee www.ametikool.ee
Saaremaa Marketing Association Kiratsi küla, 93741 Kaarma vald, Estonia Karen Ann Allas Phone: +372 57852811 karenallas253@hotmail.com
Estonian University of Life Sciences Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia Lea Sudakova Phone: +372 5204112 lea.sudakova@emu.ee www.emu.ee
Centre for Ecological Engineering Tuglase 1-6, 51014 Tartu, Estonia Merit Mikk Phone: +372 7422051 meritoko@gmail.com www.ceet.ee
NGO Estonian Rural Tourism Vilmsi 53g, 10147 Tallinn, Estonia Raili Mengel-Sünt Phone: +372 6009999 eesti@maaturism.ee www.maaturism.ee
Imago OÜ Filmi 6, 10152 Tallinn, Estonia Erki Kukk Phone: +372 56222998 erki@imago.ee www.imago.ee
Väimela, 65566 Võru, Estonia Reet Urb Phone: +372 7850819 reet.urb@vkhk.ee www.vkhk.ee
Union of Rural Municipalities of Setomaa
Obinitsa, 65301 Meremäe vald, Vörumaa, Estonia Mariana Laanemäe Phone: +372 5261581 www.setomaa.ee
Evanter OÜ Roheline 7, 86704 Sindi, Estonia Roger Evans Phone: +372 53999421 evanter.ou@gmail.com
Kiipulantie 507,14200 Turenki, Finland Pirkko Mykkänen Phone: +358 505998335 pirkko.mykkanen@kiipula.fi www.kiipula.fi
Tavastia Vocational College Hattelmalantie 8, 13100 Hämeenlinna, Finland Anssi Kovanen Phone: +358 365811 anssi.kovanen@kktavastia.fi www.kktavastia.fi
www.infactoproject.e www.infactoproject.eu u EDITOR: Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation, Phone: +372 600 9999; E-mail: eesti@maaturism.ee