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The following is a list of recent developments in the Estonian travel
and convention sector:
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Estonia to join eurozone in January |
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The European Commission has given its backing for Estonia to adopt the EU's common currency, the euro, on January 1, 2011. Formal approval for the country to make the switch is expected in mid-July. The move has been enthusiastically welcomed by the travel sector, since it will eliminate the need of many visitors to exchange their currency when arriving in Estonia, and will mean that prices will be more easily understandable to those unfamiliar with the Estonian kroon.
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Tallinn leaps ahead in ICCA rankings |
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Estonia's capital, Tallinn, has jumped nearly 40 places in the International Congress and Convention Association's rankings over the last two years, according to a new report by the organisation. The report puts Tallinn in 44th place in the association's list of the top worldwide meeting destinations in 2009. The city hosted 35 association conferences last year, compared the 24 conferences the year before. It is now ahead of New York, Dubai and Warsaw. In 2007, Tallinn held 83rd position in the ICCA rankings. Tartu, Estonia's second largest city, also made gains on the ICCA list. It now holds 171st place, up from last year when it came in 202nd.
For more details click here.
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Tallinn's European Capital of Culture 2011 programme published |
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The Tallinn 2011 Foundation, the coordinating body for the city's European Capital of Culture events next year, has published the first major overview of its 2011 programme. Entitled 'Stories from the Seashore', the programme includes everything from choir and film festivals to more avant-garde projects like 'knit graffiti' and acoustic tours of the capital's 'sound marks'. Over 250 exhibitions and events are scheduled in all, with one or two highlights each month. The programme is available in .pdf format in English, Finnish, Swedish and Russian at www.tallinn2011.ee.
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Reval Hotels rebranded as Radisson Blu and Park Inn |
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Two of Tallinn's best-known hotels, both part of the Reval Hotel group, have recently been rebranded. As of June 1, the Reval Hotel Olümpia is named the Radisson Blu Hotel Olümpia, and the Reval Hotel Central is the Park Inn Central Tallinn. The change comes after Linstow, the Norwegian real estate developer for the10 Reval hotels in the Baltics, made an agreement with the Rezidor Hotel Group whereby Rezidor would take over management of the hotels. The move means that there are now two Radisson Blu hotels in downtown Tallinn, offering a combined total of 670 rooms. The increased capacity under one brand makes Radisson Blu a more attractive option for organizers facilitating larger conferences.
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Nordic Forum first to offer in-room Skype phones |
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The Nordic Hotel Forum, a business and conference hotel in downtown Tallinn, has become the first hotel in the Baltic States to offer Skype telephones in its rooms. The VoIP phones work via the hotel's wireless Internet network, and will allow guests to Skype without the need of a computer and headphones. Users won't even have to log onto their Skype accounts – they can simply pick up the phones and dial, allowing them to make ultra-cheap international calls. Initially the Skype phones will be available in only the hotel's 18 business class rooms, but the management have said they plan add them to all remaining rooms if the project is successful.
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ECB rolls out new 'Meet Estonia' brochure |
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The Estonian Convention Bureau has published a new brochure entitled 'Meet Estonia', which highlights what Tallinn and Tartu offer as meeting destinations. The brochure comes with supplementary pages that list details of conference hotels and venues, as well as a CD-ROM that introduces Estonia to meeting planners. Those interested in receiving a copy of the brochure should contact the ECB.
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International technology parks conference to be held in Estonia in 2012 |
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The International Association of Science Parks has chosen the Tehnopol technology park in Tallinn as the venue for its 2012 World Conference. The IASP, a network of science and technology parks with nearly 400 members in 70 countries, made the decision at its conference in South Korea in late May. The 2012 conference is expected to bring the leaders of 800 science parks from around the globe to Tehnopol, which was set up in 2002 to act as science and business incubator for knowledge-based companies. Tehnopol is located next to the Tallinn University of Technology and the Estonian IT College, and currently comprises more than 150 businesses.
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Tallinn hosts first-ever Meet Estonia workshop |
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In early May Tallinn successfully hosted the 'Meet Estonia 2010' workshop/ fam trip, the first event of its kind ever held in the Baltic nation. Organised jointly by the by the Estonian Convention Bureau and the Estonian Tourist Board, the project involved inviting 50 professional event planners from all parts of Europe to visit Tallinn, where they were given a taste of what Estonia has to offer as a meeting destination. Highlights of the programme included a tour of Tallinn's haunted houses led by the country's former prime minister, Mart Laar; a visit to the now-decommissioned Soviet-era Patarei Prison; and a village-style party at the Estonian Open Air Museum.
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For additional information, please contact the Estonian Convention Bureau at
+ 372 6 450 086, info@ecb.ee, or visit us at www.ecb.ee.
The Estonian Convention Bureau is a non-profit organisation established jointly by public and private sector bodies in order to attract international conventions to Estonia. The ECB's 24 members include the cities of Tallinn and Tartu, the national carrier Estonian Air, and a number of DMCs, PCOs, conference hotels and conference venues.
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