Every tourist can find something of interest in
Estonia. In Tallinn, as well as in other Estonian cities, there is a
wealth of medieval architecture. The lover of pristine nature may
enjoy hiking, canoe trips, hunting and fishing. In addition there is
farm tourism, which enables one to experience true country living.
The surrounding sea with its multitude of islands is perfect for
boating. For those athletically inclined there are golf courses,
tennis courts and riding stables, etc.
Tourism can generate many benefits, such as
employment and income, as well as infrastructure improvement. In
some countries, tourism can be important as it may provide a way to
maintain a level of economic activity sufficient to prevent
migration of people from underdeveloped regions to more developed
areas. The development of tourism means that hotels, game parks and
even golf courses have to be built. To do this, good farmland is
often built on, meaning a loss of land that could have been
supplying the economy with agricultural money. That problem can be
avoided by using farm tourism instead of classical tourism.
Problems in rural tourism development in Estonia:
no organisation at state level, there are too many ministries
concerning rural tourism, no working message to market, different
understanding about rural development and rural tourism development,
lack of classification system, lack of systemised training and lack
of state support.
Not only can tourism cause economic problems, but
also environmental problems. These can be in the sea, air or land,
but all can lead to impacts on both the locals in the tourist
industry, as the thing people once came to visit is destroyed. These
can cause a decrease in the number of visitors and therefore the
amount of money coming into the economy.
Deforestation can cause stress on the land,
especially with the help of trampling for footpaths. Thus, soil
erosion can occur causing destruction of other vegetation and even
buildings in severe cases. These tend to occur where the tourism is
unplanned and unmanaged, trampling can still occur if there are no
footpaths and this can stunt or even kill plant growth. This also
causes the destruction of habitats and so affecting the local
population of wildlife.
Tourism can be beneficial to an economy, but it
depends on the type of tourism. The ideal tourism needs to aim for
the maximisation of economic benefits for the local community,
whilst also working for a minimisation of socio-cultural nuisances.
Tourism can essentially just be an international exchange of people,
who bring with them their own social preferences and prejudices,
which often means an inter-cultural conflict. The only positive path
that tourism can take is through sustainable tourism, like farm
tourism, which tries to maintain all the attractive qualities of a
site, including its environment, character and economic qualities.
If this can be established, then the benefits can outweigh the
problems tourism can bring, but if not, then development is far
away.