Leading Lights
Tallinn isCool forConferences By: Abdul Turay A of Estonia. People in Europe mainly have known about
Tallinn and the UNESCO listed Medieval Old Town as a tourist destination for years. Now it is also becoming a popular destination for confer- ences and incentive events due to the diverse op- portunities in close range. The city offers excellent restaurants with new
ones opening up all the time, ever improving ho- tels and wireless internet. Now Tallinn is in- creasingly becoming an economic paragon. The country has no public debts, the national gov- ernment is running a surplus and its economy grew by 7.6 percent in 2011. In 2011 Tallinn had close to 2000 interna- tional conferences and meetings, so it is still an emerging destination. But as more is written about the city in the business pages of the inter- national press, expect this to change. More peo- ple are expected to visit and see the place where apparently austerity works and the government manages its budget. “Tallinn has all the things a conference loca- tion needs, everything is centrally located, there are lots of things to do. There is the innovation like wireless internet and the taxation system,” James Oates, CEO of Hanseatic Capital and chair of the British Chamber of Commerce, said.
Oates is referring to the low corporate tax and the flat income tax system which was first
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s the World searches for a fix for economic woes, conference travellers are heading for Tallinn, the capital of the little country
adopted in the 90s and has been copied in other EU countries and in individual US states. The tax system has attracted many investors to the city. Tallinn has a lively night life with lots of bars and cosy lounges. In the walls of the cobble stoned Old Town are colourful boutiques and stylish restaurants. Tallinn has it all, from one of the most authentic Chinese restaurants outside of China to excellent, traditional yet modern local cuisine. Tallinn’s success as a regional hub has
brought the World's attention. Now people want to see this place.
“People want to know how they did it, they are interested in how things are done here,” Oates said “Estonia is a place that runs a surplus and has zero debt. It's in the Euro and it obeys the rules. If you want to see a country where they are doing the right thing, this is a good option.” Tallinn remains a little Nordic city with a growing economy though many conference goers are coming from wider afield. According to Oats, it is relatively affordable to have a con- ference in Estonia. With its four seasons, the city has a postcard
climate. At Christmas time the roofs of the Old Town are covered in snow, in summer time visitors can enjoy the ambient cool of Pirita beach or chill out in the courtyards of Old Town restaurants, bars and cafes. “Just a short ride outside Tallinn and you can see fields packed with white storks, which is quite special. Tallinn and the whole country is
02. Tallinn, Old Town. New European Economy
quite compact and one can find beautiful con- ference venues in different areas yet still close to the airport” Agnes Aaslaid who is organising local and international conferences said. She adds that Tallinn is also a green venue. “It aims to become as waste free in the near fu- ture. I believe we can promote Tallinn as most sustainable” she said. Yet Tallinn has a lot more to offer than just business knowledge. It is a romantic city, with the best preserved Medieval Old Town's in North- ern Europe. It is an innovative country in the proper sense of the word. Visitors can use the in- ternet even in public parks and beaches.
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