Development of SPA Destination Case: Prnu

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Development of SPA DestinationCase Pärnu

• Heli Müristaja (MSc)
• Tartu University Pärnu College

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The Aim

• Brief overview of the history of development of
  Pärnu as a resort town
• To analyse the current trends in the tourism of
  Pärnu
• To bring out possible bottlenecks which have to
  be removed to remain in competition also during
  the next decades

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Rise and Fall of the Town

• 1154 al-Idrisi mentioned a place called Bernu
• 1318 New Pärnu acquires town rights from Riga
• 14th century Pärnu was accepted to the Hanseatic
  League
• By the end of 19th century Pärnu was no longer
  competitive

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Beginning of the Resort

• 1838 - Opening of the first bathing
  establishment at the beach
• Warm sea-water baths in summertime and it
  operated as a sauna in winter

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• 1878 New mayor Oscar Brackmann
• The design for the parks and boulevards of Pärnu
• 1889 Town became the owner of the bathing
  establishment
• Resort Committee was set up and Bathing Inspector
  was employed

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The Beginning of 20th Century
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After the 1st WW

• 1921 The election of the Town Council, slogan
  Bread! Trees! A bathing establishment!

• 1927 A new Mud Baths Establishment was opened

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After the 2nd WW

• Holiday institutions were nationalised and
  delivered for use by the people
• Climotherapy and mud therapy resort one of the
  most important resorts in the USSR

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The Development of Estonian Accommodation Market
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The Share of West-Estonia
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The Growth of the Demand in Estonia
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Seasonality Pattern
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Trends in the Demand

• The proportion of foreign visitors is increasing
  from year to year
• Neighbours as a main market
• The average age of a visitor from abroad is much
  higher than that of a visitor from Estonia
• A stay in Pärnu is relatively long
• Very many foreigners have visited Pärnu several
  times.

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The Sustainable Future!?...

• Development and implementation of extensive
  multi-sectoral destination support policies by
  all stakeholders
• Implementation of surveys and development
  activities is a new challenge because new
  tourism requires a very client-centred
  experience
• External experts will be required for choosing
  the strengths and specialisations of companies
• Training will be increasingly required to help to
  understand the changing world and new clients
• It will be necessary to stimulate cooperation
  between companies to achieve a common competitive
  advantage
• Strengthening of interactions between companies
• Development of infrastructure and assistance in
  the regulatory area

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