School ≠ holidays

School principals the length and breadth of Tartu (the 'City of Good Thoughts') have been whinging to Delfi that they'd had it up to here with their students bunking off to go on package holidays with their families.

Hugo Treffner High School, one of the most prestigious in the education capital of the country, has published a plee to parents on its website to no longer withdraw the fruit of their loins from classes for the purpose of frivolous travel. "There's a time and a place for holidays from school," said principal Ott Ojaveer, "and that's school holidays. The rate of absenteeism has gone through the roof."

The frustrated principal complains that parents seeking permission for their children to play hooky and skip the country means extra work for teachers and administrative staff. As things stand, schools have no right to refuse such permission and are left in the impotent position of merely being able to suggest that it might not be such a great idea.

The board of Miina Härma High School are facing the same problem. Stand-in principal Heikki Veinimäe* says a lot of travel agencies offer discount package tours during the off season which families latch onto. The only solution he foresees is the implementation of national regulations. "If the number of holidays being taken continues to increase, as well as the length of time these kids are out of school, we'll have to take the matter in hand," he said.

* what's the betting the real principal was on holiday?

Putting the 'tour' back in 'tourism'

Postimees has reported the results of the Country Brand Index 2007, unveiled yesterday at the opening ceremony of the World Travel Market in London, the world's biggest travel trade fair. Taking top place once again as the most popular destination among tourists and travel professionals was Australia. Estonia failed to make the grade in any of the Index's 22 categories.

This is perhaps not very surprising for a country whose tourist industry, such as it is, is geared almost exclusively towards Tallinn's Old Town and omnipresent spa services. Considering the great majority of tourists to the country though are here for a day or two at best (as well as how beautiful the Old Town is), this is perhaps the way it should be.

Of course, the argument works the other way: if there were well-established, wide-ranging tourist services that gave visitors the opportunity to see more of the country - and let's face it, nowhere is more than a daytrip away - they might just stay longer, with their experience of Estonia not limited to a stroll on Town Hall Square, a meal at Olde Hansa and a quick facial.

To any budding entrepreneurs out there thinking of coming to Estonia and wondering what kind of business might be worth starting: there is a gaping hole in the market here for organised tours, and so much more to show people in Estonia than 99% of them ever see.

http://www.countrybrandindex.com/

Travel broadens the mind

In the latest Muusa, the editorial team put a set of questions to the writers contributing to the issue. One of them (the questions) was 'Reason to leave Estonia?'. One of them (the writers) responded in a way that very neatly encapsulated my own thoughts on why anyone would and indeed should leave their country and see a bit of the world. Coincidentally, the writer in question*, Merit Raju, has just moved to Australia. This is what she said:

Tunda, et elad. Kasvada suuremaks, õppida targemaks, avardada oma taluvuse, mõistmise, oskuste, teadmiste, võimete, tutvusringkonna ja maitsete piiri, vaadata kaugemalt ning mõista, mis ja kes on olulised ja kes sa ise oled.

To feel that you're alive. To grow bigger, to grow wiser, to push the limits of your tolerance, your understanding, your skills, your knowledge, your abilities, your circle of acquaintances and your tastes, to see further and to appreciate who and what is important and who you are.

(At the same time, when asked 'Reason to stay in Estonia?' she said, a little harshly but probably quite rightly, that Estonia is the right place for Estonians - it is a "cold country with cold people".)

http://www.muusa.eu/

*no pun intended