Journalists and influencers offer an unbiased and independent perspective when introducing a destination, something that DMOs’ own communications cannot reflect, even with the most skillful execution. Such synergistic collaborations help raise awareness of destinations in the home countries of the partners and among international audiences, attracting more visitors to the cities.

In Tallinn’s tourism department’s marketing strategy, such collaborative projects play a crucial role and have proven effective over the years. The aim is always to enhance Tallinn's positive image through media coverage, whether in publications with a wide readership, more specific industry publications, or on influencers' own channels.

How do travel plans originate?

Press and influencer trips originate in three ways:

Our team contacts publications and journalists of interest.
We collaborate with partners (Visit Estonia, other Estonian DMOs, various city of Tallinn projects, private enterprises, NGOs, cultural events organized by different institutions, transport companies, gateways, service providers, etc.).
Journalists or influencers reach out to us.

When selecting collaborations, we consider the strategic goals and target markets of the tourism department. Unfortunately, there are instances where we must decline collaboration proposals too.

Who covers the costs?

It is important to note that the costs of press and influencer trips are usually shared. Some publications cover all travel-related expenses themselves. More often, however, hosts are expected to at least partially cover the costs. The tourism department's financial contribution to trips depends significantly on the influence of the publication/channel and the target market. It can vary from fully financed trips (which we organize sparingly) to providing a free Tallinn Card and investing our team members' time.

We can confirm that despite the fact that the tourism department is the host and largely responsible for travel plans, we never dictate the content of the coverage or purchase positively toned stories – journalists and influencers are free in their creations. We primarily act as an inspiring partner, providing interesting local information that the guest might not otherwise access, enabling entry to attractions, museums, guides, inviting them to enjoy local food culture, sharing visual materials, and offering all kinds of other assistance, including translation work if necessary. Moreover, our work is not limited to the guests' stay in Tallinn but includes the preparation period and readiness to assist even after the trip.

Our success story in numbers

In the first half of 2024, Tallinn's tourism department organized 30 press and influencer trips, involving a total of 81 journalists and influencers from 18 different countries. The most trips came from Finland, the USA, Germany, and Sweden, but guests also arrived from more distant places like Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and Japan. As a result of these trips, nearly 200 notable coverages have been published in various publications and social media channels to date.

Highlights of the Finnish market

The Finnish market is particularly important for Tallinn, and media work targeted at this market has led to several success stories:

A press trip organized in collaboration with Visit Estonia resulted in 14 articles and blog posts, along with over 30 Facebook stories.
A special edition of the magazine Matka Ihana Viro featured 24 pages introducing Tallinn.
The June/July issue of the magazine Mondo included 9 pages on sauna and spa topics.
A feature of the Finnish Embassy's Consul Eili Andresson in the April issue of the magazine Gloria.

Group of journalists posing for a photo while on a press trip to Tallinn, Estonia in 2024. — Foto: Silja Hurskainen

Media coverage in the rest of the world

Media work aimed at other target markets brought over 30 influencers and journalists to Tallinn from various countries. This resulted in over 140 coverages in traditional channels and social media. One of the largest collaboration projects was related to the opening of a direct route by Transavia between Paris and Tallinn, bringing journalists from major publications like LeFigaroVoyages.com (Le Figaro web), Le Nouvel Obs (both web and print), La Voix du Nord (both web and print), and easyVoyage.com (web) to the city. Articles appeared in all these publications, which is not always easy to achieve.

What interests media professionals in Tallinn?

Interest in Tallinn is often theme-based, focusing on topics like sustainability, Arvo Pärt, or major events. Stories are also created based on more general information, highlighting Tallinn as an attractive destination. Popular topics include the top 10 attractions, restaurants, short trip recommendations, and more. Designing a vacation by copying local lifestyles and exploring hidden and secret places are also popular themes. Finnish journalists, however, demand information about the newest and freshest places and entertainment options, as their readers are often very knowledgeable about our city.

Positive feedback brings us joy

We always ask journalists and influencers for feedback, both through conversations and a feedback form, which was filled out by 27 people in the first half of the year. It is great to note that our team's work received an extremely positive rating, scoring 9.52 out of 10 points. Satisfaction with accommodation, cafes, restaurants, museums, and attractions was rated on a five-point scale, with an average rating of 4.5. The recommendation index for the Tallinn Card was 100%. Guests were naturally impressed by the Old Town, but also by other neighborhoods like Telliskivi and Põhjala, and generally by the combination of old and new, along with various other experiences, including our high-quality restaurants.

The active collaboration between Tallinn's tourism department and journalists and influencers has brought valuable results for the city. Press trips and influencer visits help increase Tallinn's visibility and attractiveness worldwide, highlighting the unique and diverse aspects of our city. Such collaboration will remain crucial in developing and promoting Tallinn as a tourism destination in the future.

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