On 6 November, the Narva-Jõesuu Tourism Facilities Field Day was held to map the region’s smallest accommodation and tourism facilities, to strengthen networking between local businesses and to gather input for the city’s new tourism facilities. tourism map map of the city.
Several places were visited during the day: Perjatsi Guesthouse, Mesipesa Holiday Cottages, Laagna Hotel & SPA, Peeterristi Guesthouse and Rootsikalmu Riding Stables & Zoo. Each stop was an opportunity to hear the owners’ stories, see how the businesses have developed and discuss how they could be made more visible to both Estonian and foreign visitors in the future.
Entrepreneurs’ stories and experiences
The field day was not just about listening – it was about learning and experiencing. Each of the companies visited opened their doors and candidly shared their journey, lessons learned and plans for the future.
Kaido Seppar (Pimestiku Guesthouse) spoke about the daily work and joys of his accommodation. According to him, the business has been stable, especially when big construction projects are taking place in the area – several foreign partners stay there for a long time.
Indrek Randoja (Mesipesa holiday homes) presented his company’s development story and highlighted the importance of digital accessibility. “The first customer came two weeks after we had added our accommodation to the Booking,” Indrek recalled, adding that, “Now, in November, we also have customers who want to come – it’s important that the information is visible and the place is easy to find.””He showed guests both his holiday homes and his mobile smart system, which allows him to manage the sauna and other facilities remotely – a good example of how small businesses can work more efficiently and modernly.
Dmitri Melkov (Laagna Hotel & SPA) tpresented the history and development of the hotel and spa complex. He recalled that the Laagna Hotel was one of the first spas in Estonia, and was pleased to see that the partners from 20 years ago have started to come back. During the tour, Dmitri introduced the manor-style buildings, the renovated rooms, the horse stables and shared stories about the early days of the hotel and its future plans at a time when dreams of a “magical land”, a “playland” and even a “Moomin’s wonderland” were being realised. Now these ideas are back on the agenda, and the Laagna Hotel is on the rise, both in terms of clients and partners.
Peeteristi Guest House received Andrei Kangerwho told the story of his homestay and the family division of labour. “Peeterrist Guesthouse has always been a place where home, good food and privacy are valued,” he said. Andrei proudly introduced their wood-fired Italian pizza ovenwhich produces the best pizzas and meat dishes in the region. He also shared a great story of a roadside shack, which he and his wife have maintained for many years and which has become a real attraction, often photographed by tourists driving along the Narva-Tallinn road.
The field day also included a visit to Peeteristi saunawhere the participants were welcomed by Dina Dõmova. She introduced the guests to the sauna’s lobby, sauna and barbecue area and briefly spoke about the history of the sauna, which dates back to 2007. According to Dina, the Peeteristi sauna is a place where people come to relax with family and friends, and children especially love it because they enjoy the friendly animals that live in the sauna garden. sheepwho have become a kind of symbol of the place and a real favourite with guests.
Yulia and Roman Pirk (Rootsikalmu Riding Stables & Zoo) opened the doors and hearts of their home zoo to the participants. They told how they, as Narva residents, decided to move to the countryside seven years ago and create a place where children and adults can see animals in a natural environment.
The guests were introduced to horses, alpacas, various goats, silver beasts, pheasants and even a white owl – each animal with its own story and experience, which the hosts shared with great warmth and joy.
They also told stories about getting animals, their daily care and how they dedicate themselves to each animal to ensure its welfare and safety. They say the greatest joy is to see the smiles on the faces of visitors and the genuine delight of the children – this is the best reward for their work and the reason they continue to develop their zoo with love.
During the day, the idea that collaboration, advertising and digital marketing is the biggest opportunity for small businesses in the region. This was confirmed by Arina Grigorjeva from Meresuu SPA, who offered the Mesipesa guests the opportunity to start discussing ideas for cross-marketing – the idea of cooperation that emerged was a good symbol of the idea behind the field day: joint visibility and networking benefits all.
Presentations and debate in Mangal
At the end of the day, the participants gathered at Mangal restaurant for a substantive discussion and exchange of ideas.
The panel included Külli Kell, Arvo Juhkov and Anna Karina – all key figures in their fields, who brought practical ideas and future plans to the table.
Külli Kell spoke about the tourism plans of Narva-Jõesuu, cooperation between businesses, outdoor and glue tourism maps of the region, which would help visitors to better orientate themselves in the area and discover both new and old places of interest. His presentation also gave an overview of the tourism calendar, possible business-to-business cooperation packages and new sites that will open their doors as early as next year. Külli’s presentation highlighted the need to create a coherent map and outdoor information boards for visitors to the region, linking together harbours, spas, accommodation, catering and other tourism and nature attractions.
Arvo Juhkov focused his presentation on cooperation and networking the importance of networking – how businesses of different sizes can support each other, cross-market to make the region and businesses as a whole more visible and attractive. He also presented the results of a survey on the training needs of businesses, which will be used to provide training for businesses on digital marketing, service development and collaboration. In addition, Arvo spoke about the project’s planned soft actions to strengthen the skills of local businesses in digital marketing, cross-marketing and service development.
Anna Karina gave an in-depth overview of the project’s progress and future directions. One of the most interesting parts of her presentation was a metaphorical reflection on on the relationship between energy constancy and chaoswhich tied the idea of a tourism network together. “Sometimes it seems that each piece of energy moves chaotically in different directions and does not affect the others – but in fact each movement, each small piece, affects the other,” Anna explained. “When these energies start to move in the same direction, there is a collective force – a network.” She added that the same is true for collaboration: when different companies and people put their energy and knowledge into motion towards a common goal, chaos is eliminated and co-creationwhich gives strength to the development of the whole region.
Thanks and a vision for the future
The Narva-Jõesuu field day proved that cooperation breeds progress. When entrepreneurs, city representatives and the project team work together, good ideas can become reality.
The ideas and observations gathered during this event will now help shape the common tourism map of Narva-Jõesuu and support the planning of new joint packages and events.
The goal of the Narva-Jõesuu Tourism Network is clear – to create an open, collaborative and visible tourism environment where every business can contribute and benefit.
Thank you to all the participants, partners and supporters who contributed to the success of the day!
Together we move forward – one strong and inspiring community, one common purpose.
Arvo Juhkov
You Narva-Jõesuu Port Development Manager
arvo.juhkov@narva-joesuu.ee
The event took place in the framework of the project “Development of the waterways network and tourism business in the Ida-Viru region”. The project is financed by the European Union Cohesion Policy funds through the measure “Attractive regional business and living environment” and the support measure for the implementation of regional development strategies.
