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Rural Tourism as a Tool for Sustainable Development: Lessons Learned in Estonia

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Tourism Development in Post-Soviet Nations

Abstract

This chapter describes the evolution of tourism in Estonia, specifically focusing on tourism development outside the cities in the rural areas. Estonia’s tourism industry has developed rapidly since the early 1990s, buoyed by re-independence, the re-opening of the borders for Estonians to travel freely, and international interest in Estonia as a new destination. This chapter recounts the historic context under which tourism has developed and changed, including the role of nature in Estonian culture, to describe the activities that supported the transition towards market-oriented sustainable rural tourism.

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Ruukel, A., Reimann, M., Tooman, H. (2020). Rural Tourism as a Tool for Sustainable Development: Lessons Learned in Estonia. In: Slocum, S., Klitsounova, V. (eds) Tourism Development in Post-Soviet Nations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30715-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30715-8_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-30714-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-30715-8

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