Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, Tourism, Transport

From May to August, an aircraft with up to 16 tourists from Russia is planned to arrive in Estonia once a week – Grand Rose Spa on the Island of Saaremaa and Viimsi Spa Tervis commissioned flights from Avies that will make its first charter flight on Saturday.

According to current plans, the flights will take place on Saturdays on the route Tallinn-St Petersburg-Kuressaare-St Petersburg-Tallinn. This is also the first flight connection between Russia and Estonia’s Saaremaa island.

“There is interest towards the offer. We hope to get the first plane load full. Currently 60 % of it has been booked,” said Ly Voolaid, head of the sales and marketing department of the spas that organise the flights.

“Russians are not traditional spa tourists. They lack the procedures and care culture like in Nordic states, they are rather users of wellness products,” she said. “And once the Russian has arrived, he/she will consume gladly and will buy more than other clients.”

In addition to Avies’ charter flights, Gotland’s shipping firm Gotlandsbolaget and German aviation firm Luftverkehr Friesland Brunsema und Partner KG consider operating traffic to Saaremaa this summer. The shipping firm is interested in launching a ship route Kuresasare-Ventspils-Gotland while the aviation firm plans to make flights with a 8-seat plane.