Snowy weather gives much-needed boost to Võru County tourist industry
The success of Võru County's tourism-related businesses in winter depends heavily on the snow. The recent wintry weather has increased the number of overnight stays in the region, making it possible for companies to make up for last year's losses.
On selected weekends, Neumann Husky in Rõuge, Võru County, offers visitors the opportunity to ride with sled dogs. It is undoubtedly one of the most unique services in the region, which is why people come from far and wide to experience it.
"When they rarely have a chance to get out of their own environment and the weather happens to be good, then people come here from further afield. They have sought us out, and the beautiful weather is definitely what attracts people to come here. We try to offer these rides here on six or seven weekends a year," said Rain Neumann, owner of Neumann Husky.
This year's crisp and snowy winter weather has been a relief for all entrepreneurs whose activities are directly related to snow – especially since last year's winter season was essentially non-existent.
"Last year, turnover was perhaps 20-30 percent lower than it would have been in a normal winter. However, when we look at this January's figures and have hopes that February will be similar, we definitely will recover from that," said Siim Padar, manager of Kütioru Ski Center.
Kütioru jokingly describes itself as primarily a children's and youth center, where parents can bring their children for day care while they go cross-country skiing by themselves in Haanja.
However, there are also several tubing hills and numerous opportunities for skating nearby. All the winter activities on offer, along with the wide variety available, have a direct impact on the occupancy rates of local accommodation providers. They also say things are looking better so far this winter than last year.
"We definitely saw fewer visitors here last year. We had to have more special offers to attract more people here. This year, we have already prepared a skiing package and are sharing information about all the great winter activities in Võru County on our website. However, we can already see that we are ahead of last year in terms of both occupancy rates and budget," said Maris Reimann, CEO of Kubija Hotel & Nature Spa.
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Editor: Michael Cole, Johanna Alvin
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"
