Ruusalepp said any hotel today is not just a building with 30 or 90 rooms. Looking at global tourism trends, the fastest‑growing segment is hotels that function as destinations. The same idea applies to the hotel being developed in small Estonian town Põlva, which will be called Metsa 7 because its address is Metsa tänav 7.

"It is a brilliantly located property. In front of the building is one of Estonia's best track‑and‑field stadiums, next to it are tennis courts, a few kilometers away are the Mammaste hiking and ski trails, Intsikurmu forest park is nearby, and roads lead to Võru and Haanja upland. The location is ideal both in terms of infrastructure and accessibility. We believe a hotel alone will not attract people, but a hotel as a center will bring visitors to Southeast Estonia." 

She said the project has received a lot of feedback, including comments questioning a €25 million investment in Southeast Estonia. To her, this sounds like saying one region of Estonia does not deserve investment — or if it does, certainly not €25 million. 

"We are such a small country that we cannot afford the attitude that investing €25 million in Tallinn is acceptable but not in Põlva. If we as entrepreneurs and promoters of the economy do not believe in one of our own regions, then who will?" she said. 

"This center is not just a hotel. The Metsa 7 property includes a 50‑meter underground shooting range built in the 1970s with 8+8 lanes. It must be repaired and restored. When such a powerful space already exists underground, our job as entrepreneurs is to think about what else it can be used for — biathletes, archers, seminars, conferences. If you add layers to the building and consider the stadium, tennis courts and ski trails, the result is a complex, not a hotel." 

Asked whether it would be easier to build such a hotel near Tallinn and benefit from a well established airport and seaport, Ruusalepp said Tartu also has a functioning airport. "Just last week there was news that passenger numbers at Tartu Airport keep growing. When we talk about this hotel, this complex, Southeast Estonia and Põlva more broadly, our segment is adventure tourism and adventure travelers. We joke that it's the city dweller with muddy premium‑brand hiking boots in the closet. They are not looking for adventure near an airport, because areas around airports are usually industrial, not natural."

She said a two‑and‑a‑half‑hour drive from Tallinn to Põlva means nothing to an adventure tourist. "We are used to thinking Põlva is at the far end of Estonia, but if you think about the United States or even Finland — taking a train to northern Finland and then driving another two and a half hours to a beautiful landscape is nothing." 

Sports tourism is growing much faster than tourism overall. Ruusalepp said she has analyzed the numbers for the past 12 months. "Looking at the rapid growth of sports and adventure tourism in Europe and worldwide, we calculated that in about 10 years Europe will be short 200 to 500 hotels to accommodate this segment." 

She added that customers should not have to find the hotel — the hotel must find the customers. "This is the core issue for a small country and small entrepreneurs. People joke that Estonians are great salespeople: they come to work in the morning and start waiting for customers. Even though construction of the Põlva complex will likely begin only in the second half of 2027, we are already communicating with our target groups to map out who will come in the first and second year." 

Adventure tourists typically stay four nights in one hotel. They come to hike, run or watch birds, and Southeast Estonia is an excellent birdwatching area. "We have not talked about this much or promoted Southeast Estonia to birdwatchers worldwide, but we could and should."

Birdwatchers are a separate segment. Ruusalepp's team has mapped Estonia's best birdwatching spots, how to reach them and the best times to visit. "Before we open the hotel, we will run test trips. When the doors open for real, we will know who the visitors are, where they come from, what they want, when they want to eat, when they need to leave and when they return." 

Tourism overall is changing. Many travelers from Asia are coming to Europe, especially Northern Europe, and southern Europeans are vacationing in the north. The reason is climate warming. In English this trend is called "coolcation," meaning a cooling‑off vacation.

The nearest golf course to Põlva is in Otepää. "Golfers are welcome and can go there. As for horseback riding and other activities, she said you cannot build a business by offering everything to everyone — because then everyone gets only a little. Choices must be made." 

Ruusalepp said entrepreneurship is inherently about taking risks, and entrepreneurs do take risks, but they must be calculated. "There is a saying that those who do not take risks do not drink champagne. I have also said that those who do not take risks drink lemonade. I do not want Estonian society and Estonian entrepreneurs to end up constantly drinking lemonade because we have not dared to take risks. In such a small country we must dare to think big."

The interview has been edited for length and clarity from the original Estonian version.

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