Tallinn is making waves as one of Europe’s most forward-thinking city destinations when it comes to sustainability.
Leading the way is the Tallinn Tourism Department, with Hele Lõhmus spearheading innovation and sustainability efforts — from phasing out single-use plastics to guiding the capital toward climate neutrality and smarter tourism governance. In this interview, Hele shares how destination branding and sustainability come together in Tallinn’s journey toward smarter, more balanced tourism.
Hele, what inspired you and your team to prioritise sustainable tourism at Visit Tallinn — and how does this align with the city’s brand as a forward-looking destination?
In many ways, living sustainably is part of our Estonian DNA. We come from humble beginnings, which has taught us to value our limited resources and make the most of what we have — from our clean air to our beautiful natural environment. Sustainability isn’t just a goal; it’s a mindset rooted in the appreciation and preservation of our environment and communities.
Being part of the Nordic-Baltic community, a responsible approach to tourism also makes economic sense. Many of our visitors come from neighbouring countries, often travelling by road or sea, expect high standards. Remaining relevant in this region requires strong alignment with our partners — and a commitment to embedding sustainability into all our actions.
Tallinn is a perfect city break destination for culture lovers, offering a wide range of unique experiences. One highlight is our increasingly recognised gastronomy scene, which continues to gain attention year after year. It’s grounded in local produce and shaped by our rich, multifaceted cultural background. At the same time, we’re committed to offering services in a way that reflects our values — responsible, thoughtful, and forward-looking.
Tallinn has been active in initiatives like the Climate Neutral Destinations project. How do these efforts contribute to the city’s image and long-term competitiveness?
These efforts have a significant impact — especially in the long term. Projects like Climate Neutral Destinations (CliNeDest) allow us to tell our story not only to visitors but also to key players in the tourism industry. They help position Tallinn as a responsible and forward-thinking destination.
While we’re all aware that travel contributes to CO₂ emissions, it’s equally important to focus on the local tourism value chain, which is shaped by policies and business models. Through the CliNeDest project, we’re working to find common solutions tailored to tourism destinations around the Baltic Sea. The goal is to create robust, practical roadmaps that help local tourism communities understand what it means to operate within a climate-neutral business model.
Capacity-building is a crucial part of this — knowing how to plan, adapt, and transition toward sustainable practices in a way that becomes second nature. Over the next three years, the project will test and pilot real-world solutions, and we’re genuinely excited to be involved. It’s inspiring to work alongside smart, future-oriented partners who share our vision for a more sustainable tourism industry.
What are some of the most concrete actions Tallinn has taken recently — such as phasing out single-use plastics — and what role has your DMO played in driving those changes?
Phasing out single-use plastics has been one of Tallinn’s key success stories — and we’re proud that our efforts have been recognised by the international tourism community. The momentum began with the EU’s single-use plastics directive, introduced in 2017, which created both the need and the opportunity to find smarter ways to reduce unnecessary waste, especially at large-scale events like fairs, exhibitions, and concerts.
As we prepared for our year as the European Green Capital in 2023, we took this challenge seriously and used the platform to drive innovation. One standout initiative was the introduction of reusable tableware made from recycled plastic, piloted at various events. In summer 2023, we scaled it up significantly at one of Estonia’s flagship cultural events — the Song and Dance Celebrations. More than 120,000 people took part in the reusable tableware system, and the result was remarkable: over half a million pieces of single-use tableware were avoided, preventing more than 3.5 tonnes of plastic waste. By the way, we actually won the ITB Earth Award 2025 with a story depicting that endeavour.
Our department, as Tallinn’s DMO, helped disseminate these practices across the tourism and events sector. We promoted the idea among event organisers and integrated sustainability principles into our MICE activities. For instance, we included our environmentally friendly event guide as part of the conference grant application process. The 2023 Green Destinations conference also served as a pilot, where we — together with the national tourism board — co-organised a tourism sector event and published a report outlining key performance indicators to track and reduce CO₂ emissions. These are the kinds of real, measurable steps that drive change and inspire others in the industry.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in moving from vision to action when it comes to sustainable tourism? How have you overcome them?
Turning big visions into real and tangible action always comes with challenges and sustainable tourism is no exception. One of the hardest parts is bringing different stakeholders on board, especially when you’re met with the mindset of “we’ve always done it this way — why change now?” But challenges like these are part of the process, and they can be overcome.
Tourism is an industry that touches people emotionally. Travel is something people hold dear — it’s how we reward ourselves, find inspiration, and connect with the world. That makes it both powerful and complex to change. However, I do sense a clear shift. Almost everyone in travel and tourism recognises the need to change something in their immediate environment to become more resilient and sustainable for the future. Of course, we want to preserve the economic benefits that tourism brings to communities — but we’re also beginning to acknowledge that this might not be feasible everywhere, at least not in the way we’ve done it in the past.
One idea I really believe in is “recycling” tourism products and assets. Instead of constantly building something new, there’s great value in revisiting and revitalising what we already have — whether that’s cultural traditions, folklore, agricultural know-how, or local culinary heritage. These types of experiences often come with low environmental impact and high cultural value — or what we now call authenticity.
In our DMO, we’re striving to strike this balance — co-creating “new-old” experiences in a way that makes sense for both visitors and locals. It’s a slow process, and meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience, collaboration with policymakers, close cooperation with the business community, and above all, a network of like-minded people who share the same goals.
How can city destinations best integrate sustainability into their place brand and visitor experience — without falling into greenwashing?
For me, the answer is simple — be honest. The most effective way to avoid greenwashing is not to engage in it in the first place. Visitors are increasingly aware and can tell the difference between genuine, heartfelt efforts and superficial claims. Authenticity resonates, and anything less risks undermining trust.
We’re also entering a new era of accountability. With the upcoming EU Green Claims Directive, there will be stricter rules on how and when sustainability claims can be made for services and products. This is a welcome development, and in the tourism sector, it has sparked important conversations about how to communicate sustainability in a truthful, transparent way.
At visittallinn.ee and on Visit Tallinn’s social media (Visit Tallinn is the tourism brand we manage at the tourism department), we never label a provider or attraction as “eco”, “green“, or “sustainable” unless it’s backed by credible certification. We explain each sustainability label we use and rely on third-party verifications and endorsements from the tourism and business community. This external recognition adds legitimacy to our messaging.
Luckily, promoting Tallinn without resorting to greenwashing is easy — the city genuinely has many innate qualities worth cherishing. We’re committed to responsible development and sustainable business practices. For example, in our DMO’s marketing efforts, we focus on promoting travel in the low season and encourage visitors to explore beyond the city centre. We prioritise partnerships with hotels that hold Green Key certification and aim to inspire others to pursue similar credentials. We also support restaurants, museums, and other service providers that have earned green labels.
Our approach is steady and intentional — and we’re not alone. Across Tallinn, there are ambitious sustainability initiatives underway and high goals set for the future. We’re proud to be part of that journey and to contribute to building a destination that reflects not just beauty and culture, but responsibility and care.
Are there any trends or shifts in visitor expectations or urban tourism development that you think city DMOs should be paying more attention to right now?
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to define common visitor expectations — we’re no longer talking about large homogeneous groups, but rather smaller, more niche segments with highly individual needs and interests. This shift presents a real challenge for a tourism sector that has traditionally catered to mass audiences. The rise in personalised travel demands forces service providers to rethink how to scale while still offering meaningful, tailored experiences.
But this is also where opportunities lie, especially for destinations like Tallinn. Instead of busloads of 50 tourists, we’re now seeing groups of 10–15 people who are looking for more intentional, curated experiences. This puts pressure on infrastructure and resources and raises the cost of travel — which, in turn, is reshaping the entire ecosystem.
One of the clearest signs of this shift is the existential struggle faced by traditional travel agencies. This, in turn, creates a broader need to remodel the entire tourism infrastructure — concepts of hotels, excursion services, etc. For example, the popularity of short-term rentals (STRs) might not be driven purely by price or location, but by their alignment with new expectations — co-living concepts that better suit the dynamics of families, friend groups, or small event-based travel.
These are all critical questions for any DMO: where are tourism brand consumers heading, and what are their evolving expectations? Our latest Visitor Sentiment Survey sheds light on these shifts. Compared to 2018, the share of visitors travelling for holidays has decreased by 8%, while those visiting for cultural or sports events has grown by 5%. That’s a meaningful change.
Even though Tallinn is sometimes perceived as small or remote, our popularity continues to rise — and we’re leaning into that by using all available data and international networks to identify trends worth adapting here. We’re also fortunate to have a highly forward-thinking city development strategy, Tallinn2035, which gives us a strong foundation for aligning tourism development with broader urban goals.
Looking internationally, are there other cities or destinations you admire for how they combine sustainability with strong place branding?
We’ve built strong relationships with several destinations around the Baltic Sea — and also with cities along the Mediterranean. We share not only experiences and best practices, but also many of the same challenges and joys. None of us have ever navigated a landscape quite like this one before, shaped by both climate pressures and geopolitical risks. That makes it all the more important to work together, to strengthen all three pillars of sustainable tourism — environmental, social, and economic — and to learn how to strike the right balance.
If you asked me personally, I’d say the region that has left the biggest impression on me is Andalusia in southern Spain. The way destinations along the south coast have embraced data-driven approaches to monitor tourism impact is truly inspiring. They’ve managed to take big ideas and ground them in practical, measurable action.
Inspired by their example, we’re now exploring how to better visualise real-time visitor flows, especially in protected natural areas. It’s a great example of how international collaboration and knowledge sharing can drive innovation — not just in theory, but in tangible, on-the-ground improvements.
What are your priorities for Visit Tallinn’s sustainability strategy in 2025 and beyond — and how would you like to see the city evolve as a model for responsible urban tourism?
We have several key priorities for Visit Tallinn’s sustainability strategy in 2025 and beyond, each contributing to our broader vision of responsible urban tourism.
First, we want to ensure the success of the CliNeDest project — not just for Tallinn, but for the businesses and communities it supports across the region. Our goal is to deliver real value by helping tourism enterprises understand and implement climate-neutral models in a practical way.
Another important focus is on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). We’re working to align our business events offering with the latest developments in sustainability. But beyond that, we want these events to leave a lasting legacy — turning Tallinn into a true knowledge hub, where the benefits extend far beyond the event itself.
We’re also improving our Tourist Information Centre and visitor communication. Our aim is to create more rewarding, informative, and engaging experiences for visitors once they arrive — helping them truly connect with the city.
Infrastructure matters, too. One of our goals is to support the development of cycling infrastructure beyond the city centre, including better integration with the EuroVelo network. Sustainable mobility is a big part of our urban tourism vision.
From a marketing perspective, we’re shifting our focus to attract visitors who are genuinely curious about Tallinn’s rich culture, heritage, and unique experiences. We want to engage people who are looking for depth, not just a checklist of sights. This is why we teamed up with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) on their “Travel Redefined: Tourism for People and Planet” project.
In the coming years, digital capacity building is also a top priority. We’re working to strengthen our digital tools and systems and to open up more data sources so we can better evaluate the real impact of tourism in Tallinn — and make smarter decisions based on that insight.
Together, these efforts will help us evolve Tallinn into a model of responsible, resilient, and future-ready urban tourism.
Thank you, Hele.
Connect with Hele on LinkedIn or learn more about Visit Tallinn.
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