Welcome to the Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference!
We are delighted to announce that all tourism professionals, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and anyone passionate about the future of tourism in Pärnu County are invited to the Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference taking place on October 14, 2026! This year, we are shining a spotlight on a topic that touches us all: hospitality.
How do we create the most welcoming destination in the world? In tourism, competition goes far beyond hotels, restaurants, or sights—entire destinations are competing with one another, and success is increasingly driven by how a guest feels while visiting.
What truly makes a place a hospitable destination? Can hospitality be consciously shaped and managed? What role do tourism businesses, local residents, public spaces, municipalities, and regional culture play? And could exceptional hospitality become one of Pärnu County’s strongest competitive advantages?
The Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference 2026 brings together inspiring speakers, leading experts, and best practices from Estonia and abroad to explore these questions and look into the future of tourism in Pärnu County together.
Program Overview
Pre-event: October 13 | 14:00–16:00 | Hospitality Workshop
Join us at Rannahotell for a hands-on workshop led by international hospitality expert Jan Gunnarsson.
Main Event: October 14 | Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference
A day full of inspiration and key discussions on the future of Pärnu County tourism at Pärnu Bay Golf Links.
After-event: October 14 at 19:00 | Destination Pärnu 5th Anniversary
We will wrap up the conference in style and celebrate our birthday at Tervise Paradiis Romantic Bar.
Tickets are available for each event separately. Seats are limited!
The Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference will be moderated by Urmas Vaino.
14. oktoober
PROGRAM
9.30 – 10.00 Arrival and Welcome Coffee
10.00 – 10.10 Welcome to Pärnu! But how welcome are we really?
Jaan Ratnik – Chairman of the Board, NGO Destination Pärnu
10.10 – 10.30 The Mirror of Pärnu County’s Hospitality: Where Are We Today?
Annika Raadik – Pärnu City Government, Head of Tourism Development (Development Department)
10.30 – 10.40 Opening Conversation
Urmas Vaino – Introduction to the core question of the day
10.40 – 11.30 The Art of Welcoming – How to Make People Feel Truly Welcome
Jan Gunnarsson – International Hospitality Expert
11.30 – 11.45 What Can Pärnu Take Away From This?
Urmas Vaino conversation with Jan Gunnarsson
11.45 – 12.40 Lunch
12.40 – 13.15 The World Through a Guest’s Eyes – What Does Traveling Teach Us About Hospitality?
Priit “Wend” Kuusk – TV Host and Traveler
13.15 – 14.15 Panel Discussion – The Guest Doesn’t See the Logistics, They Feel the Experience
Teele Raam – Twilight of the Senses (Meelte Videvik)
Jalmar Vabarna – Treski Fest
Karel Johannes Vähi – Võrafest
14.15 – 14.40 Coffee break
14.40 – 15.20 A Hospitable Pärnu Doesn’t Happen by Accident—How Do We Build It? Vision, Practical Ideas, and Concrete Steps
Kati Ruubel – Hospitality Enthusiast
15.20 – 16.15 Panel Discussion – Pärnu 2030: How to Become the Most Hospitable Destination in the World
Kristiin Kink – Youth Community Representative, Member of Pärnu Youth Council
Oliver Paasik – Tourism Entrepreneur, Founding Member of Destination Pärnu
Kati Ruubel – Hospitality Enthusiast
Siim Suursild – Mayor of Pärnu
16.15 – 16.25 From Words to Action: What Will We Do Differently Tomorrow?
Urmas Vaino, Panelists, and the Audience
16.25 – 16.30 Closing of the Official Program
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19.00 – 00.00 Destination Pärnu 5th Anniversary Celebration
Tervise Paradiis, Romantic Bar
Main Organizer of the Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference:
MTÜ Destination Pärnu
Co-organizer of the Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference:
Ettevõtluse ja Innovatsiooni Sihtasutus (EIS)
Conference Organizer Contact: info@destinationparnu.ee
The organizer reserves the right to make changes to the program. The speaker lineup may be updated ongoingly.
The conference will be held in Estonian, with the exception of Jan Gunnarsson’s presentation, which will be in English. Simultaneous interpretation is not provided. The conference will be captured in a photo gallery.
Jaan Ratnik is a long-standing leader in Pärnu’s tourism sector and the Chairman of the Management Board of MTÜ Destination Pärnu.
For years, he has contributed to the development of tourism, business, and events in Pärnu, consistently advocating for stronger collaboration among various stakeholders to advance the destination.
In opening the Vision Conference, Jaan invites us to view hospitality not just as a duty for tourism businesses, but as a shared mindset and opportunity for all of Pärnu County.
Leads tourism development at the Pärnu City Government, with her work focusing on developing Pärnu as a holistic tourism destination and fostering cooperation between key stakeholders.
On a daily basis, she addresses the question of how to make Pärnu a more competitive, higher-quality, and more attractive destination for visitors.
At the conference, Annika looks at Pärnu County through the lens of hospitality: where are our current strengths, where is room for growth, and what should we transform next?
A Swedish hospitality expert, speaker, and internationally renowned creator of the Hostmanship mindset.
His book Hostmanship – The Art of Making People Feel Welcome explores hospitality far beyond mere good service—it is the art of making someone feel seen, respected, and truly welcome.
Jan has shared his ideas with organizations and leaders around the globe, emphasizing that true hospitality always begins with one’s attitude. In Pärnu, he asks us: what does it genuinely mean to be a great host?
A TV host and passionate traveler whose journeys have taken him to vastly different places and cultures. It is often while traveling that we realize hospitality doesn’t always depend on luxury or flawless service—frequently, what stays with us most is the person, the encounter, or an unexpected gesture.
Priit brings an engaging perspective and stories from around the world to the conference, sharing his own experiences of arriving as a guest. What makes us feel truly welcome in an unfamiliar place—and what can Pärnu learn from it?
Project Manager of Twilight of the Senses (Meelte Videvik) and one of the people tasked with turning a grand creative vision into a real visitor experience.
For an event like this, the experience is shaped by dozens of details—from arrival and spatial design to the program, atmosphere, and the final departing guest.
Teele brings an organizer’s perspective to the panel on how to design an event so that the guest doesn’t see the logistics, but simply feels a complete, immersive experience.
A musician and entrepreneur who created the Treski Music and Inspiration Centre in Setomaa. As a Seto, hospitality is practically in his blood!
Drawing from his rich experience and perspective, Jalmar brings together the fundamentals of hospitality at the Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference. He shares how he transformed Treski as a venue and created Treski Fest—a place where every visitor feels genuinely welcome.
Naturally, he’ll also touch on the essential power of marketing and storytelling! And that’s not all—Jalmar will be jumping behind the decks to DJ the conference afterparty!
A dance director, cultural organizer, and Director of the Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Association. He is one of the driving forces behind VÕRAFEST in Pärnu—a festival that brought folk dance and gymnastics directly into the urban space, inviting thousands of participants as well as locals and visitors to move and celebrate together.
For Karel, a great event stems from collaboration, community, and giving people the sense that they are part of something larger.
At the Vision Conference, we will speak with him about how to create a welcoming environment at a major event—one where participants, the audience, and the local community all feel genuinely valued and invited.
Her journey in the hospitality world has led from Villa Ammende to Estonia’s top restaurants and managing Stenhus restaurant, and later back to her hometown of Pärnu into entrepreneurship and event management.
Today, she is actively engaged in training hospitality and service culture, firmly believing that genuine hospitality stems first and foremost from people’s attitudes and conscious choices.
At the Vision Conference, Kati takes the stage with a very concrete mission: to offer a vision, ideas, and actionable steps on how Pärnu can truly become the most hospitable destination in the world.
Kristiin Kink is an active young person from Pärnu, a student at Sütevaka Humanities Gymnasium, and the President of the Student Council.
In the Pärnu Youth Council, she leads the Public Policy Committee and is actively involved in Pärnu HUUB activities and youth projects. Kristiin believes that a great city is not just a place that is nice to visit, but a place where local residents and young people truly feel welcome, included, and heard.
To the panel discussion, she brings the perspective of a young Pärnu native: what should Pärnu look like to make people want to come—and stay?
A tourism entrepreneur with long-standing experience and the General Manager of Pärnu Rannahotell, who has actively contributed to the development of Pärnu as a tourism destination for years.
In his view, tourism is not just about accommodation—a strong destination is created by the reasons why a person visits Pärnu in the first place, and the experiences that make them want to return.
In the closing panel of the conference, Oliver brings an entrepreneur’s practical perspective to the discussion: what must we do in Pärnu to ensure that a great guest experience is not the exception, but the standard?
Mayor of Pärnu, and therefore one of the people whose decisions shape how Pärnu evolves as both a living environment and a destination.
A hospitable city is not created in hotels and restaurants alone—it is shaped by public spaces, transport, events, services, decision-making, and above all, attitude toward people.
At the conference, we look to the future: what can local government do to ensure Pärnu is a place where both visitors and locals feel valued and considered?
Ettevõtja ja Eesti rannajalgpalli pikaajaline eestvedaja, kes kuulub Eesti Jalgpalli Liidu juhatusse ning on üks Pärnu rannas tegutseva Düün Beach Clubi ja Pärnu Beach Arena eestvedajatest.
Tema eestvedamisel on Pärnu rannast kujunenud rahvusvahelise rannajalgpalli oluline võistluspaik, kus sport, sündmused ja suvine rannakultuur saavad kokku üheks tervikuks.
Konverentsil toob Kari-Andri arutellu ettevõtja ja sündmuste korraldaja praktilise vaate: kuidas luua Pärnus kohti ja elamusi, mille pärast külaline tahab siia tulla – ja ikka uuesti tagasi tulla?
See you on October 14 at the Pärnu County Tourism Vision Conference!
Visit Pärnu uudiskiri aitab sul veeta oma järgmise puhkuse Pärnus!
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