Eastern European Tourist Boards
Traveling information from government and national centers varies in amount and quality across Eastern Europe
Official tourist information for Eastern European countries is available - the quality varies, but some countries supply good information to English-speaking tourists.
There are many resources to use when planning and undertaking a trip: guide books, internet searches, tourist brochures and travel agents can all play a role. In Eastern Europe, it’s not always the case that a tourist information center will be readily at hand to provide all the information you want and need.
What Information Will the Tourist Office Provide?
Tourism is still a developing industry in many parts of Eastern Europe – considering it’s just over 15 years since Western tourists started arriving in any great numbers, the industry has sprung up very quickly. But the services provided will vary. Sometimes finding even a map or a brochure on sightseeing attractions will prove difficult, while in other places entire kits of information are at your finger tips, along with tour and accommodation booking services and friendly tips and advice.
Do Tourist Offices in Eastern Europe Speak English?
A mastery of Ukrainian or Hungarian is not generally expected of tourists in the Eastern European region. That doesn’t mean, however, that everything you need to know will be available in English. Some nations provide more English-language (and sometimes other languages, too) information than others; the Baltic nations, for example, generally have a lot of English information; countries like Russia, Ukraine and Belarus don’t - yet.
Can I Rely on Information From a Tourist Office?
Tourist board service varies widely from country to country, and city to city. Take Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, for example: the super-helpful tourist information office not only tells you where to take a bus or what to see, but also helps you book appropriate accommodation and answer all kinds of crazy questions you have. Estonia in general is well-prepared for tourists, and other parts of the country are equally easy to navigate with aid from the local tourist office. Croatia, with its extensive “The Mediterranean As It Once Was” campaign, also rates highly for good information.
Russia, on the other hand, is still lagging behind in the information it gives to tourists. Even an official website is lacking as a central point for providing the details tourists need – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit. You just need to use other sources to find the information you need to plan and enjoy your trip.
More information: check our resource list of tourist board websites to find more information on your favorite destination in Eastern Europe.
