Forum Summary

In April 2006, the Gymnasium of Collegium Educationis Revaliae organized a Youth Forum “Tallinn Old Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its’ Possibilities for Sustainable Development as a Tourist Destination” with other high-school pupils in Europe to discuss common issues facing old towns. The students worked together in workshop groups on various themes particularly affecting the old medieval town of Tallinn, Estonia. Students began the forum with a presentation highlighting conflicts between Tallinn as a UNESCO World Heritage site and mass tourism: the image of Tallinn as a party town or cultural centre, appropriate souvenirs for tourist consumption, traffic problems on narrow medieval streets, renovation of old buildings vs. the building of modern new ones, insufficient garbage containers on the streets, and effective security for growing numbers of tourists.

During the subsequent discussion with representatives from the City Government, tourism specialists, UNESCO National Commitee, old town civic organizations, traffic office and old town residents, heated discussions emphasized the central importance of the old town as primarily a cultural center which is alive rather than a museum exponent for mass consumption. While tourism is a vital part of the old town, Tallinn should not turn into Disneyland, but maintain its’ unique combination of medieval and modern. Representatives admired the students’ enthusiasm and activism. Students from Visby, Helsinki, Kiev and Kronstadt commented on the similar problem of how to maintain an old atmosphere within the fast pace of modern life. Memorably, Tiina Mägi, the old town activist in Tallinn argued that both tourists and residents alike respect the originality and handicraft of the medieval city. Especially in a world of mass production, a souvenir offers the memory of a unique atmosphere. People will continue to be attracted to the old town for its’ medieval beauty and culture. Likewise, students will continue to study at Collegium Educationis Revaliae for the experience of being in a medieval world where the old walls keep their legends and ghosts alive.