The market will open on November 22 and the tree has already been installed on Raekoja plats in the Old Town. The wooden stalls will be packed away on December 28, rather than in January as usual.

Andla said the decision is practical.

"The Christmas market organizer has conducted a thorough analysis of past trends, revealing that visitor numbers and traders' sales drop drastically in January compared to the market's initial weeks of operation," the district mayor told ERR.

"Scandinavian tourists primarily visit the Christmas market in November and December, while local residents show interest in the market from November through the Christmas holidays. Statistics have demonstrated that after Christmas, the market becomes far less attractive to locals compared to the pre-holiday period," Andla explained.

He said the city administration discussed this issue with stakeholders in March and decided to close the market earlier than usual.

Another reason is the loss of Russian tourists who do not travel to Estonia to celebrate Orthodox New Year anymore, Andla said.

"It is also true that Russian tourists, who used to visit in January, no longer frequent the Christmas market, which also plays a role in the overall changes in visitor patterns," he said.

Organizers 5+ Capital have already requested the Christmas market stay open until December 30 in 2025. Andla said this depends on the circumstances.

When asked how she is satisfied with the company's work, Andla said it is his first Christmas as mayor.

"It is important to observe and assess how the company manages the situation. All feedback is valuable, and everyone has the opportunity to provide their evaluation and share their input. If there is room for improvement, our aim is to grow and develop, and every experience should be analyzed accordingly" he said.

5+ Capital won the Christmas market tender in 2022 and will organize the annual event until 2025.

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