According to Pärnu's catering and accommodation businesses, the search for seasonal workers is either underway or already nearing completion. Business owners say that finding summer staff has been relatively easy this year, as there are plenty of applicants.

"The process is already ongoing and is mostly in its final stages. Since our core team is quite stable and in place, we recruit seasonal workers every spring. At this point, we are largely ready," said Romet Rahnu, head of sales at Hedon Spa.

Hedon plans to increase its workforce by about a third for the summer, with the greatest need for restaurant and cleaning staff as well as cooks.

Cafe Supelsaksad hires between 20 and 30 percent more employees for the summer, depending on the year, and many workers return for multiple summers.

"We have already started hiring and we always see the same trend — those under 18 begin actively reaching out several months in advance, but their working opportunities are very limited. On the other hand, it's much harder to find workers over the age of 18. We are still looking for servers over 18. I would love to hire many more under-18s. There's a bit of a double standard here, because in my opinion, 16-year-olds should already be allowed to, for example, serve beer at a table," said Anna Huimerind, manager of the cafe.

The Pärnu city government has decided to move the official start of the tourism season from the usual mid-May to the beginning of May.

"Compared not only to last summer but also to the past few years, we have learned that spring arrives earlier in Estonia, which means the summer season also starts earlier. By then, we will have completed a major citywide cleanup. This year, the beach will be ready by May 1 as well, meaning the sand has been sifted, benches are in place and restrooms are open. Starting this summer, we will also be reopening the tourist information service as a pilot project. There have been many complaints over the past three or four years that there was nowhere to get information," said Irina Talviste, deputy mayor of Pärnu.

According to Talviste, the newly renovated Supeluse tänav, which leads to the beach, will also be opened at the end of May. Business owners are hopeful that the summer will be at least as good as the last.

"The biggest factor is, of course, the weather, but if we look at the reservations ahead, they are coming in at roughly the same pace as in previous years," Rahnu said.

"The off-season has definitely been a bit weaker, but I believe the summer will be just as good," Huimerind added.

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