FinEst Countryside – Rural, archipelago and village tourism
FinEst Countryside – Rural, archipelago and village tourism in the Baltic Sea region is a joint project of Leader Varsin Hyvä and two Estonian actors, Põhja-Harju Koostöökogu and Leader Action Group Nelja Valla Kogu.
The main purpose of the project is to bring added value to rural tourism, as tourism is a growing sector in both Finland and Estonia. In recent years, Finnish tourism has grown and internationalized faster than other industries. Finland is also the most important target market for Estonia: According to Eesti Pank’s statistics, 2.4 million trips were made from Finland to Estonia in 2014. Although Finland has been the main destination country for Estonians, there is a growing need and demand for tourism services from other countries, especially China.
The aim of the project is also to plan concrete cooperation and disseminate good practices from one country to another, as well as developing tailor-made tourism packages for the regions. Cooperation with tourism organizations and personal / group exchanges can also be included in the project.
The project focuses on nature, food culture and eco-tourism, especially in small villages and rural areas, and commercializes the above-mentioned elements into a sustainable tourism package. An important question in goal setting is how to get the visitor himself into the travel experience.
The project develops the international marketing of small businesses and aims to raise it to the European level of quality. As tourism flows and businesses grow, Leader areas will receive more national and international attention and visibility. The aim is also to increase information about international trends and to support international networks and longer-term interaction between participants.
The project strengthens the competence of the participants, especially in regards to bussiness. The new networks promote internationalization and the transfer of new ideas between Leader areas. These measures will hopefully have a positive impact on the demand for tourism services and jobs in the tourism sector.
The aim is also to establish international contacts and permanent cooperation for the development of local cultural, nature and adventure tourism in rural areas. Open courses and seminars for associations and entrepreneurs, as well as counseling to increase cultural awareness are the most important ways to achieve these goals. Cooperation with tourism organizations and personal / group exchanges can also be included in the project. Working with villages, organizations and Leader groups by sharing good practice and learning from others leads to new sustainable community-based tourism activities and services.
OBJECTIVES
- Development of tourism in the Baltic Sea region
- Finding new marketing and communication tools
- Networking and intercultural learning
- Innovative product and service design
