06/01/2020 - 12/31/2022 (CB906)
Creating attractive rural lifestyle destinations
Project goals
There is a clear market demand for attractive tourism destinations that can respond to the latest travel trends: authentic lifestyle and sustainability. This demand has also grown significantly due to the recent drastic changes in the tourism trade due to COVID-19 outbreak. This is potentially a particular opportunity for rural tourism in the CB-region. The region has several specialties relating to the authentic rural lifestyle that could be further utilized in tourism, like involving visitors in everyday life and activities: voluntary work camps, hands-on handicraft and cooking workshops, farming, berry and mushroom picking, fishing, home visits, pop-up cafes and other cultural events.
To utilize these opportunities a cluster of Rural Lifestyle (RL) destinations (Söderhamn, Sweden; Aland & Lohja, Finland; Estonia; Latvia) will be created offering sufficient product provision to attract overseas tourists, travel agencies and enable local tour operators to approach their overseas counterparts.
With support of Asian market experts, the project aims to create direct market links with travel agencies and tour operators in the target markets to increase tourist visits from Asia to the CB-region. The project also aims to create new opportunities for Rural Lifestyle (RL) destinations in European markets.
Project results
A key project outputs will be accordingly increased interest, attractiveness and accessibility of the CB region as a sustainable tourism destination as well as increased number of visits in the area. These outputs are realized through:
1. A coherent SMART network of RL destinations based on sustainability and authentic rural lifestyle of the region
2. Destinations introducing product provision that will be based on authentic rural local lifestyles, offer attractive products for FIT tourists and are marketed jointly to facilitate also the creation of cross-border packages
3. Creation of joint imago for rural lifestyle products and destinations in CB region.
The network of “RL Destinations" established in the project will be open and further expanded during and after the project.
