Karelia-developing competitive tourism resort with collaborative platform (KA299)
Funded by Karelia ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

To develop regional cooperation, create and market joint tourism products and develop a joint e-platform for marketing tourism services in both regions.

Main activities

• Exchange of experts to develop regional cooperation between project partners, create and market joint tourist products, improve effectiveness of tourist information services. • Develop and establish an e-Tourism resource planning and marketing service for the use of travel sector business. • Increase the cooperation between travel industry business in the region and the production of services.

Achievements

Sortavala area and North Karelia can market each other’s tourism services on both sides of the border with the products developed in the project. Joint marketing is now easier also because the representatives of the tourism service organizations are familiar with the most interesting tourism destinations and attractions also on the other side of the border. Sortavala TOP -travel fair was developed to more international level in order to provide more information about the services in Sortavala region for the potential tourists from Russia, Finland and central Europe. Visitkarelia.fi and visitkarelia.ru marketing strategies are a good example of cross-border cooperation: Website design is modern, the sites look the same and include updated information both of the North Karelia and the Republic of Karelia. The information used to be scattered; now tourists can find information about both sides of the border from one place in several languages. Three new networks were created; Exchange of experts between Karelia Expert and TIC RK, entrepreneurs' network at Sortavala, Pielinen Karelia and Central Karelia areas and entrepreneurs' network at Central Karelia Finland and Pielinen Karelia. Exchange of experts between Karelia Expert and TIC RK enabled cooperation in developing Karelian tourism together and the development of the visitkarelia websites. Entrepreneurs' network at Sortavala, Pielinen Karelia and Central Karelia developed joint tourism service packages especially for tourists from central Europe. Entrepreneurs' network at Pielinen Karelia and Central Karelia gave the entrepreneurs an opportunity to discuss about their best practices and to together develop ideas on how to better serve the Russian and Central European tourist.