Kolarctic Sports and Recreational Activities (KO202)
Funded by Kolarctic ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

The overall objectives were to increase the number of participants in sports and recreational activities in Kemijärvi, Salla, Kandalaksha, Polarnye Zori and Kirovsk areas. More, the project aimed at increasing the usage of sports, recreational activity and tourism services in the areas, and to versify the types of activities available in the project areas by cross-border usage and co-operation in these activities. This would also help to increase tourism numbers and tourism income in the area, as it would gain a brand as a sports activity area with many high quality services for sports & wellbeing. The increased sports and activity participants will create demand and motivation to develop these facilities further, and thus create an upward spiral of development. Specific objectives: The project will create and start activity programmes in the area, where through training, exchange of knowledge and co-operation the area's sports and recreational activities will be developed step-by-step, utilising the northern environment and specialities and to versify the area's activity choice. The connected accommodation, food and other tourism services will improve, the participant numbers will increase and the area will become more attractive for sports and recreational activities. The area's internal co-operation will increase and the area will attract sports and activity participants even from other areas. The area's destinations will be branded as excellent and attractive activity locations. Transportation and booking facilities of the activity services will be developed.

Main activities

• Review of local and specific needs, constraints and development possibilities: The project partners visited each other’s areas, mapped the sports and recreation, visited benchmarking destinations, studied trends in sports and recreation and clarified the strengths of their areas: what would be the most promising possibilities to focus on. • Planning/promoting, improvement of facilities & services, increasing number of active people: The project improved existing sports and recreational facilities on the project area, and carried out other development activities such as improvement and promotion of services in order to reach more active people. • Improving availability, developing selling network: The project arranged cooperation possibilities between sports clubs, companies, travel agents, tour operators, communication services and the press. • Marketing and selling of cooperation consept and services: Marketing material was produced and marketing activities were carried out in exhibitions, fairs, congresses etc. • The project contributed to practical cooperation in general on the region. Several sports and activity events (slalom, ice hockey, swimming, yukigassen, football.. etc etc. ) were organized, in order to familiarize with the neighbouring country people and innovate new ways and possibilities to co-operate in sports and recreation.

Achievements

The project has allowed people to make use of all the sports venues in the region, regardless of national borders. A portion of the project funding was allocated to improve sport venues to make them more attractive and better fit to cater for the increasing number of users. The participating sport clubs exchanged coaching know-how, renovated sports facilities, bought training equipment and painted new course markings. The project partners also cooperated in marketing the region as a sport tourism destination. The collaboration still continues.