Connecting Vyborg, St.Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes & improving safety and border crossing customer experience of future passenger lines

Programme 2014 - 2020 South-East Finland - Russia ENI CBC

Date of latest update: 2025-06-17

Description

Description (EN): Vip&Ko project aims to connect cross-border cities Vyborg, St. Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes, to develop cruise and hospitality industries and to guarantee safe, secure, fast, smooth and efficient border-crossing for sea travelers.

Description (RU):

Проект Vip&Ko направлен на соединение Выборга, Санкт-Петербурга и Котки морскими маршрутами, развитие круизных перевозок и сопутствующих услуг, а также обеспечение безопасного, надежного, быстрого, простого и эффективного пересечения границы для путешествующих по морю.

Description (FI): Vip&Ko hankkeen tavoitteena on yhdistää raja-alueen kaupunkeja Viipuri, Pietari ja Kotka, kehittämällä risteily- ja palvelusektoria niin, että meriteitse matkustaville voidaan taata turvallinen, nopea ja sujuva rajanylitys.

Achievements (EN):

At the beginning of the project, there was done necessary studies to guide future actions. The studies gave us an idea of the market, the demand situation and the interest in opening up cruise traffic from Finland to Russia. In both studies (made in Finland and Russia), the results showed that there is interest and potential to open sea routes from Kotka to St. Petersburg and Vyborg. The coherent history of the area was highlighted in the studies as an interesting and useful feature.It was focused on specific target groups (pensioners couples, city-travellers and families). The number of destinations/product packages was limited to three per city, one product for each target group. The idea was to highlight the cities', passenger ports and the cities themselves through the packages. After the outbreak of war, were focused the project measures only on the east coast of Finland. Attracting shipowners to the region was challenging. Shipowners make careful calculations about where to place their vessels. In cooperation with local actors/entrepreneurs, were focused on developing island products and related service/product packages. There were supported operators with workshops and also highlighted the archipelago as a whole through digital channels. As a result of these measures, operators/entrepreneurs have created 11 new/processed service products. The range of products targeted both individual consumers and groups.

Website: https://www.cursor.fi/aluekehitys/kehittamishankkeet/vipko-connecting-vyborg-st-petersburg-and-kotka-by-sea-routes-improving-safety-and-border-crossing-customer-experience-of-future-passenger-lines/

Expected Results (EN):

Main activities include modernization of passenger terminal of Sea Port of Vyborg to ensure modern, safe and fast border crossing for tourists travelling by ferries and cruise ships. The project will build the consortium of Russian-Finnish tour operators, develop and promote attractive travel service packages on both sides of the border. Feasibility study of the new passenger terminal construction on the Lieutenant Schmidt embankment in St. Petersburg will contribute to further sustainable development of the cross-border sea tourism.

Expected Results (RU):

Основные мероприятия включают в себя модернизацию пассажирского терминала Морского порта Выборга, позволяющую обеспечить современное, безопасное и быстрое пересечение границы для туристов, путешествующих на паромах и круизных лайнерах. В рамках проекта будет создано сообщество российско-финских туроператоров и разработаны привлекательные пакеты туристических услуг. Технико-экономическое обоснование строительства нового пассажирского терминала на набережной Лейтенанта Шмидта в Санкт-Петербурге будет способствовать дальнейшему устойчивому развитию трансграничного морского туризма.

Expected Results (FI):

Keskeisiin toimintoihin kuuluu Viipurin merisataman matkustajaterminaalin modernisointi, jotta varmistetaan nykyaikainen, turvallinen ja nopea rajanylitys lautoilla ja risteilyaluksilla matkustaville matkailijoille. Hanke rakentaa venäläissuomalaisten matkanjärjestäjien verkoston, kehittää ja edistää houkuttelevia matkapalvelupaketteja rajan molemmin puolin. Myös Pietarin luutnantti Schmidt -rannikon uuden matkustajaterminaalin rakentamiseen liittyvä toteuttamisselvitys edistää rajat ylittävän merimatkailun kestävää kehitystä edelleen.

Thematic information

Improving transport connections

Thematic Objective: Promotion of border management and border security, mobility and migration management

Partners (3)

Lead Partner: Kotka-Hamina Regional Development Company Cursor Oy

Address: Kyminlinnantie 6, 48600 Kotka, Finland

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.cursor.fi

Total budget: EUR 171 980.60

Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” Public Limited Company

Name: Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” Public Limited Company

Address: Bereg Nevskoy gubi V.O., 1, 199405 Saint Petersburg, Russia

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.portspb.ru

Total budget: EUR 125 684.49

Port Logistics Ltd

Name: Port Logistics Ltd

Address: Yuzhny Val str, 1, 188800 Vyborg, Russia

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.portlog.ru

Total budget: EUR 91 859.57

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Kotka-Hamina Regional Development Company Cursor Oy

Connecting Vyborg, St.Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes & improving safety and border crossing customer experience of future passenger lines

Partners and Projects info

Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” Public Limited Company

Connecting Vyborg, St.Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes & improving safety and border crossing customer experience of future passenger lines

Partners and Projects info

Port Logistics Ltd

Connecting Vyborg, St.Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes & improving safety and border crossing customer experience of future passenger lines

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Connecting Vyborg, St.Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes & improving safety and border crossing customer experience of future passenger lines

Project acronym: Vip&Ko

Project start date: 2021-02-01

Project end date: 2022-12-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 389 524.66

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 391 420.71

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 58.89%

Co-financing sources:

Third-country contribution: Russia: EUR 140 620.00

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 South-East Finland - Russia ENI CBC

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2024-01-29

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

71 / 71 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

320 / 320 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

Languages

Contact Form

Connecting Vyborg, St.Petersburg and Kotka by sea routes & improving safety and border crossing customer experience of future passenger lines

Description

Thematic information

Partners (3)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Disclaimer