Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic)

Date of latest update: 2025-01-21

Description

Description (EN):

The general common Latvian-Estonian cross-border challenge is resilience of SMEs in tourism to cope with the market changes and enter new markets, especially in the context of the global pandemic. The objectives of the project are therefore to develop a joint Latvian-Estonian nature tourism product tailored for the UK market, to launch it through a dedicated marketing campaign, and to achieve sales. The nature tourism product will be based on individual SME nature tourism products, professionally packaged and accessible from an innovative specialized nature tourism web platform linking directly product providers with the market - free independent travelers, specialized interest groups, and tour operator companies specialized in Baltic countries. The nature tourism product will include wildlife and birding holidays, nature photography, soft adventure: hiking, walking, cycling, boating, and also touring programs to include elements and values of nature, e.g., botanical, wildlife spotting, wellness/Spa, food and foraging. This concept meets the current demand in the UK market where nature tourism, escape to nature, rural holidays, outdoors wildlife are on-trend words. Linking the existing product potential, SME up-skilling, training and guidance, and project partner experience with the UK market expertise and targeted marketing campaign will result in 50 SMEs achieving sales and contracts to UK as a new market. Innovation value - this is the first joint and diverse Latvian-Estonian nature tourism product on a specialized nature tourism web platform. The new nature tourism product development will bring up the quality of nature tourism products in Latvia and Estonia to approach Scandinavian levels and potentially think about developing Central Baltic region as a common nature tourism destination for far markets. The total indicative project budget is 1 030000 EUR. Partner budgets: LP1 LC: 430 000 EUR PP2 ERTO: 370 000 EUR PP3 ENTA: 130 000 EUR PP4 LDTA: 100 000 EUR

Actual Achievements (EN):

Project partner meetings. Kick-off meeting in Riga on 25.01.2023., online project partner meeting on 21.03.2023., partner meeting in Prangli, Estonia on 10.05.2023. + study tour on 11.05.2023., online partner meeting on 02.06.2023. The partners have reviewed the nature tourism products on the market in Latvia and Estonia. Tourism expert is working on intro texts for products and companies. UK tourism market experts were contracted - Nordic Tourism Collective company. Nature tourism product categories/types were defined. A list of quality criteria were developed for the SMEs. Destination descriptions are produced, with input from nature experts, to present Estonia and Latvia as an excellent joint nature tourism destination. The market introduction was done with UK market experts to channel hands-on info to SMEs during second partner meeting. First summery of mistakes and challenges summarized for SMEs/partners about working on product definitions. LC disseminated the project information to their members in the yearly national dissemination event 23.03.2023 in Valguma pasaule guesthouse with 87 participants/SMEs. The specialised web platform is programmed, domain is registered - https://balticnaturetourism.com. First 35 Nature tourism products with 34 SMEs are represented there. On-going development. The project profile and product was presented to The Nordic Marketplace 2023, which brought professionals from across the Nordic and Baltic region promote their products and services to travel buyers from international markets, incl. the UK. It took place as a B2B workshop in Copenhagen on Tuesday 21st February 2023. LC also participated in Baltic Connecting workshop day on 9th of May 2023 in Tallinn, representing the Baltic Nature Tourism companies. The project partnership together with the Nordic Tourism Collective prepared and on June 20th, 2023 sent out a first e-newsletter to 200+ UK specialist operators and media. Project partner meetings. On July 20, 2023, the project partners had an online meeting on the zoom platform. On October 5, the third face to face meeting of partners of the "Baltic Nature tourism" project took place in Riga, where the next goals and plans, as well as the improvements to be made, were decided and discussed. The nature tourism product guidelines have been written in Latvian and have been translated to English. The guideline texts will be translated into Estonian and designed in a PDF format. In 2023, 124 products (in total LV and EST) were published on the webpage, of which 79 products are provided by LV SMEs and 45 by Estonian SMEs. A total of 64 SMEs have submitted products, of which 22 are EST SMEs and 42 are LV SMEs. A price request and later an agreement was signed for the production of planned video materials for the project. The first 4 short reels with cooperation with project partners of the winter season were filmed and edited. The next planned national dissemination event organized by LP1 LC is planned to take place on 13.02.2024., in the third reporting period. Continuous balticnaturetourism.com site development. On September 21, together with LV nature tourism entrepreneurs and the LIAA Tourism Department, we introduced the UK tour operators to the wide offer of Latvian nature tourism - Baltic Nature Tourism. The Future of Nature Tourism in the Nordics: Helsinki and Stockholm, November 13-14, 2023" there is an event discussing the future of tourism in the Nordics and Baltics. The agenda includes global market forecasts, AI's role, and engaging younger generations in the industry. The event continues with a focus on shaping the future of tourism in the region and B2B workshop. There is an event planned for 16.05.2024. at the embassy of Latvia in London. It will introduce the Estonian-Latvian nature tourism product to UK tour operators/travel trade/interest groups and media. On 12.12.2023. an online meeting with UK experts, Embassy representatives and LIAA for planning the event was held. On October 5-6, 2023, LP1 LC organized a FAM trip for UK tour operators, travel companies and media. The FAM trip introduced the Estonian-Latvian nature tourism product and took place over 2 days in Gauja national park territory. On October 4th, 2023, the Baltic Sea Region Tourism Forum & Workshop was hosted in Riga, Latvia. The event focused on tourism trends and developments, with an overview of the potential that the region has to offer and how it can compete on a global stage to accomplish success in achieving safe and sustainable growth in the coming years. The B2B workshop was held after seminar, where Asnāte Ziemele introduced the Estonian-Latvian nature tourism product to B2B meetings. During the second reporting period, since the first reporting period, the number of Facebook followers increased by 176 followers (from 134 to 310). During this reporting period in total 177 posts have been made. Total reached audience – 83072.

Project outputs: SMEs supported with training and market knowledge to develop nature tourism products and services tailored for the UK market, and to be presented on the specialised nature tourism web platform.(EN)
Marketing innovation and achievement of sales by SMEs(EN)

Thematic information

Tourism SME and entrepreneurship

Priority: (VI-A_CB_P1) Innovative business development

Priority specific objective: RSO1.3. Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs, including by productive investments

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 021 SME business development and internationalisation, including productive investments

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: Latvijas Lauku tūrisma asociācija "Lauku ceļotājs"

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 40008005627

Department: Office in Riga, Kalnciema str. 40

Address: LV-5020 Tome parish, Ogre region, Latvia

Department address: Kalnciema, LV 1046 Riga, Latvia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.celotajs.lv

Total budget: EUR 500 894.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 400 715.20

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 100 178.80

Latvijas Dabas tūrisma asociācija

Name: Latvijas Dabas tūrisma asociācija

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 40008300783

Address: Līču iela, LV-5001 Ogre, Ogres nov., Latvia

Department address: Latvia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://dabasturisms.lv

Total budget: EUR 107 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 85 920.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 21 480.00

Eesti Loodusturismi Ühing

Name: Eesti Loodusturismi Ühing

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 80547439

Address: Linnuse tee, 90303 Lihula. Lääneranna municipality, Pärnu county, Estonia

Department address: Estonia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.loodusturism.com

Total budget: EUR 129 250.19

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 103 400.15

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 850.04

MTÜ Eesti Maaturism

Name: MTÜ Eesti Maaturism

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 80122220

Address: Vilmsi, 10115 Tallinn, Estonia

Department address: Estonia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.maaturism.ee

Total budget: EUR 375 047.84

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 300 038.27

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 75 009.57

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Latvian Country Tourism Association "Lauku ceļotājs"

Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Partners and Projects info

Latvian Nature Tourism Association

Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Partners and Projects info

Estonian Nature Tourism Association

Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Partners and Projects info

NGO Estonian Rural Tourism

Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Project acronym: NAT-TOUR-EXPO

Project ID: CB0100030

Project start date: 2023-01-01

Project end date: 2025-12-31

Project status: closed

Relevant linked projects:

Parks&Benefits (2008-2011, Baltic Sea Region programme 2007-2013).
(EN) | LC was one of the 18 partners in the project lead by the Ministry for Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The project partners included NGOs, protected area authorities, government institutions, representatives of business and scientific institutions in BSR countries. The aim of the project was to develop public-private partnerships in protected nature areas to generate socio-economic effects for the region. In Latvia the project developed nature friendly tourism pilot products in the territory of Ķemeri National Park - walking, cycling, boating , bird and animal watching. This has proven to be a sustainable initiative as since then, the Ķemeri national park maintains strong cooperation with private tourism SMEs in the park's territory.
The product development and SME involvement experience will be used in the current project. The nature tourism product providers in Ķemeri national park will have an opportunity to involve in the new, UK market targeted nature tourism product. (EN), POLPROP-NATURA (2009-2012, LIFE programme). (EN) | LC initiated a national-wide dialogue with nature protection sector in Latvia as a leader of the project POLPROP-NATURA. The project produced a number of results and experiences facilitating the understanding of nature as an asset for tourism, sustainable and environmentally responsible practices in nature tourism, interpretation of nature values in tourism product. Among other results, the project produced a sustainable tourism development model for protected nature areas and policy proposals for balancing nature protection and economic development interests in protected nature areas. Sustainable nature tourism products and tours were developed in Slītere national park based on local resources and using expertise of nature specialists. The established cooperation between tourism SMEs and the administration of the Slītere national park continues since then. SMEs, nature tourism product providers in the Slītere national park will have an opportunity to involve in the new, UK market targeted nature tourism product. (EN),
02/01/2017 - 01/30/2020 (ESTLAT22)
Coastal Hiking Route along the Baltic Sea Coastline in Latvia and Estonia
(EN) | The project (LC - the lead partner, ERTO - project partner) developed the Baltic Coastal Hiking route in Latvia and Estonia prolonging the E9 European long distance hiking path. The project gave experience in development of cross-border nature/soft adventure tourism products and raised popularity oh hiking culture in Latvia and Estonia. With this project, SMEs gained awareness about hikers as a valuable customer segment and started to develop specialised services for hiking tourists. This experience will be further tailored and services will be diversified specifically for the UK market. (EN), 01/04/2019 - 12/31/2021 (CB779)
Long distance cross- border hiking trail "The Forest Trail"
(EN) | The project (LC - the lead partner, ERTO - project partner) developed the Forest Trail hiking route in Latvia and Estonia prolonging the E11 European long distance hiking path. The project added to the previous experience in development of cross-border nature/soft adventure tourism products and advanced sustainable use of nature areas in tourism. With this project, increasing numbers of SMEs in regions of Latvia and Estonia developed services for hiking tourists as a growing segment. The sign Hikers' friendly was developed to mark those service providers specialized for hiking tourism.The project experience will be further tailored and services will be diversified specifically for the UK market. (EN), 06/01/2020 - 05/31/2022 (LLI-448)
Development of Forest trail In Latvia and Lithuania and expanding the Baltic Coastal Hiking route in Lithuania (EN) | The project (LC - project leader) continued development of long distance hiking routes filling the gaps for the Forest Trail in Latvia and Lithuania, and The Baltic Coastal Hiking Route in Lithuania. On the top of the previously gained experiences, SMEs involvement continued and the Hikers' friendly sign was transferred also to Lithuania, hereby covering all three Baltic states. The cumulative experience of this project will be used in the current project supporting SMEs to develop nature based and soft adventure products for the UK market. (EN), 01.07.2016 - 31.03.2020
CAITO - Meta cluster for attracting the Japanese tourism market (EN) | The project (LC and ERTO - project partners) designed rural tourism products and promoted Latvia-Estonia-Finland as a single rural tourism destination in Japanese market targeting at tourism industry and individual travellers. LC gained experience as a marketing workpackage leader in this project. The experience in understanding the target market, designing precise products to the specific market expectations, implementation of a targeted and efficient marketing campaing to reach customers and travel trade will be used in the current project for building the nature tourism product, designing and implementation of the marketing campaign. (EN), Estonian quality label EHE (EN) | ERTO is giving out Estonian Ecotourism Quality Label EHE (Estonia - the Natural Way). It's a quality label for tourism products and services in compliance with the principles of eco-tourism. The EHE-label has been issued to 200 services of a total of 110 companies. During this programme ERTO has received unique experience in cooperation with tourism service providers in development of eco-tourism products and services. (EN), 06/01/2020 - 12/31/2022 (CB906)
RURAL LIFESTYLE - Creating attractive rural lifestyle destinations (EN) | The project (LC and ERTO - project partners) develops and promotes attractive tourism destinations that can respond to the latest travel trends: authentic lifestyle and sustainability in the Central Baltic 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) is created offering sufficient product provision to attract overseas tourists, travel agencies and enable local tour operators to approach their overseas counterparts as well as in European markets.
Living with nature and its processes is intrinsic part of rural lifestyle. SMEshave an opportunity to develop innovative nature tourism products linked with rural lifestyle. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 112 592.03

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 890 073.62

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 890 073.62. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Nature tourism product categories and outline.
Estonia-Latvia nature tourism destination description.
3 UK market introduction events online.
A summary of challenges and mistakes found in on-site visits and customer feedback.
Nature tourism product guidelines.
10 Training events
Best practice study trip
Nature tourism products
Visual identity of the nature tourism product.
Product brochure
Promo video
Set of promo materials
12 national dissemination events
Specialised nature tourism web platform.
Project communication plan.
Project info in partner web page sections
Product presentation at travel trade events
Fam trips
Participation in trade fairs
List of cooperation nature organisations
Sales calls to UK companies
Social media campaign
Advertisements in social networks, search engines and platforms
E-newsletters
Summary of commercial sales web platforms
Media and social network coverage

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion The project contributes to the EUSBSR Action Plan (AP) under the Policy Area (PA) "Tourism" and coincides with the PA overall goal: the Establishment of the Baltic Sea Region as a sustainable tourism destination.
The project contributes to the specific actions of the Action Plan:
Action 1: Transnational tourism development in remote and rural areas.
Nature tourism potential is in rural areas where tourism businesses are less resilient to changes. Nature represents an asset and an opportunity for SMEs in remote and rural areas to join transnational tourism products and benefit from the current mainstream tourism trend.
Action 2: Investing in people, skills and technology in the tourism industry.
The project activities will improve skills of rural SMEs in building nature tourism products through cross-border best practice exchange and through the use of the UK market expertise. Digital skills of SMEs will be improved through their joining the nature tourism web platform as a direct channel to the market.
Action 3: Protection and sustainable utilization of cultural heritage and natural resources in tourism destinations.
The joint cross-border Latvian-Estonian nature tourism product will meet sustainability criteria in tourism and environmental aspects as it will be developed in joint effort by tourism and nature specialists. The project partners will also come up with the code of ethics for visitors in nature. This code will be aimed to achieve environmentally responsible behavior of visitors as part of product sustainability, and it will be valid in both, Estonia and Latvia as a common destination. The code of ethics will be aligned with similar initiatives currently existing in the CB programme area.
Other The project contributes to the new Estonian Tourism Strategy for 2022-2025 where one of the goals is that "Estonian nature tourism products are sustainable and offer authentic experiences to visitors". "Natural Nomads" seeking experiences from nature is one of the four main target groups of the strategy (Culture Scouts, Flavour Seekers, Natural Nomads, Business tourists). UK market is mentioned under II priority of target markets (UK, Central Europe and South-Europe countries, which have direct flights to Estonia).
Other According to the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030, active entrepreneurial support policy for capitalisation of natural assets should be created. It is the possibility to promote the development of export and many sectors of economy and creative activity, for example, in the service industry – environmentally friendly tourism, leisure. Natural capital of Latvia opens an opportunity to develop diverse and exportable ―green economy.
The document states that local governments should facilitate urban-rural interaction by encouraging, among other, the flow of tourism, diverting it from cities to rural territories.
Among the solutions to challenges, the strategy lists development of rural tourism and non-agricultural business in rural territories.
Other The National Development Plan of Latvia for 2021-2027 sets tourism as one of priorities of the national economy and environmental development. In order to attract tourists and promote Latvia internationally, it is important to develop attractive tourism products and sell them successfully. The Development Plan supports active tourism and sustainable tourism.
Other The Latvian national tourism marketing strategy for 2018 - 2023 supports sustainable tourism development addressing seasonality issues and the gap between urban and rural tourism. Nature tourism is mentioned among the most competitive and promising product potential areas to be further developed and promoted.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 004 - Enterprises with non-financial support, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO04) Enterprises with non-financial support: 64.0

Programme Result Indicator:

PSR1 Companies with achieved sales and contracts to new markets, Measurement unit: company

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR

EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSBSR Degree of compliance:

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

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic)

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2025-01

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

63 / 105 (60%)

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

251 / 418 (60.05%)

Notes on the data

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Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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

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