On 25-26 February 2020, the Umbrella project held its third cross border conference on Sustainable Tourism at the beautiful Hotel Saxkjøbing in Guldborgsund municipality, Denmark. More than 65 participants from Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden and Germany took part in the conference to discuss the latest trends of sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region.
The conference offered an excellent overview of the objectives in the EU Baltic Sea Strategy – and how different regions and projects in the South Baltic Sea work within the frame of sustainable tourism.
We also had some fantastic workshops in the areas of;
1) Nature and Coastal Tourism,
2) Cultural heritage Tourism,
3) Food / Gastro Tourism,
and 4) Cycling Tourism, and we hope that these workshops have paved the ground for future projects and international cooperation.
A big thank you to the host of Guldborgsund Municipality for organising this event.
FOTO: Anders Knudsen/Folketidende FOTO: Anders Knudsen/Folketidende FOTO: Anders Knudsen/Folketidende
Guldborgsund Municipality, together with UMBRELLA Interreg South Baltic project partners is pleased to invite you to attend the 2-day cross-border conference with EUSBSR Tourism PA panel in Sakskøbing (DENMARK) on 25th – 26TH February 2020 (from lunch-to-lunch).
The objective of the cross-border conference is to bring various tourism stakeholders that show a common interest in international cooperation in the region of the Baltic Sea together. The conference offers an excellent opportunity to learn about future trends concerning the on-going discussions on sustainable tourism in the South Baltic Sea, extending your international network, and get inspiration for future international cooperation and projects.
Preliminary Programme
Tuesday 25th February 2020 (12:00-17:00 & dinner)
Presentations and debate about future trends of sustainable tourism and the objectives in the EU Baltic Sea Strategy.
Wednesday 26th February 2020 (9:00-13:00)
Parallel workshops in the areas of:
· Cultural / Heritage Tourism
· Nature / Coastal Tourism
· Food / Gastro Tourism
· Specialised „Microactivity on cycling tourism” – The UMBRELLA project offers an opportunity for experts related to cycling tourism to develop ideas into potential projects. Please let us know specifically if you want to give a presentation about your project idea.
Conference participation is free of charge but there is a limited number of seats. Presentations will be held in English.
The venue:
The conference is taking place at Hotel Saxkjøbing in the beautiful old town of Sakskøbing in Guldborgsund Municipality. There is easy access from Copenhagen airport by car or train taking approximately 2 hours or from Germany by ferry from Puttgarden or Rostock.
For international participants, the Umbrella project offers a possibility of funding opportunities towards travelling and accommodation expenses.
Hotel Saxkjøbing // Torvet 9, 4990 Sakskøbing, Denmark // https://hotel-saxkjobing.dk/ There is a limited number of rooms at a reduced conference price of 655 DKK for standard rooms and 855 DKK for standard plus rooms. Please contact Anna Topp Gustavsen: atg@guldborgsund.dk.
The UMBRELLA project:
The event is funded by Interreg SBP Umbrella project with project partners from the South Baltic region. Read about UMBRELLA // http://umbrellaproject.eu/
For further information, please contact:
Anna Topp Gustavsen, International Coordinator, Tlf. +45 2518 0030, atg@guldborgsund.dk
This month we’ve participated in 12h Baltic Sea Tourism Forum #BSTF in Brussels. One of the panels: Success stories of international tourism cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region was moderated by Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło, Head of the ERB International Secretariat.
13 November 2019 | Brussels/Belgium 12th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum SHARE | INSPIRE | CREATE
Baltic Sea Tourism Forum In 2008 the then Ministry for Economy, Employment and Tourism and the Tourist Board of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern initiated the first Baltic Sea Tourism Forum (Summit) which took place in Rostock / Germany. Core aims of this touristic rapprochement process were to develop forms of collaboration, which complement the countries’, and regions’ own tourism strategies in a meaningful way and give the Baltic Sea as a tourism destination a better place on the market.
Major aims are:
Support a sustainable and balanced development of tourism and voice the interest of the tourism economy in the Baltic Sea region.
Strengthen the sustainable and responsible cooperation of all Baltic Sea region countries and exploit the existing international development potentials more efficiently.
Provide and secure a permanent platform for information and know-how exchange with the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum at its core for continuous collaboration on the basis of a multilevel process.
Position the Baltic Sea as a coherent travel destination on the global tourism market and promote the area as an attractive, safe and natural destination for international travellers.
Since 2012, the annual forum is closely linked to the implementation process of Policy Area Tourism in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. It contributes strongly to the aims of the macro-regional strategy, the revised action plan and defined actions adopted by the European Commission in 2015. Objectives of the 12th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum For the first time in the history of the annual tourism conference, the venue is located outside the Baltic Sea region – and for a good reason. With the participation of the European Union, this year’s forum aims to bring together stakeholders from the Baltic Sea region with institutions and representatives in Brussels. In the context of international cooperation successful examples from the Baltic Sea Region will be presented, suggestions for strategic and innovative approaches will be given and insights with regard to the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 provided. Inspiring keynotes on sustainability and the future of tourism will complement the agenda.
Under the motto SHARE | INSPIRE | CREATE the forum underlines the reasons for cooperation beyond national borders in a macro-regional context.
SHARE achievements, as the first session of the day, concentrates on the potentials and challenges of cross-border work by focusing on the overarching macro-regional strategies as well as on examples of interregional project initiatives. The exchange on experiences and future needs aims at helping to clarify commonalities as well as emphasising the advantages of sustainable cooperation at macro-regional level.
A more detailed insight on innovative approaches will be given in the session INSPIRE partners. BSR tourism market data & trends and international product & service development can mean long-term benefits for the tourism sector in the BSR and should be considered as an imperative when positioning the tourism industry on international level.
In terms of the new multiannual financial framework of the EU for the period 2021-2027, the third session is dedicated to CREATE perspectives. The new EU funding period will not just affect international cooperation, as it influences the funds available in programmes such as Interreg, but will also define thematic priorities of EU policy. A comprehensive outlook will provide a better understanding of how conditions need to be adjusted for the future of BSR tourism cooperation.
Date and Venue Renaissance Brussels Hotel // Rue du Parnasse 19, 1050 Brussels, Belgium www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/brubr-renaissance-brussels-hotel Contact point of the BSTF Baltic Sea Tourism Center Johannes Volkmar // j.volkmar@auf-nach-mv.de // +49 381 40 30 663 Anne Vollerthum // a.vollerthum@auf-nach-mv.de // +49 381 40 30 653
We are very happy to announce that the Baltic Sea Tourism Center (BSTC) has now online presence at www.bstc.eu. The Baltic Sea Tourism Center is a permanent center of expertise for improved communication and cooperation in tourism in the Baltic Sea Region.
The website addresses the BSTC network as well as political decision makers, institutions, destination management organisations, other Interreg projects etc,on national and regional levels.
Apart from presenting information about the BSTC project itself, the website highlights the future BSTC’s core competencies – partnerships, insights, and skills. The BSTF as well as further events and the latest news will be updated regularly. The current website version will be filled with more content in the course of the next months.
On November 2-3, 2017 in Turku, for the 10th time in a row, the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum gathers tourism stakeholders from the Baltic Sea Region. The registration will be available until October 23 at http://www.balticseatourism.net/.
Dedicated to ‘The Future of Baltic Sea Tourism’ as the principal theme, the 10th BSTF will provide participants with a mix of policy issues and several practical approaches for peer learning and exchange, keynotes regarding trends in tourism and a discussion over the future of Destination Marketing Organisations which will be complemented by case-studies, good practices and seminars.
A special focus will be given to future and trend topics like digitalization, tourism financing, funding, education, transnational cooperation with 150 delegates expected to take part to the forum. Therefore, in the light of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, sustainability will become an integrated part of the entire forum as the BSTF continues its commitment to both strengthening sustainable development and promoting a sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea region.
The forum will offer the possibility for projects and initiatives to showcase their ideas of transnational and cross-border initiatives with a view to boost the visibility of existing sustainable approaches of international cooperation. The Tourism Networking Village and a session for project pitching will offer further opportunities to increase awareness in the respective fields of sustainable cooperation among countries and regions.
The cultural programme of the 10th anniversary will also provide space for exchange combined with unique experiences for guests and participants of the Forum. The “Renaissance Banquet” in Turku castle and a guided tour through the Finnish history on the banks of Aurajoki River will deliver insights into the distant and more recent past of the city of Turku in an exceptional atmosphere and surrounding.
The Mid-Term Conference “The Future of Sustainable Coastal Angling Tourism”, foreseen on 8th November 2017, is one-day meeting organized by the partners of CATCH project – Coastal Angling Tourism. The event, that will take place in Peenemünde (Germany), will be a good exchange occasion to discuss among good practices and benefits related to sustainable angling tourism. Networking with experts from research, practice and politics will be also a chance for a common marketing of the region.
Here you can find the program and practical information about the conference:
Registration is open at this link until 25th October 2017
The Mid-Term Conference “The Future of Sustainable Coastal Angling Tourism”, foreseen on 8th November 2017, is one-day meeting organized by the partners of CATCH project – Coastal Angling Tourism. The event, that will take place in Peenemünde (Germany), will be a good exchange occasion to discuss among good practices and benefits related to sustainable angling tourism. Networking with experts from research, practice and politics will be also a chance for a common marketing of the region.
More information will be published at this link catch-southbaltic.eu
The kick-off conference of the South Coast Baltic project took place in Bansin, Germany on 16th May 2017.
Bansin, is situated in the eastern part of the Usedom Island and is part of the seaside resort town of Heingsdorf in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Together, they are two of the best and most popular resorts on the German Baltic seaside. Not by chance, the city has been chosen for the launch of this project, whose aim is to improve the tourist reception in the Baltic Sea.
The first day of the meeting, organised by the Economic Development Corporation Vorpommern for the project and associated partners, was divided into three parts. The first part was dedicated to the presentation of the South Coast Baltic project, to have an overlook of the background of this action, from the implementation of the Marriage project, to future perspective on the Baltic Sea. The second part was taken as a moment for sharing good practices in tourism implementation in other European Regions. The last part consisted in a World Cafe’ in order to allow all the participants, representing different associations, to brainstorm and discuss some specific enquiries.
The SOUTH COAST BALTIC project has been ideated in order to build a long term cross-border destination management through the improvement of boating services and infrastructure, on the basis of the MARRIAGE cooperation network. MARRIAGE project, implemented between 2012 and 2015, had the aim of promoting cross-border destinations on domestic markets, building cooperation and exchange in water tourism management and marketing, and creating a consolidated network in the southern Baltic regions of Vorpommern (Germany), Zachodniopomorskie and Pomorskie (Poland), Kaliningrad (Russia), Klaipeda region (Lithuania).
The scope of SOUTH COAST BALTIC is to provide this network with added value that can reach an extended market. The challenge in these regions, now, is not only to access new target markets, but to provide repeaters and followers with high quality boating facilities and services, that need to be harmonized across the south coast Baltic area, also by means of a joint promotion. As MARRIAGE project struggled to build management competence, now the challenge is to do a step forward in managing strategically the destinations, increasing the quality of infrastructures and services.
SOUTH COAST BALTIC is a very rare case of a tourism project that tries to reconcile recreation (water sports, development of marinas, inland tours) with important issues tackled by the cross-border cooperation, like meeting environmental standards but also encouraging the economic and social development. Thus, there will be the coexistence of actions addressed to protecting natural areas, managing waters, creating interactive loyalty measures (like ‘save the whales’); enforcing receptive and restoration activities, and the creation of a touristic route. It has been thought to promote also cultural and natural sites, cultural events, encourage the consumption of local products, in order to create an inland network and to promote the Baltic Sea Region as a unique touristic destination.
Moreover, with this project an attempt to reach younger generations and families as target groups has been made. The current South Coast Baltic region is experiencing a demographic change as regard to sailing tourism where middle age men seem to have no time for maintaining a boat, while the usual sailors are getting older and older.
Being financed by the INTERREG SOUTH BALTIC PROGRAM, the project can be placed in the priority 2.1- to increase the green and blue potential of the region. But, it is also well-embedded in the EUSBSR since the project aims at connecting the region trough the development of marinas; it works in the field of increasing the prosperity through tourism and cultural activities, and lastly, it contributes to save the sea adopting sustainable measures.
Kick-off Conference and 2nd all-partner meeting of the SOUTH COAST BALTIC is a three-day event organized by the Economic Development Corporation Vorpommern, that will be held on 16-18 May 2017 in the sea resort Bansin, on Usedom Island (Germany).
SOUTH COAST BALTIC project has been developed in order to build a long term cross-border destination management through the improvement of boating services and infrastructure, on the basis of the MARRIAGE cooperation network.
The 2012 MARRIAGE project launched the cross-border destinations on domestic markets, building cooperation and exchange in water tourism management and marketing, and creating a consolidate network in the southern Baltic regions of Vorpommern (Germany), Zachodniopomorskie and Pomorskie (Poland), Kaliningrad (Russia), Klaipeda region (Lithuania).
SOUTH COAST BALTIC will have an added value in the destination building process. The challenge in these regions now, is not only to access new target markets, but to provide repeaters and followers with high quality boating facilities and services, that need to be harmonized across the south coast Baltic area, also by means of a joint promotion.
SOUTH COAST BALTIC is the very rare case of a tourism project, in which the form of recreation addressed has a genuine cross-border nature and it is evident that applying cross-border cooperation can significantly add to fostering its intensity.
For further information about the event and registration
