Two Countries – One Destination tourism project
Project period: 1.1.2020 – 30.9.2022
The main implementation by Business Tornio in cooperation with the City of Haparanda
Project Manager /Tornio: Eeva Skybäck
Project Manager / Haparanda: Jenna Laitinen
Marketing Manager: Noora Barria
- The main actions are communication, marketing, workshops, training, networking events
- The main target group is tourism entrepreneurs and actors in the destination
- The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Funded by: InterregNord, the Regional Council of Lapland, Team Botnia Ltd./BusinessTornio and Haparanda City
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Goals
• Increasing the internationalization rate of the HaparandaTornio destination and the number of international tourists
• Increasing the turnover and future investments of tourism companies and tourism employment.
• Encourage and strengthen the cross-border cooperation between the companies in Sweden and Finland
• Creating joint and unique tourism product packages.
• Creating an operating model for the tourism development and marketing in the destination.
• Creating a common and new tourism image for the destination, which is marketed together.
• Establishing permanent cross-border networks and partnerships between the tourism actors.
• Developing the tourism-related infrastructure and land use in HaparandaTornio
Currently ongoing:
Autumn 2021:
September.
Marketing manager:
- Participating in Sustainable Travel Finland workshops and informing the local entrepreneurs on the matters
- Workshop about developing the domestic tourism in Finland by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland
- Marketing manual for tour operators in Italian and Spanish market
- Finland Winter wonderland workshop, marketing manual
- Picture and video material for HaparandaTornio marketing purposes
- Collaboration with Visit Sea Lapland and Heart of Lapland, meeting with Bothnian Bay archipelago project, participating in the Industrial tourism in Sea Lapland work shop
- Participating in work shop for VÄLKKY project
Project managers:
- The project finally got to arrange a first face-to-face meeting for HaparandaTornio tourism businesses.
- Reporting to financiers.
- Preparing workshops about sustainability that will be held in October.
August.
Marketing manager:
- HaparandaTornio virtual FAM trip August 31st, DACH market
- During summer HaparandaTornio had a mediavisit with several journalists from Finland and also an journalist from Germany.
- Picture and video material has been filmed for HaparanaTornio marketing purposes
- During summer our HaparandaTornio ambassadors started their work in our social media channels, Instagram and Facebook. They will also write articles to www.haparandatornio.com.
Project managers:
- Arranged two (one in Finnish, the other in Swedish) webinars about LGBT tourism during HaparandaTornio Border pride week.
- During summer HaparandaTornio had a mediavisit with several journalists from Finland and also an journalist from Germany.
- During summer our HaparandaTornio ambassadors started their work in our social media channels, Instagram and Facebook. They will also write articles to www.haparandatornio.com.
- Work with Kukkola-bridge ongoing.
- Work with Cape East – Toranda connection ongoing.
- End of august Two Countries – One Destination steering group had the first meeting after summer vacation.
Spring 2021:
Marketing manager:
Check the update from the project from this presentation:
- Virtual FAM trip trainings and preparations together with entrepreneurs
- Virtual FAM 19.5. international
- MATKA2021 digital workshop
- MyStory project update
- HaparandaTornio will participate on MATKA 2021 Fam trip on the 19th of May. Preparing this together with the participating tourism businesses, collecting and preparing material for the tour, training sessions with arranging business Tool Box.
- Participated in the Sustainable Arctic Tourism webinar
- Marketing plan for 2021-2022 finalized
Project managers:
- Infrastructure and routes:
- Kukkolaforsen-Kukkolankoski bridge
- Bikingtrails
- Media/Influencer visits:
- Draft for influencers for their visits in HaparandaTornio
- Writing reports to financiers
- Preparing steering group meeting
- Writing protocol from the steering group
- A lot of projects within the work package “Infrastructure & Routes” are ongoing.
- The technical part of our Tourismboulevard is under progress with our consultants Tyréns AB.
- Tendering ongoing for the work for the bridge between Kukkolaforsen (SE) and Kukkolankoski (FI).
- Discussions about the connections between Cape East (SE) and Toranda (FI).
- Discussions of other pre-studies that could be done within our projects are:
- Canoeing routes
- Hiking routes
- Biking routes
- Discussions about the boat traffic in the Torne River between Haparanda and Tornio.
- Preparing reports of the period January – April to the financiers.
- Gathering information about options for automatization of the Tourist information.
- Participating in Heart of Lapland’s’ workshop for product development for the archipelago, on the 18th of May.
- Discussions for influencer/media visits are ongoing, for different target groups and countries.
- Planning upcoming workshops, networking meetings and lectures.
