Many destinations in the Central Baltic region have been impacted by the drop in tourism from Russia. New Nordic steps in to enable these areas to diversify their offerings and rebuild competitiveness in international markets. The project is designed to develop new tourism products, promote cross-border collaboration, and better position destinations in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Project partners plan to identify customer segments with the most significant growth potential and then develop and promote products that appeal to them. Focus markets include the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, chosen for their affinity for premium Nordic experiences. The project will also facilitate contracting between tour operators, destinations and transport providers to bring tourists to the region and support local businesses in entering new markets.

The project runs from May 2025 to April 2028. Its lead partner is Savonlinna Development Services Ltd. The project falls under the priority area of innovative business development within the Central Baltic Programme, and supports the programme's objective of increasing exports by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Through New Nordic, destinations can gain support to develop products, enter new markets, and establish stronger networks with tourism and transportation partners. The longer-term goal is to shift some reliance away from traditional source markets and foster resilience through premium, experience-driven tourism offerings.

If you want to see detailed plans, partner roles, and expected outputs, you can find them on the New Nordic project page at the Central Baltic website: https://centralbaltic.eu/project/new-nordic/

#projects #Sustainable tourism #Destination Management  #Tourism development #Smart tourism