Archipelago Access

AA project's main results are improved image and attractiveness of the archipelago, that together result in a greater number of visitors. AA promotes travelling to the archipelago by joining forces in promotion, providing easier access to exciting information and increasing the number of visitors to destinations located in the archipelago.

AA makes potential visitors, both local people and tourists, aware of what the archipelago has to offer and provides access to these experiences. The project establishes two new tourist attractions - the exhibitions in Turku and Utö. It is estimated that the Turku exhibition attracts 70 000 visitors a year and the one in Utö 50 000. Thus, 120 000 visitors a year will experience the exhibitions and their environmental awareness will be raised.

In addition to informing and entertaining visitors, the exhibitions have a catalyst function: to inspire, motivate and encourage people to actually visit the archipelago. The digital solution, AA's other main result, is designed to complement the exhibitions and provide the next step in customers' journey to the archipelago. It offers easily accessible information tailor-made to the needs of visitors. It is a continuation of the exhibitions and vice-versa, the exhibitions display content from the digital system. This offers an exciting fusion of physical exhibition materials with constantly changing user-generated digital content. The digital solution and exhibitions are a step towards uniting the archipelago in the minds of visitors.

No new destinations will be built in the AA project. Instead, the project activities facilitate visiting existing ones more frequently. This increases the number of visitors and contributes to economic sustainability of local tourism businesses. On the immaterial side, raised environmental awareness and appreciation of the archipelago contribute to improvements in visitor behaviour and ecological sustainability.