Meta cluster for attracting the Japanese tourism market

Programme Priority: P1 Competitive economy

Programme Specific Objective: 1.3. More exports by the Central Baltic companies to new markets

Sub-programme: Central Baltic

Duration: 01.07.2016 - 31.03.2020

Total budget: €1 413 735

ERDF: €1 141 858

Project Summary:

ENDED. In the Central Baltic region, tourist visits from neighbouring countries have declined in some areas. To face this challenge, clusters with skills, knowledge and the understanding required to enter new markets are needed and working with the Japanese market will create more opportunities to increase tourism in the region. Currently, potential exists in rural tourism for the development of clusters, products and services especially in terms of product quality and demand. This can be extended to the Japanese market in the tourism sector since Japanese tourists have expressed interest in visiting rural areas to experience the wide range of natural and cultural heritage products to be found in our countryside.

The aim of the project is shaping a rural tourism high capacity meta-cluster to access the Japanese market, enable its structure and operations, and present a significant rural tourism product for Japanese travellers. The idea is to build Japanese market expertise in order to create focused marketing and products suited to the interests and expectations of Japanese tourists to attract them in greater numbers to visit the Central Baltic region.

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Lead Partner

Eesti Maaülikool

Country: EE

www.emu.ee

Partner budget: 307.029 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 260.975 EUR ERDF

Project Partners

MTÜ Eesti Maaturism

Country: EE

www.maaturism.ee

Partner budget: 128.131 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 108.912 EUR ERDF

Latvijas Lauksaimniecības Universitāte

Country: LV

http://www.esaf.llu.lv/

Partner budget: 123.482 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 104.960 EUR ERDF

Latvijas lauku tūrisma asociācija “Lauku ceļotājs”

Country: LV

www.countryholidays.lv

Partner budget: 256.928 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 218.389 EUR ERDF

Laurea-ammattikorkealoulu Oy

Country: FI

www.laurea.fi

Partner budget: 241.507 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 181.130 EUR ERDF

Länsi-Uudenmaan Lumo matkailu Oy

Country: FI

www.lumomatkailu.com

Partner budget: 72.386 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 54.290 EUR ERDF

Helsingin Yliopiston Ruralia-instituutti

Country: FI

www.helsinki.fi/ruralia/

Partner budget: 151.950 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 113.963 EUR ERDF

Lohjan Kaupunki

Country: FI

www.visitlohja.fi

Partner budget: 132.321 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 99.241 EUR ERDF

Associated Partners

Latvijas Tūrisma aģentu un opetatoru asociācija

Country: LV

Eesti Turismifirmade Liit (ETFL)

Country: EE

Society Zemgale tourism association

Country: LV

Expected results

The project will strengthen the operation of the 3 existing Est-Lat-Fin clusters and create a Est-Lat-Fin rural & small scale tourism meta-cluster with travel agency & intermediary sales & marketing channels to increase RT sales to new non-EU & especially Japanese markets. Outputs ensuring achievement of these include: RT meta cluster with high capacity to access Japanese market, enable its structure & operations & present a significant RT market/product for Jap travellers, hosting media & tour operator visits, create press articles & participate in JATA travel market, analysis of partner exp. in JAP market, database of Jap tour operators interested in Est-Lat-Fin RT, travel publishers (e.g. Lonely Planet, Japanese edition). New marketing materials, marketing channels & cluster co-op for JAP market & an innovative ICT online interactive map tool of the area showing RT providers & local infrastructure. An inventory of EST-LAT-FIN RT SMEs interested in JAP market & specifications for new (& existing) RT products for JAP market Creation of new & additional products & services suited to JAP market at cluster level in itineraries/packages for promotion to the JAP market. Training & human resource development materials & courses based on a market centred approach to products & services focussing on JAP market. Connections made with tourist agencies representing new markets for sales of EST-LAT-FIN rural tourism products who will carry these to the new markets included in finalised marketing plans at 1/ regional, 2/ national & 3/
meta-cluster levels. Formation of cross-sectoral collaborations (forums) between businesses, public sectors & academia to assure the quality of the customer journey. Electronic handbook on a new & revised concept(s) for Cluster/Meta-cluster formation & operation in rural tourism. Effectively & efficiently operating clusters at both national (x3) & cross border (Meta Clusters) levels (x1).