Archipelago Access

Closed

The overall objective of Access Archipelago (AA) is to strengthen sustainable nature and culture based archipelago tourism. This tourism is still characterized by a large number of SMEs, numerous public actors, uncoordinated promotion and scattered information. In this project, Turku and Stockholm regions, the archipelagos travel hubs, join their forces and invite Åland Islands along to increase the attractiveness of the archipelago comprehensively. AA creates and launches a joint digital solution to offer easy access to travel information and provide a platform for user-generated content and interaction. It is linked to two interactive exhibitions - Utö Outdoor Exhibition in SWE and Turku Archipelago Showroom in FIN - that makes the archipelago, its destinations and services visible and attractive in a new, experiential way. These outputs benefit domestic and international tourists as well as local residents who do not have personal connections to the archipelago. Improved visibility and attractiveness, easier access to information and experiential promotion increase the number of visitors to the archipelago as well as prolonging the season resulting in economic benefits for the regions. This project is necessary to reach beyond the ordinary activities of the partners to create cross-border synergies benefiting the public and numerous SMEs. AA unites a digital solution with physical exhibitions and actual destinations in a new, innovative way. It engages tourism operators in content production, encourages visitors to share their experiences and provide peer support. AA represent a kick-off phase for long-term development of archipelago tourism by the project partners. The projects success and durability are facilitated by contributions from major tourism actors that are involved as associated partners. AAs promotion model and tools can later be transferred and applied to a number of other travel contexts.

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