What is the project changing?
South Coast Baltic is creating joint marketing for the South Baltic region as cross-border boating region.
What was the challenge?
The South Baltic area has a great potential for boaters to visit the South Baltic area, which needs to be developed and promoted.
What is the project creating?
South Coast Baltic will create marketing concepts and networks in order to develop and promote the boating destination South Baltic area.
Project Website
Please find the South Coast Baltic project website here.
Full project description
The project involves fourteen project partners, from Denmark (1), Germany (4), from Poland (7) and from Lithuania (2) as well as ten associated partners covering all five programme countries. The Economic Development Corporation Vorpommern (DE) has the role of the lead partner. Partnership consists of local authorities, universities and tourist/sport organisation and marinas management. The core partners are supported by 8 associated partners such as tourism organisation, NGOs operating in tourism sector, harbour, marina and local authorities.
The overall idea of the project is to make the cross-border boating region durably attractive through establishing a comprehensive cross-border destination management which would combine joint marketing with improvements of boating services & infrastructure. This process is expected to give a 20% rise in the number of guest boaters visiting the SE coast by 2019 and thereby level up the sailing figures in the whole South Baltic area. Through such inscriptions the project promises a substantial contribution to creating sustainable tourism destinations.
The project’s activities are planned in 6 work packages (WPs). WP3 provides a necessary strategic and institutional layer to align the activities of boating stakeholders (e.g. marina operators, tourist boards, relevant authorities). WP4 features marketing measures indispensable to reach the set target of guest boaters. It contains activities to attract new target groups (motor boaters, charter boaters) as well as reach new markets (Scandinavia) – building on the lessons learned in the previous project (MARRIAGE) and a dialogue with PR experts and boat experts from the new target countries, including Finland. WP5 is dedicated to pilot investments in facilities and services in selected marinas to harmonise and further develop standards from the overall destination perspective. The WP covers 5 info and service points, a boat charter portal, and small elderly-friendly improvements in 4 marinas, prototype marina management software and pilot environmental certifications for 4 marinas. Finally, WP6 delivers knowle ge and skills to the marina operators. The planned educational measures are planned to induce improvements in 50 marinas.
The main target groups involved in the project activities are:
- Boating service providers in SCB (esp. marina operators, charter companies, tourism agencies)
- Political decision makers in the region (mayors, marshals, ministries, etc.)
- Potential external supporters (e.g. tourism & infrastructure ministries, EUSBSR PAC, SBP stakeholders)
- Local, regional & international print and online journalists & media along the South Coast Baltic
- Citizens of the South Coast Baltic and in the South Baltic area
- Guest boaters visiting the area.
