Transforming the South Baltic area into a year-round workation destination to stabilise tourism, support local economies, and promote sustainable development.
Overview: The Laptops and Lighthouses (LAL) project addresses the challenge of seasonal tourism in the South Baltic area by positioning the region as a workation destination, attracting remote professionals to combine work and leisure, thus promoting sustainable rural development and economic stability.
Key Objectives: The project aims to extend tourism beyond peak seasons by integrating remote work into tourism strategies, providing infrastructure and services to attract long-term visitors and support local economies. This transition helps reduce reliance on short, high-impact tourist seasons and fosters resilience in rural and coastal communities.
Main Activities: Regional assessments map digital infrastructure and tourism potential to identify workation opportunities. Pilot workation hubs upgrade accommodations and public spaces with coworking areas and sustainable tourism services. The project designs customised workation packages, offers a capacity-building programme for local stakeholders, and connects remote workers with destinations through a digital platform. An impact evaluation assesses the project’s benefits, showcasing how remote work supports sustainable tourism.
Impact: LAL’s innovative cross-border approach creates a coordinated strategy for workation tourism, encouraging longer stays and spreading visitor impact year-round. It optimises existing infrastructure, introduces pop-up coworking hubs, and combines digital innovation with local business engagement. The project fosters a resilient workation-friendly region, supporting sustainable travel behaviours and strengthening tourism-dependent communities.
