GoVeSa link - Linking Gotland-Ventspils-Saaremaa for sustainable development
Overview
Background & policy context:
The Baltic Sea Region in general is an economically dynamic and growing region, also characterised by diversity among sub-regions and rural/urban areas. By providing enhanced accessibility to the region, new opportunities to develop sectors such as tourism and trade would be opened. Parts of the Baltic Sea Region countries, such as Gotland, Kurzeme (Ventspils) and Saaremaa (hereinafter – the Region) have become locally recognized with attractive touristic offers. Internationally, the Region as a whole is regarded as a peripheral region; due to the limited access it cannot be competitive as a joint region for a wider target market.
Objectives:
To support the establishment of viable transport links between the three regions (Gotland, Kurzeme (Ventspils) and Saaremaa) and optimizing the current transport conditions. By linking directly the three regions, economic development and competitiveness will be fostered by reducing cost and time effects of long travel and transportation distances (including both passenger and cargo traffic).
The project is based on the historically established cooperation between the three regions – suitable to create an excellent platform for joint marketing activities to promote a larger area through a jointly developed tourism product as an attractive travel destination in all partner countries, as well as outside the programme area.
Methodology:
Partnership: consists of 2 groups: direct partners – port authority and municipalities with an influence on policy-making; and professional tourism and business organizations as additional partners.
Activities: there are 2 main types of activities, those intended for strategic planning for improving accessibility and attractiveness of the three regions and those intended to involve a wider group of stakeholders by increasing capacity of business sector.
Outputs: PSG 7 meetings; PMT 12 meetings; 6 field trips; 4 workshops within transport solutions study between regions and tourism, business and marketing strategy; 1 transport solutions study between regions; 1 Tourism, business and marketing strategy; 6 workshops on establishment of tourism products; 10 training seminars for entrepreneurs; 18 press releases; 1 final conference and press conference; 39 000 booklets.
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