Development of water tourism as nature and active tourism component in Latvia and Estonia

1. Development of water tourism as nature and active tourism component in Latvia and Estonia Kick-offMeeting 17.04.2013, Sigulda, Latvia

3. Project ID

4. Project idea • The overall objective of the project is to improve conditions for sustainable water tourism development and to increase competitiveness of water tourism in the Programme area. • Specific objective is to develop programme area as attractive water tourism destination by • vitalizing rivers and seacoast byimproving infrastructurefortourists(by the rivers, lakes, coast) - installationofrestingareasandpiers, informationstands, signs, floatingbridges, cleaningrivers. • developing new water tourism products for different target groups in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Germany and Finland; • promoting water tourism as active tourism component in Latvia and Estonia as also in 4 target markets – Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Finland in order to achieve an increase in number of leisure tourists in projectarea

5. Project structure 13,6% 5,5% 59,4% 21,3%

6. Project regions • Cooperationandinvolvmentof • Around 40 riversarecoveredintheproject • CoastlineinEstonia (Laanecounty) withinfrustructureandcoastlineinLatviawithproductdevelopmentandmarketingactivities; • Cooperationandinvolvmentof • More than 40 rivers • Lakes • CoastlineinEstonia (Laanecounty

7. Project – forwhomandhow? • Cooperationandinvolvmentof • SME’s operating in field of active tourism, including canoingtourism operators in the projectarea rivers and other water tourism resources (lakes, coast); • SME’s, public sector and NGO operating in tourism services and attractions (accommodation, cafes, tourism sites etc.) in Projectarea around rivers and other water tourism resources (lakes, coast); • Tourism specialists, experts, tourism information centre officers, NGO, which coordinatetourismdevelopment; • Institutions involved in the maintenance and protection of nature values, including rivers, lakes, coast – nature protection bodies, managing institutions (NGO, state, municipal);

8. Main Project activities • Expeditionsas a tool to explore, researchandstudyeachregionnatureandactivetourismpotential • Experienceexchange, studycases, fieldvisits, networking; • Trainings, workshopsfortourismentrepreneurs, localtourismdevelopersandlocaltourismserviceproviders; • At least15 newtourismproductsinwholeprojectareadevelopedbytheentrepreneurswiththesupportandecouragmentoftheproject; • Raisedawarenessaboutthemanagementofrivers/coastlineasnatureresourceandsourcewhichcangenerateincomeforlocaleconomies(cooperation, wasteproblems, natureprotection); • Identifiednewtourismdevelopmentpotentialsinprojectsregions; WP1 Project managementandcoordination WP2 Competenceandproductdevelopment WP3 Infrastructure WP4 Marketings

9. Main Project activities • 4 Experienceexchangevisitsforwatertourismentrepreneurs to exchangeexperience, gainknowldege, establishcontacts: • inEstonia- to introducewatertourismdevelopments, problems. • inLatvia– to introducewatertourismdevelopments, problems. • inFinland– to introduceseakayakingandcruisetourismshipsoperationinrivers, coastlineareas; • inLithuania– to introducewatertourismdevelopemntinLithunia, casestudiesinriversmanagement • Q-Latviadevelopmentfortheactiveandcanoingtourismserviceproviders, includingelaborationofcriterias, “Misteryshopping”, BestPractiseManual WP1 Project managementandcoordination WP2 Competenceandproductdevelopment WP3 Infrastructure WP4 Marketings

10. Main Project activities • 20 riverswillbecleanedbyremovaloffallentrees, householdwasteandgarbage • 125 Informationstands • 232 Signsto orientatetourists (roadsignsandsignsontherivers) • 107 restingareasalongtherivers • 26 floatingbridges, timberpontoons • 7 sectionsofaccessroadsto thestarting/finishpointsofboating • 5 viewpoints(watchingtower, platforms, viewpoints) • 1 steamship WP1 Project managementandcoordination WP2 Competenceandproductdevelopment WP3 Infrastructure WP4 Marketing

11. Main Project activities – WP4 • Printed materials • Water tourism map of the whole project area; • Detailed brochures: • guide of rivers; • detailed brochures for foreign target markets; • specific brochures to promote coastal water/active/nature tourism possibilities. • Inserts in daily newspapers in Latvia and Estonia • Electronic solutions • Web platform and mobile applications for commonly used smartphones, • Image films on Internet, • Electronic insert in Finnish newspaper; • Direct events for target markets: • Great Baltic Travel action – for travelers to encourage explore water/active and nature tourism holidays in Latvia and Estonia; • 4 Familiarization trip for journalists and 3 promotional tours to promote water tourism possibilities; • Media campaign in Russia – to attract new market and pay attention to nature tourism possibilities in both countries; WP1 Project managementandcoordination WP2 Competenceandproductdevelopment WP3 Infrastructure WP4 Marketing

12. Aiga Petkēvica Kurzeme PlanningRegion Project manager Phone +371 67338738; +371 29483674 Skype: aiga_petkevica e-pasts: aiga.petkevica@kurzemesregions.lv