Creating New Tourist Destination By Joining Two Border Regions in Latgale-Rytu Aukstaitija Priority South Application round 2 Lead partner Latgale Region Development Agency LATVIA,  Daugavpils,  Rigas str. 2 Contact person Tel.: +371 54 28111 Fax: +371 54 28111 Email: Maris.Bozovics@latgale.lv Brief summary of the project Latgale and Rytu Aukštaitija regions both see tourism as a strategic key industry in their future economic revival. During the last years several smaller tourism development projects have been conducted in the two regions and between the two regions. The projects have demonstrated on a pilot basis that there is a scope for development of new tourism products and that marketing of tourism in the regions if addressed in a professional manner makes a real difference. The key regional actors from the two regions, including Latgale Regional Development Agency, Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant Regional Development Agency Euroregion 'Country of Lakes' Latvian and Lithuanian offices, Utenos County administration and Latgale Tourism Association, supported by Latvian Tourism Development Agency have therefore decided to opt for a closer, wide-scope cooperation on this important theme. The objective of this project is to strengthen the regional economic development in the Latgale and Rytu Aukštaitija regions through developing the tourism industry. The subobjectives of the project are: 1) to promote the region as one tourist destination - Baltic Country of Lakes - with the focused marketing activities in order to increase the number of visitors to the region, 2) to rebundle existing tourism products and develop new products and product packages based on the competitive advantages of the region and 3) to increase cross-border cooperation in the tourism sector through joint tourism sector coordination exercises and creating a common information system. Implementation of the project will result in increased awareness about Baltic Country of Lakes as an attractive tourism destination and increased number of tourists to the region; the project will also bring along a number of specific outputs, including: 1) promotional strategy for the Baltic Country of Lakes 2006-2011, 2) a comprehensive national level advertising campaign running for 2 years, 3) common tourism information system (linking websites www.latgale.lv, www.ezerukrastas.lt and www.balticlakes.com) and on-line tourism information in 5 languages 4) 3 informative seminars for stakeholders and 36 interactive workshops, 120 individual consultations and 6 exchange experience trips for 40 water-based tourism entrepreneurs, 40 craftsmen and 40 culture tourism specialists and development 20-30 new, innovative tourism product packages, etc. The project will be targeting the following main groups will be 1) tourism sector entrepreneurs 2) general public in 2 regions (580,000 inhabitants) 3) population of Vilnius (550,000) and Riga (800,000) as main target areas 4) general public of Latvia and Lithuania. Duration 25(12.2005 - 12.2007) Budget (EUR) 590520.00 ERDF contribution: 442890.00 National co-financing EU Member States: 147630.00 INTERREG IIIA Budget of project: 590520.00 Non-eligible financing: .00 Funding from EU programmes for third countries: .00 National co-financing for funding from EU programmes for third countries: 0 National financing (third countries): 0 Private financing (third countries): 0 Total budget: 590520.00 Partners Name of Institution, Town Country Region Contact information Latgale Region Development Agency LATVIA 0 Tel.: +371 54 28111 Email: Maris.Bozovics@latgale.lv Latvian Tourism Development Agency LATVIA 0 Tel.: +3717229945 Email: tda@latviatourism.lv Latgale Region Tourism Association LATVIA 0 Tel.: +371 5707203 Email: tic@aglona.lv Euroregion 'Country of Lakes' Latvia office LATVIA 0 Tel.: +371 5622201 Email: ilze@kraslava.lv Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant Regional Development Agency LITHUANIA 0 Tel.: + 370 386 504 01 Email: iaerpa@ignalina.lt Euroregion 'Country of Lakes' Lithuanian office LITHUANIA 0 Tel.: +370 386 52138 Email: ezeru.krastas@ignalina.lt Utena county governor's administration LITHUANIA 0 Tel.: +37038957500 Email: vyda@utena.aps.lt Progress report Main activities of project finished, planned tasks fulfilled. Planned activities with tourism entrepreneurs organized in 3 cycles in each country (3 groups by 20 persons in each), more as 200 individual consultations organized for Tourism Entrepreneurs, tourism products created (15 cross boarder products, 46 local products), 2 journalist trips, 2 touroperators' trips, and 4 experience exchange trips were organized in BCL area. Web portal system (based on three separate websites with one common data base, united administration) created www.balticlakes.com, www.ezerukrastas.lt, www.turisms.latgale.lv. Additionally created web forum of Baltic Country of Lakes. PR and communication strategy worked out for BCL(as subactivity - pre-research was done in Latvia and Lithuania on the subject of tourist interests), based on that, prepared and succesfully organized marketing campaign in BCL with traget audience Latvia and Riga, Lithuania and Vilnius, Kaunas. Marketing campaign based on adertisings on outdoor media, in mass media, web media, radio. During project's lifetime partners participated at international Trade Fairs (Lithuania, Latvia, Germany) and succesfully represented BCL regon, products, region as a New Destination. Two issues of booklet 'Regional events'; booklets 'Crafts and traditions', 'Holidays near lakes, routes'; project leaflet; web portal system was translated in to 5 languages (LV, LT, RU, EN, DE); established BCL photo gallery (materials purchased); SMS sistem was developed and integrated into web portal system. Numbers of work meetings with partners, tourism entrepreneurs were organized during the project, thus created new busines contacts and established new perspectives for further development of cross boarder network in tourism area. Marketing campaign finalized project and played significant role in tourism development in BCL region, as used media at most exposed the Idea of BCL - 'stress free zone' and 'we have two sunrises each evening as our land is covered by many lakes and they are as mirrors'. Marketing advertising increased interest of potential tourists and will increase visitors to BCL. In general, all project activitires were managed, some were slightly moved in time schedule, but partners provided all effort they could and thus ensured planned outputs from activiites. Close window