Baltic Sea Cooperation: Baltic Sea Tourism Center as a hub for permanent tourism cooperation in the Baltic Sea region
Since several years, a group of like-minded partners is actively involved in strengthening the common framework for tourism in the Baltic Sea region. One result is the continuous and successful work of implementing the Baltic Sea Tourism Center (BSTC) – a leading Center of Expertise for improved communication and cooperation in the BSR.
Following the profile development, the BSTC network and business plan are currently being evaluated and further developed. Due to two online presences (www.bstc.eu and www.balticsea.travel), the visibility of the project and the future BSTC has been increased.
Most recently, four expert groups were formed under the Center’s Core Competencies Partnerships, Insights and Skills. In order to improve communication between tourism actors within and outside the Baltic Sea region, the Expert Group Policy Area will continue to support the work of the policy area tourism of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy as a steering group. The expert group aims at intensifying lobby work and communication on macro-regional level as well as refining the annual Baltic Sea Tourism Forum as the most important exchange platform for cross-border cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.
The Expert Group Market Research focuses on the collection of touristic data of all Baltic Sea countries and the release of annual reports at the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum. The first Market Report was presented on 15.11.2018 in Riga. In addition to market data, a trend report on future developments in the Baltic Sea region is to be published next year. In future, both reports will serve as the basis for political and strategic recommendations for action and provide further impetus for international cooperation.
The main task of the Expert Group Training Offerings will be the organisation and further development of trainings and seminars in the field of product development. The group will increasingly concentrate on topics such as internationalisation, season extension and sustainability. The activities aim primarily at tourism companies and projects.
Among other things, the Expert Group Sustainable Tourism will work on a concept for establishing a Sustainable Tourism Award (STA) at macro-regional level in the Baltic Sea region and implement it together with the member states of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. In addition, the expert group is to promote measures that make a significant contribution to achieving the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
The upcoming year marks the beginning of more permanent tourism cooperation patterns in the Baltic Sea region under the roof of the EUSBSR flagship. The BSTC is scheduled to officially start work on the 12th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum in autumn 2019.
