Interconnect Tourism; Public Transport Interconnecting Sustainable Tourism Routes and Destinations in the SB area

The Interconnect Tourism project deals with cross-border public transport in the Baltic Sea region with a focus on the tourism sector.

Sustainable tourism is a field which has attracted a lot of attention over the last few years. Interconnect Tourism suggests that there is still much to ask for when it comes to transport. It notes that Baltic Sea region tourists travelling without a car often find it challenging to use public transport to explore local destinations, particularly in rural areas. One problem is lack of information for cross-border tourists in different languages on public transport. Another problem is that local tourism businesses in the Baltic Sea region, lack innovative and cost-effective channels for promoting their destinations.

Interconnect Tourism will draw on the results of a previous project in which new information technology was developed. This project wants to introduce the technology to other stakeholders in the tourism sector. The idea is that new services customized for the tourism market, will facilitate seamless travel across the borders in the Baltic Sea region. An important target group will be persons who do not own a car or want to travel in a more sustainable way. The project suggests that there is a high potential to attract young travellers with limited financial resources. It will present an action plan, which will be politically anchored, for connecting public transport and tourism in the Baltic Sea region. The activities include workshops and dialogue meetings.