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The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia has been selected as the coordinator of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) tourism policy area together with the Pomorski region of Poland. The action plan of the Baltic Sea Strategy develops the entire Baltic Sea region and solves common problems. The aim of the tourism policy area is to strengthen the development of responsible tourism in the Baltic Sea region, create networks and strengthen the dialogue between tourism industry stakeholders.
The priorities of the Tourism Policy Area Action Plan are:
- Developing cross-border tourism in remote and rural areas
- Investing in people, skills and technology in tourism
- Protection and sustainable use of cultural heritage and natural resources in tourist destinations.
The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia is particularly responsible for priorities 1 and 2.
Funding:
The implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Programme. In addition, the Uusimaa Regional Council has granted national counterpart funding to the project. The EUSBSR PAC Tourism project has been funded until the end of 2026.
Website:
On our website you will find more information on the EUSBSR's tourism policy area, cooperation projects and events. We organise webinars, workshops and our annual event, the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum. On our website you can find up-to-date information about events and materials from previous events as well as the recordings of webinars we have organised.
Events:
BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM
The Baltic Sea Tourism Forum is a forum coordinated by the Baltic Sea Strategy Tourism Policy Area (EUSBSR PA Tourism) focusing on the development of cooperation between tourism operators in the Baltic Sea Region. The first Forum took place in Rostock in 2008 and since 2012 the Forum has been implemented in close cooperation with the Baltic Sea Strategy Tourism Policy Area. The forum gathers 100-150 participants from the Baltic Sea countries each year.
BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2026
The Baltic Sea Tourism Forum 2026 will be held on 2-3 November 2026 in Helsingör. The themes of the event include a change in tourist behaviour towards more sustainable choices, such as the CopenPay model in Copenhagen, the development of cross-border rail travel and sustainable transport connections, the distribution of the benefits of cruise travel to smaller destinations as well, and future trends, partnerships and innovations shaping the tourism industry. The event offers an opportunity to network, exchange experiences and build new cooperation opportunities to develop sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea region. Registration for the event will be opened in August 2026 and information about it and other information related to the event will be published LinkedIn.
BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2025
The 2025 Baltic Sea Tourism Forum will be held from 1 to 2 October 2025 in Gdansk. More information and instructions for registration will be published on our social media channels and on the event page during spring 2025: BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2025.
BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2024
The annual Baltic Sea Tourism Forum, organised by the EUSBSR PA Tourism Policy Area, took place in Oulu on 4-5 June 2024. The themes of the forum were cultural and culinary tourism, as well as cycling and coastal tourism. The event brought together 125 participants from 12 different countries. More information about the event and materials for the presentations: BALTIC SEA SEA TOURISM FORUM 2024
BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2023
The Baltic Sea Tourism Forum 2023 was held on 11 October 2023 in Tallinn, Estonia. The theme of the event was “Towards a greener and more sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region”. The programme included keynote speeches and panel discussions on, among other things, tourism trends, the development of responsible tourism and case examples in different Baltic Sea countries, as well as responsible leisure boating and cruise tourism. The event is free of charge for participants. More information about the event and materials for the presentations: BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2023
BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 1.12.2022
The Baltic Sea Tourism Forum 2022 was organised in an online format, bringing together 115 participants from the Baltic Sea region. The forum was opened with the greetings of Vice Marshal Wiesław Byczkowski of the Pomorski region, after which the words of welcome were spoken by Pauli Harju, Regional Director of Northern Ostrobothnia. Not only did they welcome the participants, but they also highlighted the great importance of the tourism industry for both of our regions. They also highlighted that since April 2022, the Pomorskie Tourist Board and the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia have been coordinating together the EUSBSR PA Tourism area, which is a challenging task but also a huge opportunity to launch new initiatives and find new synergies for tourism cooperation between all Baltic Sea countries. After the welcome speeches, the Baltic Sea Strategy Tourism Policy Area Coordinators Anna-Maija Toivonen from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia and Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło Pomorskie Tourist Board presented the tourism policy area's action plan and focus areas and practical work, as well as topical issues. In addition, Tiina Rajala, Development Director of the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia and Marta Chełkowska, Director of the Tourism Department in Marshal Office of Pomorskie Region presented both organisations and stressed the importance of cooperation and the support of both organisations to the coordinators carrying out the task.
Several interesting speeches were heard, including Ms Yael Froman-Ideses, VP and Tourism Director in Mayor’s Office in Tel Aviv on “The Nonstop City meets the Start-Up City” and Dr Eran Ketter, tourism thought leader and formal Head of Research and Insights in an ETC project on #COVID19 tourism recovery, with the topic Tourism trends for 2023 and their implications for Baltic Sea tourism.
See the full webinar recording here: BALTIC SEA TOURISM FORUM 2022
More information about the project events
Current issues:
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Blog:
Today, the Baltic Sea is one of the focal points of world policy and can make the region more attractive to tourists. In the summer, the cooler conditions in the Baltic Sea region also begin to appear quite attractive, writes the coordinator of the tourism policy area of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region at the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia Anna-Maija Toivonen In bottle mail.
Newsletter:
A few times a year, we send information about current issues in the tourism policy area with a newsletter.
Subscribe to our newsletter HERE
More information about the project:
Project Manager Anna-Maija Toivonen
+358 40 685 4022
etunimi.sukunimi@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi
