BALTGEM Project Description

Project title: Hidden Gems of the Baltic Sea Coast – Showcasing Idyllic Destinations Beyond the Mainstream
Project acronym: BALTGEM

Projekta ID: CB1000626

Project summary:

BALTGEM – Hidden Gems of the Baltic Sea Coast – Showcasing Idyllic Destinations Beyond the Mainstream project aims to boost the sales and international competitiveness of SMEs from Satakunta (Finland), Kurzeme (Latvia), and Nedre Dalälven (Sweden) by facilitating their entry into the UK market. These regions face the challenge of being overshadowed by larger destinations, lacking UK-specific tourism expertise, promotional materials, and product development skills.

The main output of the project is 15 sales agreements between SMEs and UK tour operators, directly increasing SME export sales and strengthening UK market readiness. To achieve this, the project develops joint tour products for lifestyle travellers, who, research shows, are particularly interested in off-the-beaten-track destinations, cultural heritage, local lifestyle, UNESCO sites, unique nature experiences, and multi-stop tours. BALTGEM introduces the first joint Finland-Sweden-Latvia tour products for this segment, supporting SMEs through cooperation, knowledge exchange, joint product development, and long-term partnerships with UK tour operators established during the project.

A cross-border approach is essential to offer seamless itineraries naturally connected via the Baltic Sea and to combine regional strengths into compelling products. The project is innovative in targeting a lifestyle traveller segment with integrated multi-country packages while building sustainable UK market partnerships.

Target groups:

Business support organisations
Local public authorities
Local municipalities
Small and medium-sized enterprises

Project implementer:

Lead partner: Satakunta University of Applied Sciences

Project partners:

Biosphere Reserve Nedre Dalälven / Nedre Dalälven Interest Group, Sweden
Kurzeme Planning Region, Latvia

Project implementation period:

01.06.2026 – 31.05.2029

Project funding:

The total project budget is EUR 1,379,125.60, including EUR 1,103,300.48 from the European Regional Development Fund.

The total project budget of Kurzeme Planning Region is EUR 328,892.20, including EUR 263,113.76 from the European Regional Development Fund.

Project activities:

Preparatory Work for Market Entry

At the initial stage of the project, an analysis of the United Kingdom tourism market will be carried out, with particular attention to the lifestyle traveller segment, their travel behaviour, interests and demand for tourism offers in the Baltic and Nordic regions. Tourism SMEs in Satakunta, Finland, Kurzeme, Latvia, and Nedre Dalälven, Sweden, that are interested in or already ready to work with the UK market will be identified. Each region, in cooperation with local tourism SMEs, will also define its unique selling points, which will later be used in the development of joint itineraries, tourism products and marketing materials. A UK Market Expert will also be involved at this stage.

Product, Service and Skills Development for Export Growth

Within the project, tourism SMEs will receive practical support to strengthen their knowledge of the UK tourism market, tour operator requirements, suitable sales channels and the interests of lifestyle travellers. SMEs will be able to develop and adapt their products and services for the international market. At the same time, the partner regions will develop or improve regional tourism product manuals aimed at international tour operators, with a particular focus on the UK market.

Based on the strengths of each region, the project will define joint unique selling points and develop multi-country tourism itineraries connecting Finland, Latvia and Sweden via the Baltic Sea. These offers will target lifestyle travellers interested in lesser-known destinations, local culture, nature, gastronomy, cultural heritage and multi-stop tours. The developed itineraries will be compiled in a joint tourism product manual for the UK market.

Market Entry and Promotion

In the final stage of the project, cooperation with UK tour operators and tourism industry professionals will be developed and strengthened. With the support of the UK Market Expert, suitable cooperation partners will be approached, a virtual sales event with individual meeting opportunities between tourism SMEs and tour operators will be organised, as well as virtual familiarisation visits presenting each partner region and the joint multi-country itineraries.

The project also foresees an in-person familiarisation trip for UK tour operators to the partner regions, allowing them to gain first-hand knowledge of local SMEs, destinations and the tourism offers developed within the project. After the contacts have been established, SMEs will receive further support in developing cooperation and sales opportunities, contributing to long-term export capacity and the creation of new cooperation agreements.

Project manager:

Anna Elizabete Upsava
+371 26369876
anna.upsava@kurzemesregions.lv

Baltgem