“Out of the mainstream, rich in authenticity” – tour operators on the potential of the Bothnian Coastal Route

At the final seminar in Oulu, international tour operators were very clear: the Bothnian Coastal Route is no longer just an idea on paper. It is a real alternative to mainstream Nordic destinations – especially for travellers who look for authenticity, value for money and cross-border experiences in both Finland and Sweden.

Claudio P Nielsen from Delta of Scandinavia emphasised that the region “already has what it takes” to attract international travellers.

A DMC’s conclusion: “You already have what it takes”

Vice President Claudio P Nielsen from Delta of Scandinavia was invited to share a Destination Management Company (wholesaler) perspective. His company has worked in the Nordics since 1981 and today ranks among the top DMCs in Scandinavia, with strong markets in the US, Italy, Spain, Australia and South America.

When Delta of Scandinavia first discovered the Bothnian Coastal Route project via a meeting with Bothnian Coastal Route at the Matka fair 2025, the reaction was immediate:

“There was the first boom – they are doing this! This is a very powerful tool that we could use,” Claudio recalled, referring to the Bothnian Coastal Route marketing website and joint marketing materials.

On a familiarisation trip around the route in March 2025, he says he “fell in love” with what he saw – both personally and professionally. From a product point of view, his checklist was straightforward:

• Accommodation: “Wherever I went, there were a lot of options – that’s very important.”
• Activities: “I’ve done activities here that I cannot find anywhere else in the Nordics.”
• Transport: “It’s all there, including Wasaline’s ferry that combines the two countries in a beautiful way.”

His conclusion was clear:

“Many destinations want tourists, but don’t have what it takes to get them. You already have what it takes. It’s just a matter of going out to the market and fishing for the right people.”

Claudio also stressed that the route is competitive on price and value for money, compared with larger and heavily marketed hotspots, where hotel prices have increased sharply in recent years.

Luxury travellers are not asking for limousines

Delta of Scandinavia works extensively with luxury travel consortia in North America. According to Claudio, this segment fits the Bothnian Coastal Route much better than many local actors might think.

Luxury clients may spend 20–30,000 euros for a week for two people, but what they really look for are authentic, personal experiences, not limousines and white-glove service.

As Claudio put it:

“What they want is authentic experiences for themselves. Having two wealthy people visiting a reindeer farm outside Umeå, with a farmer who is as authentic as you can get – that is what they are looking for.”

The message to the region was simple:

“Don’t be afraid of the luxury segment – you have everything it takes.”

Slow travel and tailor-made trips: a perfect match

From Belgium, Emma Stabel represented Noorderhuis. Her company, a tour operator that focuses on slow, sustainable travel and tailor-made trips for individual travel and small groups, with strong local expertise in the Nordic countries, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

One of the tour Operators working closely with the project, Noorderhuis quickly recognised that the destination “fit the DNA” of their brand. They were looking for alternatives to places that suffer from over-tourism – and wanted to offer something “less known but with just as much to offer” in both Sweden and Finland.

Emma highlighted how much the team relied on the Bothnian Coastal Route online toolbox when they designed their 15-day roundtrip “Road trip alongside the hidden coastal route of Sweden and Finland”:

“The Bothnian Coastal Route planning tool was extremely helpful. It made it much easier to see photos, understand what each accommodation and activity partner offered, and select the right partners for our clients.”

The company now sells the route to two main target groups:

• Couples looking for nature, culture and good food in a peaceful atmosphere
• Families who want diverse soft-adventure activities and wildlife, without the crowds

Feedback from Noorderhuis customers has been very positive. Travellers appreciate the balance between nature and culture, the feeling of discovering a lesser-known area and the absence of mass tourism. Some even asked for an even slower itinerary, with one week on the Swedish side and one week on the Finnish side, using one hub on each shore.

Emma Stabel from Noorderhuis highlighted how the BCR toolbox supported product development for their 15-day cross-border roundtrip.

What needs to improve?

Both Claudio and Emma praised the responsiveness and flexibility of the project team and local SME-partners during product development. Quick answers, openness to adjust products for specific markets and clear information were described as “a dream for a DMC”.

At the same time, the tour operators also pointed to a few areas that still need work:

• Timely contracts and net rates. Some partners were not yet used to working with international tour operators:

“Sometimes it took quite long to get net rates or contracts. We cannot launch a product if we don’t know the price.”

• English-language visitor information. Several Flemish guests struggled when signs and interpretation were only available in Finnish or Swedish. More English materials would make the region easier to sell.
• Flight connections, especially for European markets such as Spain and Italy, still create friction when combining both shores into one itinerary.

In the morning session, Corinna Windisch, co-founder of Fjordkind Reisen, highlighted that their family customers increasingly seek peaceful, authentic and lesser-known destinations – and that the cross-border Bothnian Coastal Route offers exactly the kind of coherent regional experience they look for. Her message matched what Claudio and Emma later confirmed from their own markets:

The Bothnian Coastal Route can position itself as “out of the mainstream, rich in authenticity, and shared between Finland and Sweden”.

The seminar brought together project partners, companies and travel trade representatives to reflect on project results and future opportunities.

Visitors, locals and the international travel trade can explore the route through the project’s marketing website bothniancoastalroute.com, which features places to visit, regional films and practical tools for planning a trip. The project’s achievements can also be viewed in the BCR results film (LINK) and on kvarken.org.

Briefly about Bothnian Coastal Route (BCR)

The purpose of the project is to make the coastline of northern Finland and Sweden a well-known destination with its unique nature and cultural heritage. Through joint marketing, the development of new travel packages, and investments in sustainability, the project has created conditions for more travelers to discover the entire coast – and to stay longer in the region.

Read more about the project HERE kvarken.org/en/project/bothnian-coastal-route/

Discover the marketing webpage: www.bothniancoastalroute.com

Project period: 1.1.2023–31.12.2025

Project partners:

Kvarken Council EGTC (lead partner and coordinating beneficiary), City of Kalajoki, Luleå Business Region AB and Luleå Municipality, City of Oulu/BusinessOulu, Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK, Visit Skellefteå AB, and Visit Umeå AB.

Financiers:

Interreg Aurora, Regional Council of Lapland, Region Västerbotten, Kvarken Council EGTC, Umeå Municipality, Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK, City of Kalajoki, Luleå Business Region AB and Luleå Municipality, City of Oulu/BusinessOulu, Visit Skellefteå AB, City of Vaasa, Kokkola Tourism Ltd, Municipality of Haparanda for Haparanda/Tornio, Bothnian Arc, City of Jakobstad, Piteå Municipality, Kemi Tourism Ltd, NLC Ferry Ab Oy.