Bothnian Coastal Tourism

Uniting the Bothnian coast into one sustainable, cross-border destination.

The project Bothnian Coastal Route was underway during 2023–2025, a cross-border collaboration in which 13 destinations around the Bothnian Bay joined forces. Now the collaboration continues in the form of a new project, Bothnian Coastal Tourism, which builds on the results of the earlier BCR project. The work in this project will strengthen the coastal route around the Bothnian Bay as a unified, visitor-ready cross-border destination, with a focus on also reaching and inspiring the end customer.

Photo: Kimmo Makkonen

PROJECT GEOGRAPHY

The main purpose of the Bothnian Coastal Tourism project is to establish the coastline of northern Finland and Sweden as a well-known destination – a unique coastal route that can be visited year-round. The geography was expanded from the previous project and now also includes Kristinestad in Finland, as well as Höga Kusten (the High Coast) and Sundsvall in Sweden.

PROJECT SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND

Bothnian Coastal Tourism project strengthens the Bothnian Coast as a unified and visitor-ready cross-border destination. Through coordinated cross-border activities, partners will develop a coherent B2C brand, strengthen digital visibility, and upgrade the Bothnian Coastal Route website with improved content, multilingual functions and AI-supported tools that help visitors discover and explore the region more easily.

New markets will be targeted through tailored PR, buyer collaboration, thematic itineraries and micro-campaigns that highlight the region’s cultural and natural strengths. SMEs will receive hands-on support in pricing, productization, AI adoption and regenerative tourism, enabling them to develop competitive offers that benefit local communities and environments.

The project embeds long-term cooperation through shared digital systems, harmonized communication routines and a governance model that ensures DMOs take over key functions after project completion. This creates a sustainable foundation for continued cross-border development and increased year-round visibility for the Bothnian Coastal region.

Photos: Visit Kalajoki

COMMON CHALLENGES

Building on the results of the previous project, Bothnian Coastal Tourism project tackles new challenges identified during that work:

1. Low end-consumer awareness.

2. Uneven SME capabilities across the enlarged geography.

3. Fragmented storytelling.

4. The need to translate sustainability ambitions into practical, market-ready actions.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The project is divided into four work packages (WP 1–4), presented below:

WP 1. CROSS-BORDER COASTAL IDENTITY & END CONSUMER ADAPTATION

Transition the Bothnian Coastal Route from primarily targeting the tourism industry to actively presenting it as an attractive destination for visitors.

WP 2. NEW MARKETS & MARKET STEP-UP

Strengthen the international competitiveness of destinations and SMEs in the Bothnian Coastal region.

WP 3. COASTAL SME COMPETENCE BUILDING

Boost the competence and international readiness of tourism SMEs throughout the coastal area.

WP 4. CONSOLIDATION & SECURING THE FUTURE OF THE BCR

Welcome new partners and stakeholders into BCT activities, explore AI-assisted reporting, build a project intranet, and secure post-project continuity.

BOTHNIAN COASTAL ROUTE WEBSITE

A completely new web based “B2B tour planning tool” was launched in the previous project. In the Bothnian Coastal Tourism project, the website will be upgraded with improved content, multilingual functions and AI-supported tools that help visitors discover and explore the region more easily.

Take a look: https://bothniancoastalroute.com

FACTS

Project time: 1.6.2026–31.5.2029
Budget: EUR 2,572,750

The total project budget is EUR 2,572,750, of which EUR 1,670,718 is EU funding through the Interreg Aurora programme. The remaining funding comes from Finnish national and Swedish regional co-funding, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and municipal and private co-funding.

Photo: Fredrik Larsson

PROJECT PARTNERS

Kvarken Council EGTC (lead partner), High Coast Management Company, Visit Umeå, Visit Luleå (Luleå Municipality), City of Oulu, City of Kalajoki, and Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK.

FINANCIERS

Interreg Aurora, Regional Council of Lapland, Region Västernorrland, Region Västerbotten, Kvarken Council EGTC, High Coast Management Company, City of Kalajoki, City of Oulu, Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK, Visit Luleå (Luleå Municipality), Bothnian Arc, The Icebreaking Company, City of Raahe, Kokkola Tourism, City of Vaasa, Kristinestads näringslivscentral, Visit Umeå, Visit Skellefteå, Visit Jakobstad, NLC Ferry.