Hands-on experiences in tourism innovation camp
An innovation camp in tourism product development gathered 23 tourism students and 14 tourism lecturers from Finland, Estonia and Latvia in Saaremaa, Estonia.
During the five-day camp, the students learned how to use Baltic Sea natural and cultural heritage to attract visitors from different markets to overcome seasonality challenges. Experts from the tourism industry introduced innovative ways to design, develop and market low-season tourism products.
– In the era of globalization and connectivity, the world has become a huge supermarket. Last minute bookings are increasing: mobile bookings are made only five days in advance, told Monika Karu from Enterprise Estonia to the students in her guest lecture.
Supported by the industry experts, international student teams brainstormed for ideas for visitors coming from distant destinations and prepared a product concept tailored for a certain target group.
During the camp, the participants also experienced natural and cultural heritage themselves visiting for example Leedri village with the old-time village culture. Enjoying forest bathing and a guided walk on the sandy beaches of Saaremaa island was also included in the programme.