Hidden Gems of the Baltic Sea Coast – Showcasing Idyllic Destinations Beyond the Mainstream

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.