Objectives
To promote the efficient and effective targeting of Rural Development Programme project funding at development measures in the tourism industry by ensuring a two-way flow of information between national strategies and regional actors. To intensify national and regional cooperation and to deploy the best development measures through a national network of developers. To collect information on entrepreneurship and the development of rural tourism in the field and, correspondingly, to convey information needs from the field to researchers and project financers in the sector. To develop multi-channel communication and dissemination of information.
Measures
- To establish a core group of regional developers of rural tourism and leisure activities alongside researchers and operators in the sector, for the specific purpose of promoting the use of previously created tools, in particular with regard to quality and safety, sustainable tourism and accessibility as integral to it, as well as deploying best practices and examples both in development activities and businesses.
- To implement multi-channel communication and dissemination of information based on dialogue, digital technology and virtuality.
- To ensure, by means of support and encouragement, info events and materials, the competence of and access to information for project leaders, financiers and developers so that they can, when working with entrepreneurs, disseminate information further and act professionally.
- To collect and produce information on the degree of realisation of programmes, both nationally and regionally.
- To use meetings and information exchange to forge new connections with the interfaces of other sectors
- To put research findings into practice and compile the results of projects in the sector.
The national long-term development goal of rural tourism is a competent, growing and renewing rural tourism industry.
The operating area is all of Finland; the target group is tourism developers, financers and operators in the sector; the beneficiaries are tourism entrepreneurs in addition to the above.
Implemented by
Karelia University of Applied Sciences and the Centre for Tourism Studies of the University of Eastern Finland.
Actors:
Raija Ruusunen, raija.ruusunen@karelia.fi, mobile +358 50 356 0897
Tero Taatinen, tero.taatinen@karelia.fi, mobile +358 46 920 0394
Anja Tuohino, anja.tuohino@uef.fi, mobile +358 50 554 0659
Juho Pesonen, juho.pesonen@uef.fi, mobile +358 40 184 2698
