Light in the Dark – Increasing resilience in rural and coastal tourism in the northern Baltic Sea Region by developing off-season experiences
Light in the Dark
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Light in the Dark

PROGRAMME 2021-2027
priority
1 Innovative societies
objective
1.1 Resilient economies and communities
Project type
Implementation
November 2023 - October 2026
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Light in the Dark

The project Light in the Dark helps small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector create an off-season nature-based offer to attract tourists to rural and coastal areas of the northern Baltic Sea region all year long.
Project summary

The off season period; fall, winter and spring in the northern Baltic Sea Region is dark and cold, and often without snow because of proximity to and humidity from the sea. This causes challenges for tourism and the problem is especially profound in rural and coastal areas in the northern Baltic Sea Region. The modern travelers are called nature explorers, natural wonder hunters, nature tribe tourists. They are looking to avoid crowds by travelling off season. They expect customized experiences, efficient service, they value nature and are willing to extend their stay. The project (1) responds to this need, and (2) supports the ability to respond to the Baltic Sea Region's common need to prolong the tourism season by developing a transnational northern Baltic archipelago concept for nature-based tourism. We create a fall-winter-spring package consisting of three product experience packages under the concept Light in the Dark for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Destination Management Organisations in tourism to attract travelers during off season. Transnational collaboration between universities, SMEs and Business Support Organizations promote coherent and synergistic implementation of the solution and add value by connecting all relevant stakeholders and businesses from different countries. The concept helps tourism sector to better respond to and adapt their businesses to off seasons, building resilience among businesses operating in the archipelago and coastal areas.

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Budgets

Light in the Dark
in numbers.
  • 2.72
    Million
    Total
  • 2.18
    Million
    Erdf
  • 0.00
    Million
    Norway

Events, surveys and news

News

The Jurmala workshop brings the BSR region together
Co-Creating a New Tourism Concept for the Baltic Sea Region. 56 tourism professionals from five ...

News

SME co-creation experience workshops begin
SMEs from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden have started to work on creating new ...

News

Webinar reached stakeholders in ten countries
What are the key markets and key selling factors for the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea Region? ...
380 Benefitting organisations 2 Solution(s) in preparation 2 Solution(s) plannedfor use / upscale 6 Pilotactivities 42 Organisationsin the project

Light in the Dark
in numbers.

  • 60.45343504999999622.28032535404293
  • 60.10242319.94126
  • 60.516212426.9284186
  • 55.712752921.1350469
  • 56.66601322.488984566384854
  • 60.097445919.9443282
  • 59.003275522.748943742985844
  • 58.3902223526.695825211305984
  • 59.430942524.779751052099492
  • 55.302725821.0010099
  • 59.325117218.0710935

Project partners

Lead partnerNovia University of Applied Sciences
  • Town
    Ã…bo
  • Region
  • Country
    Finland
  • Region
    Varsinais-Suomi
Total partner budget
584,624.80
Ã…land University of Applied Sciences
  • Town
    Mariehamn
  • Region
  • Country
    Finland
  • Region
    Ã…land
Total partner budget
393,232.00
Cursor Oy, Kotka-Hamina Regional Development Company
  • Town
    Kotka
  • Region
  • Country
    Finland
  • Region
    Kymenlaakso
Total partner budget
269,368.00
Klaipeda University
  • Town
    Klaipeda
  • Region
  • Country
    Lithuania
  • Region
    KlaipÄ—dos apskritis
Total partner budget
221,900.00
Kurzeme Planning region
  • Town
    Saldus
  • Region
  • Country
    Latvia
  • Region
    Kurzeme
Total partner budget
213,500.00
Visit Aland
  • Town
    Mariehamn
  • Region
  • Country
    Finland
  • Region
    Ã…land
Total partner budget
269,488.00
Hiiumaa Development Center
  • Town
    Kärdla
  • Region
  • Country
    Estonia
  • Region
    Lääne-Eesti
Total partner budget
88,112.80
Estonian University of Life Sciences
  • Town
    Tartu
  • Region
  • Country
    Estonia
  • Region
    Lõuna-Eesti
Total partner budget
102,266.00
Estonian Rural Tourism NGO (acronym: ERTO)
  • Town
    Tallinn
  • Region
  • Country
    Estonia
  • Region
    Põhja-Eesti
Total partner budget
167,499.00
Nida Culture and Tourism Information Centre "Agila"
  • Town
    Neringa
  • Region
  • Country
    Lithuania
  • Region
    KlaipÄ—dos apskritis
Total partner budget
92,288.00
Stockholm Business Region AB
  • Town
    Stockholm
  • Region
  • Country
    Sweden
  • Region
    Stockholms län
Total partner budget
320,911.10

Contacts

News

Events

11
March
Estonian National Nature Tourism Conference - Low-season Tourism Product Design
Project: Light in the Dark
Virtual Meeting & Physical Meeting
11. March 2025
00:00 - 23:59 (BST)
    30-31
    October
    Co-Creating a New Tourism Concept for the Baltic Sea Region
    Project: Light in the Dark
    Physical Meeting
    30. - 31. October 2024
    00:00 - 23:59 (BST)
    10
    September
    Challenges and possibilities for low season tourism in the Baltic Sea Region
    Project: Light in the Dark
    Virtual Meeting
    10. September 2024
    09:30 - 11:00 (EEST)
    04
    June
    Frukostseminarium – Light in the Dark på Åland
    Project: Light in the Dark
    Physical Meeting
    04. June 2024
    08:30 - 10:00 (EET)
    10
    April
    Creating Light in the Dark experiences
    Project: Light in the Dark
    Virtual Meeting
    10. April 2024
    09:30 - 11:00 (EET)

      Videos

      Outputs

      Downloads