TourRBaltic
Tour Rural Baltic - Future-proofing tourism through accessible low-carbon mobilityTourRBaltic
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PROGRAMME 2021-2027
priority
3 Climate-neutral societies
objective
3.3 Smart green mobility
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TourRBaltic
The project TourRBaltic brings together public authorities, NGOs and SMEs across the Baltic Sea region to improve access to rural tourist destinations through sustainable and active mobility solutions that reduce car dependency and promote healthy lifestyle, making rural destinations more resilient, inclusive and climate-friendly.
Project summary
Tour Rural Baltic – connecting rural destinations through sustainable mobility
Rural tourism is full of hidden gems: village cafés, forest trails, small harbours, local farms, historic sites and beautiful cycling routes. Too often, however, these experiences are scattered across the landscape rather than connected into one memorable journey. Tour Rural Baltic wants to change this.
The project helps rural tourism destinations in the Baltic Sea Region become more accessible, attractive and sustainable by connecting places, people and experiences through active and low-carbon mobility.
Tourism is growing, Europe’s population is ageing and visitors have increasingly diverse needs and expectations. At the same time, climate change is putting growing pressure on natural and cultural environments. Rural destinations need new ways to welcome visitors while reducing car dependency, protecting local environments and making sustainable travel an attractive choice.
Tour Rural Baltic focuses on the routes and connections that can bring rural tourism experiences together. We map and assess existing cycling and walking routes, identify opportunities for new connections and collect examples of solutions that are already working elsewhere. Local communities, tourism businesses, NGOs and public authorities are involved in exploring local needs, testing ideas and developing solutions together.
We also look beyond individual routes. A great rural tourism experience depends on the whole journey: how visitors arrive, how they move between attractions, what services are available along the way and how easily they can find reliable information. We will explore how routes and destinations can better communicate their sustainability and accessibility, including information about who a route is suitable for and what limitations visitors should be aware of.
The project brings together partners from Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Lithuania to exchange knowledge, test ideas and learn from one another. What works in one region may inspire a new solution in another.
The lessons learned will be collected in the Green Rural Paths Toolkit – a practical resource for rural destinations and authorities. It will bring together methods, assessment tools, good practices, policy recommendations and communication approaches to support more sustainable, accessible and attractive rural tourism.
By connecting our knowledge, our routes and our rural tourism gems, we can create journeys that are better for visitors, local communities and the environment.
details
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Project type
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ImplementationJuly 2026 - June 2028
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Status
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Contribution to EUSBSR
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Target groups
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Social media
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Additional links
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Tags
Budgets
TourRBaltic
in numbers.
in numbers.
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0.50MillionTotal
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0.40MillionErdf
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0.00MillionNorway
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TourRBaltic
in numbers.
- 60.449063222.2960205
- 55.709402121.1340941
- 59.309546918.0773363
- 56.819204524.6074393
- 61.477047921.7915543
Project partners
Lead partnerTurku University of Applied Sciences
- TownTurku
- Region
- CountryFinland
- RegionVarsinais-Suomi
- RepresentativeTurku University of Applied Sciences
- Phone
- E-Mail
- Web
Total partner budget
109,200.00
Association KlaipÄ—da Region
- TownKlaipeda
- Region
- CountryLithuania
- RegionKlaipÄ—dos apskritis
- RepresentativeAssociation KlaipÄ—da Region
- Phone
- E-Mail
- Web
Total partner budget
91,000.00
Swedish Cycling Advocacy Organisation
- TownStockholm
- Region
- CountrySweden
- RegionStockholms län
- RepresentativeSwedish Cycling Advocacy Organisation
- Phone
- E-Mail
- Web
Total partner budget
135,016.00
Latvian Country Tourism Association
- TownOgre
- Region
- CountryLatvia
- RegionPierīga
- RepresentativeLatvian Country Tourism Association
- Phone
- E-Mail
- Web
Total partner budget
91,000.00
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences
- TownPori
- Region
- CountryFinland
- RegionSatakunta
- RepresentativeSatakunta University of Applied Sciences
- Phone
- E-Mail
- Web
Total partner budget
70,980.00
Contacts
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Project manager, Financial manager, Communication managerHeidi HeikkiläTurku University of Applied Sciences