You are here: Home » Newsletters » Newsletter 6 – Tourism Pilot

Newsletter 6 – Tourism Pilot

Live like locals -concept presented at two seminars in Japan

BaltMet Promo Tourism Pilot event was organized 30 Sebtember at the JATA Travel Showcase 2011 in Japan at Tokyo Big Sight. Another marketing event for Japanese tourism operators was organized 4 October at the Imperial-hotel. JATA Travel Showcase is Asia’s largest tourism exhibition that receives every year more than 100,000 visitors.

Three bloggers from Japan Lived like locals in the Baltic Sea Region and their feelings were presented at both events. BaltMet Promo EU-funded Project was presented as well as the Live like locals concept. Tourism pilot experts presented the bloggers three different destination packages and the cities involved.

BaltMet Promo event at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo

BaltMet Promo Tourism Pilot event was organized at the Imperial-hotel in Tokyo.

The seminar part at the Imperial hotel was organized at the Tsuru-room and reception at the Ohgi-room. Over 100 persons participated to the event. The event was conducted and also the bloggers were interviewed by Mr. Noto Shigeyoshi. Welcome greeting and introduction of Balt Met Promo was held by Ms. Iina Oilinki, from the City of Helsinki continued by Ms. Linda Pukite, from the city of Riga, who presented the Live like locals concept and also what the tourism pilot includes.

Tourism pilot experts presented the bloggers three different destination packages and the cities involved. Helsinki and St. Petersburg was presented by Ms. Mari Lihr. Baltic cities by Mr. Edgars Kuzmans, Warsaw by Ms. Ewa Swiderska and Berlin by Mr. Thomas Mielke.

32 bloggers participated in competition to three different ten days trips to Baltic Sea Region. Three bloggers were selected from Japan to Live like locals in the Baltic Sea Region and their feelings were presented at both events.

Follow the travel experience to the Baltic cities!

Helsinki – Saint Petersburg by Mayumi Takahashi http://uramayu.typepad.jp
Tallinn – Riga – Vilnius by Chihiro Ishino http://ciicic.jugem.cc
Berlin – Warsaw by Kaoru Yoshida http://garakuta-www.jugem.jp

In the picture below from the left Mayumi Takahaski, Chihiro Ishino and Kaoru Yoshida

Why Baltic Sea Region?

Baltic Sea Region (BSR) includes ten countries on the top of Europe. The region creates endless opportunities for people interested in design, shopping, eating, history, culture, music and nature. Baltic Sea Region is easy to reach from Japan and distances within the region are short. Live like locals -concept enables you to get the know the region through own wxperience. Concept is based on expert opinions and extensive research, targeted at individual travellers, Japanese young women trend-setters in travelling. Included inviting bloggers in order to spread the message as widely as possible and using social media.

In pictures below Mr. Noto Shigeyoshi is interviewing the bloggers and the last pictures is at the reception after the seminar.

Live like locals -brochures published in English and Japanese

The brochure covers the Baltic Sea Region that is the area surrounding the Baltic Sea, covering the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic states, Poland, Germany and the most western part of Russia.

You will find information about the cities of Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Malmö, Oslo, Riga, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Vilnius and Warsaw. The cities create a lively region full of tastes, fashion, design, nature and architecture as well as cultural and historical heritage.

Live like locals -brochure in English and Japanese (pdf, 8 Mb)

Contact person for the Tourism Pilot:
Ms. Linda Pukite, Project Manager, Riga Tourism Co-ordination and Information Centre, City of Riga
E-mail: linda.pukite(at)riga.lv

Baltic Sea Region-Japan Coproduction Forum during Scanorama Film Festival 11-13 November in Vilnius

The Baltic Sea Region–Japan Coproduction Forum invites promising filmmakers from Japan and the Baltic Sea Region to network, share experiences and find new ways to make films together. The event is held during the Scanorama European Film Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania from 11 to 13 November, 2011.

The aim of the Coproduction Forum is to exchange ideas about new projects, organize screenings and to look for ways to coproduction in film industry. Altogether 20 rising talents will attend the event, 10 from Japan and two from each Partner Cities of Berlin, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius and Warsaw. At the same time additional 30 cinematographers of the Region will take part in event.

Attendees will participate in master classes, panel discussions, pitching of film projects, film screenings and informal meetings. They will also receive feedback to their film project plans from well-known film experts.

High-level speakers share their experiences

The Coproduction Forum will be moderated by world-famous British film producer Nik Powell, the winner of numerous film awards and lecturer. 

Additionally, the event presents several keynote speakers both from Japan and the Baltic Sea Region. From Japan producer and professor at Berlin Free University Dr Hiroomi Fukuzawa, the co-founder of the legendary NDF film studios Michiyo Yoshizaki and documentary filmmaker Takahiro Hamano will share their experiences and knowledge on international filmmaking. 

The Baltic Sea Region representatives include German producer Dagmar Jacobsen, Polish documentary filmmaker Marcel Łoziński and filmmaker and theatre director Krzysztof Zanussi, and Lithuanian producers Rasa Miškinytė and Lineta Mišeikytė.  

The officials of UNIJAPAN and MEDIA DESK organsations will reveal Japanese and European support schemes favouring coproductions for the participants of the Forum. 

The Forum will also be joined by film producers Lars Bredo Rahbek, Raimond Goebel, Linda Krukle and film director Maris Martinsons.

More about the forum is HERE.
Read more (pdf)

Contac person for the Film Talent Pilot: Ms Ina Irens, Head of Protocol, International Division, City of Vilnius, E-mail: ina.irens(at)vilnius.lt

DG Regio Director visited BaltMet Promo stand at Baltic Development Forum Summit in Gdansk

Dirk Ahner, Director-General in DG Regional Policy visited BaltMet Promo stand at the Baltic Development Forum’s Summit in Gdansk.

BaltMet Promo Project Manager Iina Olinki, City of Helsinki, highlights the results of BaltMet Promo. investor’s Guide was produced and it will be also updated after the BaltMet Promo project has finished. This newsletter focuses mainly in Tourism pilot and the successful events organised in Tokyo. Talent pilot event is yet to come during the Scanorma Film Festival in Vilnius.

Jenny Antonen, Greater Helsinki Promotion presented the Investor’s Guide and why it was produced. Eeva Rantama is besides Mr. Ahner listening. Online version of the guide (pdf)

Final Policy Roundtable discussed on the draft Action Plan

BaltMet Promo had the final Policy roundtable in Gdansk back-to-back event for the Baltic Development Forum’s Summit. The rountable started with food-for-thoughts key-note by Annika Rembe, Director General, Swedish Institute. Marcus Anderson, from Baltic Development Forum presented the draft Action Plan for the Marketing of the Baltic Sea Region to investors, tourists and talents. The Policy Action Plan is created by the BaltMet Promo project. It is summary of experiences drawn throughout the project period 2010-2011, as well as lessons learned from other marketing projects and iniatives in the Baltic Sea Region.

In the project two different reports has been done in the subject: Place Branding and Place Promotion Efforts in the Baltic Sea Region (pdf) and at the Baltic Develpoment Forum Summit published On Identity – No Identity – An Essay on the Constructions, Possibilities and Necessities for Understanding a European Macro Region: The Baltic Sea (pdf)

The draft tackles the questions between competition and cooperation. This Action Plan is policy oriented, i.e. the overall aim is to explain the benefits of regional cooperation in promotional activities, to encourage policy makers in national ministries and government agencies to take dimensions of regional marketing into account and, ultimately, to create conditions conducive to an improvement in this particular field of regional cooperation.

The Action Plan is comprised of four thematic areas, overall marketing and branding, tourism promotion, investment promotion and talent attraction and a section on EU funding.

There are four main arguments in favour our BSR-­level overall marketing and branding:

• Market size argument – a larger market and more opportunities can be marketed, potentially giving more impact in the marketing communications.
• Image transfer argument – places that are less known and/or with less positive images can benefit from tagging onto the more positive or known images of other places in the region
• Economies of scale argument – international marketing is costly, but by pooling resources costs can be cut through economies of scale
• Product development argument – the possibility of transnational product development

Recommendations are still under discussion. Shall we need a Common brand and communication platform? Perception research? Common tourism strategy? In many ways prioritisation? Regular meetings? These are just few questions to be decided upon. In regards of EU funding: More easier and faster tendering procedures and funding needs to be more long term to provide consistency and durability of projects.

Policy recomendations will be published in BaltMet Promo Final Book that will be published at the BaltMet Promo Final envent in Warsaw 24th November, 2011.

Contact person: Mr Marcus Andersson, Baltic Development Forum, E-mail: ma(at)bdforum.org

BaltMet Promo Final Event in Warsaw 24th November

31st October, 2011: Baltic Sea Region Conference – BaltMet Promo Final Event in Warsaw 24th November 2011. Final event part one will be about implementing the Strategy of the Baltic Sea Region. Key-note speech will be by Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw and Chairwoman of Baltic Metropoles.

Matti Ollinkari, Head of International Relations, City of Helsinki will present the BaltMet Promo project – what was it and what became of it?

BaltMet Promo Pilot product presentations will include Investment: Investor’s Guide, Film talent: BSR – Japan workshop and Tourism: Live like locals.

Followed by Baltic Development Forum’s Director Hans Brask and speech from European Parliament. 

Second part of the event will be about identity and branding. We will hear Branding case from Warsaw and about regional branding that was done in BaltMet Promo.

The event will start at 9 and end in Guided tour of Warsaw with the  “live like locals in theme in Warsaw” at 15:30.

BaltMet Promo Final Book will be published in Warsaw

In Final Event BaltMet Promo will publish a Final Book with all the lessons learned in the project and pilots as well as Action Plan for the Marketing of the Baltic Sea Region to investors, tourists and talents.