South Ostrobothnia Tourism Forum
About this good practice
Cooperation between tourism operators requires transparency, trust and common goals. Effective cooperation can bring benefits to all parties and improve the competitiveness of the tourism industry. The Tourism Forum was launched to support the cooperation in the region.
Objectives:
- to reach and involve tourism operators in the Forum's activities.
- to promote the development of the tourism image of the region and the profile of tourism business as a major economic activity.
Tasks:
- to provide an environment for broad cooperation, discussion and networking between actors.
- to highlight and process current tourism-related information.
- to plan and prioritise future measures in the region.
- organise the collection, analysis, and communication of regional tourism information to target groups.
- to participate and contribute, for example, to the updating and monitoring of the implementation of the regional tourism strategy.
- taking account of the customer perspective in all tasks.
The chair is assisted by a working group of tourism stakeholders. Together they ensure that the objectives and tasks are achieved, and that information is actively circulated.
The Tourism Forum meets twice a year and is coordinated by the current presidency. The work of the forum is beneficial to all parties. It encourages actors to present needs, challenges, for which cooperation can be used to find solutions. The forum is also a place to highlight success, innovations and good practices.
Resources needed
The activities of the Tourism Forum were launched as a measure of a tourism project during 2019-2020. The Forum has transitioned from being a project activity to a self-sustaining initiative without additional funding. The working group consists of 11 representatives and meets 6 times a year.
Evidence of success
The Tourism Forum has already become a well-established practice that has fostered networking among tourism sector. The Tourism Forum brings together 70–80 participants twice a year, representing a broad range of tourism stakeholders. The presidency and the working group are actively working together. The Tourism Forum implements the communication and presentation of topical themes in tourism, as well as the transmission of regional tourism information.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Tourism Forum started as part of the project, but the way it was implemented was so good for tourism operators that it has continued for several years after the end of the project. The twice-yearly meetings have brought together a wide range of stakeholders each time: tourism entrepreneurs, municipal decision-makers and financiers. In tourism forum activities, current information about the industry is shared with stakeholders, which also facilitates learning.
Other regions in Finland have implemented similar tourism forums, showcasing the model’s adaptability and relevance beyond South Ostrobothnia.
Further information
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