Bothnia Coastal Tourism

Bothnian Coastal Tourism (BCT) strengthens the Bothnian Coast as a unified, visitor-ready and regenerative cross-border destination. Building on the results of the Bothnian Coastal Route project, BCT tackles new challenges identified during that work: low end-consumer awareness, uneven SME capabilities across the enlarged geography, fragmented storytelling and the need to translate sustainability ambitions into practical, market-ready actions.

The project expands cooperation to include Västernorrland and Kristinestad, ensuring that SMEs in these areas reach the same level of readiness as those already engaged in BCR. Through coordinated cross-border activities, partners will develop a coherent B2C brand, strengthen digital visibility, and upgrade the Bothnian Coastal Route website with improved content, multilingual functions and AI-supported tools that help visitors discover and explore the region more easily.

New markets will be targeted through tailored PR, buyer collaboration, thematic itineraries and micro-campaigns that highlight the region's cultural and natural strengths. SMEs will receive hands-on support in pricing, productization, AI adoption and regenerative tourism, enabling them to develop competitive offers that benefit local communities and environments.

The project embeds long-term cooperation through shared digital systems, harmonized communication routines and a governance model that ensures DMOs take over key functions after project completion. This creates a sustainable foundation for continued cross-border development and increased year-round visibility for the Bothnian Coastal region.