New cooperation to lift the coastal route around the Gulf of Bothnia

Luleå Three Swedish and four Finnish organisations will work together on the Bothnian Coastal Route project.
The project aims to raise awareness of the coastal route across the Kvarken and around the Gulf of Bothnia as an attractive route for both foreign visitors and locals. The aim is to increase the reasons for visiting destinations along the route.

Partners in the project are the Kvarken Council EGTS (lead and coordinating beneficiary), the City of Kalajoki, Luleå Business Region AB, the City of Oulu/Business Oulu, Vasa Region Development Ltd VASEK, Visit Skellefteå AB and Visit Umeå AB.

"This new project constellation along the Gulf of Bothnia coast will complement our existing regional cooperation constellations in a good way. The project seems timely; the destinations visitors are looking for today should have a sustainable profile with high natural and cultural values - and all this preferably without congestion", says Rickard Lundmark, CEO of Luleå Business Region.

It is a three-year Interreg Aurora project that will start in January 2023. The project's total budget is €2.7 million, of which €1.8 million is EU funding through the Interreg Aurora programme. Other funding comes from Finnish national and Swedish regional co-financing, from the Nordic Council of Ministers and from municipal and private co-financing.

The funders are Interreg Aurora, Lapland Regional Council, Region Västerbotten, Kvarkenrådet EGTS, Umeå Municipality, Vasaregionens Utveckling Ab VASEK, Kalajoki City, Luleå Business Region AB, Oulu City/BusinessOulu, Visit Skellefteå AB, Vaasa City, Karleby Turism AB, Haparanda Municipality - Haparanda/Torneå, Bothnian Arc rf, Jakobstad City, Piteå Municipality and Kemin Matkailu Oy. Wasaline (NLC Ferry Ab) is involved in the project as a co-financier and, with its ferry, Aurora Botnia, acts as a link to the sea.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com