Tourism development principles in Lake Saimaa area in 2015-2016

1. Visit Saimaa
Destination Development
18.5.2015
Maisa Häkkinen

2. VISIT SAIMAA
Tourism development principles in Lake Saimaa area
• Cities have delegated responsibility to city owned
development agencies, which coordinate project work.
• On the operational level there are tourism
associations, DMCs, incoming agencies: e.g. Savonlinna
Travel Ltd. or Mikkeli Region Tourism Association.
• Regional council (Etelä Savo) has produced regional
development strategy emphasizing
tourism and is EU funding authority.
• Visit Finland supports initiatives in
main tourism areas e.g. Lakeland.

3. VISIT SAIMAA
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*
Registered bednights Etelä-
Savo Germany
Registered bednights Etelä-
Savo Russia
Registered bednights Etelä-
Savo Switzerland

4. VISIT SAIMAA
Regional development strategy
A. Lake Saimaa will be developed as an international tourism
destination
B. Tourism business will be internationalized: local companies active
in international marketing and sales, developing international partnerships
and attracting foreign companies
C. Developing customer oriented thematic product using service
design methodologies. Improving accessibility of products and
networking btw. Entrepreneurs.
D. Developing sustainable tourism and E. business environment:
nature, transport, tourism perspective in
sector development.

5. VISIT SAIMAA
Implementation of strategy
For 2015-2016 ERDF project funding for Mikkeli and
Savonlinna for internationalization project: c. 2,2
mEUR awarded for consortia consisting of top
tourism enterprises and development agencies.
- Product coordination
- International marketing
- Initializing cooperation in the whole Lake Saimaa
area and developing
cooperation model (…see below).

6. Vision
• Growth: Triple the number of European
tourists in three years. Significant growth
from Russian and Asian market.
• Visit Saimaa will an internationally
known destination brand with
good name recognition in target markets/groups.
• Our distribution in international channels will be efficiently and
professionally utilized
• We will have launched significant partnerships with international players
and attracted foreign tourism investment
• All cities/regions will join under Lake Saimaa umbrella and have
coordinated
international marketing
• We will have close partnership with
Visit Finland on the national level

7. VISIT SAIMAA
• Mikkeli and Savonlinna economic
development agencies (Miset, Syke) are
working working in cooperation since 2014 to
develop Lake Saimaa as an international
tourism destination.
• VisitSaimaa & MikkeliRegion project 2015-
2016
• Savonlinna Destination – Visit Saimaa 2020
project 2015-2017
• Join international marketing for Visit Saimaa
(www.visitsaimaa.fi)
• Goal is substantial growth of tourism and
tourism income from Central Europe, mainly
German speaking area and maintaining and
improving position in the Russian market.
• More than 40 leading companies from Mikkeli
and Savonlinna Region are committed to
cooperation.

8. KASVUA KANSAINVÄLISTYMISESTÄ
• Growth of tourism income 3-5 %/
per annum
• Growth of bednigths 5-10 % per
annum (after initialization phase)
• Target markets
– Central Europe (German speaking)
– Russia, Moscow as new target
– Asia – China and Japan
• Developing VisitSaimaa brand
– www.visitsaimaa.fi
– Content driven expertiential
marketing
– Saimaa Moments –
www.saimaamoments.fi

9. SAIMAA MOMENTS
ALL SENSES
Hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting,
touching: Food, events, music,
materials products
LAKE MAGIC
Activities and modes of being in
the lake lake nature: Sports, well-
being, nature activities
MYTHS & URBAN LEGENDS
Legends, stories, folklore,
mythology and fun.
TRUE STORIES
What is unique on Lake Saimaa –
geology, flora fauna, history,
people
GO LOCAL
Join the Saimaa communities for
doing things together and
meeting the aboriginals

10. Product themes
• Culture & Nature
• Heritage
• Local & Lifestyle
• Outdoors Saimaa
• Wellbeing Saimaa
• Taste Saimaa
• Fly & Drive

11. Actions
• VisitSaimaa website development
• VisitSaimaa tourism product
• Saimaa Shop webshop and reservation system
• Developing international distribution channels (e.g.
charter project).
• Joint marketing action
• Online marketing campaign
• Focused participation in workshops, fairs, sales
runs.
• Media, bloggers, tour operator educs
• Deepening international partnerships

12. In cooperation with
In Finland
• VisitFinland
• Finland Stop Over –project
• GoSaimaa – Lappeenranta, Imatra
• Lakeland cooperation with Kuopio,
Joensuu regions
Internationally
• St. Petersburg partnerships, Beijing VisitSweden…
• Tour operators
• Potential investors

13. KIITOS
Maisa Häkkinen
Mikkeli Region Development Agency Miset
Pellervo Kokkonen
Savonlinna Business Services