Developing experience tourism in rural areas

A new project, Scaling Experiences, has been launched under the Interreg Central Baltic programme to help tourism businesses in Estonia, Latvia, and Finland take their services to the next level. The project focuses primarily on rural areas along the EU’s eastern border, aiming to transform them into attractive destinations for international visitors.

Project Objective

The aim of the project is to support approximately 80 (15–20 from Estonia, 15–15 from Latvia, 20 from Finland) new growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality and creative sectors, mainly located in rural areas near the EU’s eastern border.

The program is based on an innovative Experience Economy business model. Experiences are divided into four broad categories, and each company’s task is to find the right balance between them: Entertainment, Educational, Esthetical, Escapist.

This model enables SMEs to move to a higher level in the value chain: from the Service Economy to the Experience Economy. SMEs are involved through two application rounds, and each round consists of an approximately 8-month development cycle.

Project Significance

Currently, tourism companies near the EU’s eastern border are facing similar challenges: these areas are not always perceived as safe to visit. Businesses must make significant efforts to attract visitors, stand out from other destinations, and deliver greater value and more memorable experiences.

Project partners have identified that businesses across the target regions share common growth interests:

• To increase the economic value of their services using the Experience Economy model;
• To reach new customer groups from foreign markets;
• To elevate their branding and marketing activities to the next level.

Each participating company will receive an individual growth roadmap, along with personal support from mentors, business coaches, and tourism experts. Regular cross-border networking events and workshops will be organised, complemented by exchange visits. It is expected that around 60 SMEs will demonstrate tangible growth results by the end of the project.

How to Participate

Companies can apply during two selection rounds: in autumn 2025 and autumn 2026. The program is primarily targeted at SMEs that have been operating for 5 to 7 years and are ready to move to the next stage of growth.

Project Partners

• Tartu County Tourism Foundation (Estonia)
• Association of Local Authorities of Lääne-Viru County (Estonia)
• Tartu Centre for Creative Industries (Estonia)
• NGO Vidzeme Creative Hives (Latvia)
• Latgale Region Tourism Association (Latvia)
• South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Finland)

SCALING EXPERIENCES

• Duration: 05/2025 – 10/2027
• Total Budget: 1,320,250 €
• EU Funding: 1,056,200 €
• More information: www.centralbaltic.eu