“Vector- Sport” project aimed at the development of cross-border sport tourism in cooperation with regional sport federations, sport clubs, public authorities and business society of Saint-Petersburg and South–East Finland. The project partners were three regional sports federations of South-East Finland, the Committee for physical culture and sports of Saint –Petersburg and the Training Center for the national sports team of Saint- Petersburg. Special attention of the project was paid to the support of local SMEs, operating in sports tourism sector. Regional companies were in demand of the institutional support from authorities, NGOs and other stakeholders, therefore, the project aimed to unite these target groups to work together for increasing the number of new sports tourism products and services, enhancing tourists’ flows and regional development.
As the result, the regions of Saint- Petersburg and South–East Finland could increase their attractiveness for the business to invest, locate and operate on the program areas.Through the specific marketing activities and international cross-border sports events, the project motivated tourists to come to the programs areas and local authorities to integrate sports tourism into regional development strategies. The main project achievements could be identified as follows new operating networks in sport tourism between South–East Finland and Saint-Petersburg were established, well- informed societies of cross–border regions about the possibilities of sport tourism and active recreation, as well as about new business opportunities and forms of economic activity, new cross- border economic clusters created, and new sports tourism products developed. Thus, the project created the preconditions for the sustainable SMEs and business development in the program regions, contributed to the developmental processes in the program areas with the knowledge, expertise, human resources, new operational models.
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