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Project code: A78687
Project name: Strengthening resilience of the Vaalimaa area
Policy: 8. REACT-EU ERDF measures
Specific objective: 12.1. Enhancing the operations of SMEs, especially from the perspective of digitalisation and the green economy
Planned completion time: Start 1.3.2022 and end 31.8.2023
Operational status: Ended
Responsible authority: Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council
Official name of the applicant: Cursor Oy
Organisation type: Other legal person governed by public law
Business ID: 0727178-6
Street: Kyminlinnantie 6, PL 14
Telephone number: 0401902500
Postal code: 48601
City/town: Kotka
Website: http://www.cursor.fi
Project contact person's name: Luomi Marjo
Contact person's position in the organisation: Koordinaattori, kehittämishankkeet
Contact person’s email address: marjo.luomi(at)cursor.fi
Contact person's phone number: 0401902575
Number of applicants or subsidy transfer:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused particularly great damage to the tourism industry and to its related service industries. The Finnish tourism industry has suffered more extensively from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic than many other industries have. According to estimates, total demand for Finnish tourism was 16.1 billion euros in 2019. According to an optimistic estimate, total demand will decrease during 2021 by around 40%, and according to a pessimistic estimate by up to 50%. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, overnight stays in Finnish accommodation services in 2020 fell to the level of 1995. The number of overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 25% and by foreign tourists by as much as 68% from the previous year. According to estimates by the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, it will take at least until 2023 to recover the figures to the level of 2019. The return of international tourism to pre-crisis levels is unlikely to take place until after 2022. The recovery of tourism demand is strongly linked not only to the lifting of international and national restrictions and recommendations, but also to the restoration of accessibility. At the moment, we must be prepared for a situation where the tourism demand in Finland remains lower than the figures of 2019 for a longer period of time due to the aggresive invasion started by Russia in Ukraine. The coronavirus crisis will cut the consumption of foreign tourists in Finland by around 80% this year, adding up to a total cut of 3.8–4.2 billion euros in national tourism income.
In addition, as a result of the war started by Russia in Ukraine, the sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries are reflected as a particularly difficult situation in the number of customers of commercial services in the Vaalimaa area. For example, the number of customers in Zsar Outlet Village and Scandinavian Shopping Center has decreased, especially due to the lack of Russian tourists, which has contributed to the closure of several services, either permanently or temporarily. There is a notable risk that Finland will be sidelined from the global tourism market recovering tourism market due to the unstable situation in Russia and the upcoming border traffic practices that are difficult to predict, as well as regional image related to security, overshadow the recovery and development of international tourism after the corona epidemic. As tourism opens up, consumers and tour operators will be looking for destinations with which predictable trade and smooth entry practices can be anticipated. The aim of the Vaalimaa resilience project is therefore to support the recovery of Kymenlaakso and the entire Finnish economy, especially focusing on the tourism industry.
The aim of the project is to:
1. support the development of the social infrastructure at the Vaalimaa border area
2. Develop digital platforms and solutions for the Vaalimaa and Virolahti region and its commercial services
3. Support the accessibility and viability of commercial services in the border region.
Project workplans:
WP1: Sustainable social infrastructure at the border region
WP2: Development and testing of the commercial digital services
WP3: Productization and testing of the services
The project supports the renewal and development of tourism and service companies affected by the corona pandemic and the challenging current situation in the border region of Finland and Russia, for example through utilising digital solutions and by promoting the sustainable development of the border region's social infrastructure. The new business models and openings will help companies reach new customer groups and serve those who have not been able to access commercial services in the region as a result of the pandemic and the closure of border traffic. The project will support business growth, the preservation of existing jobs and contribute to the creation of new jobs. The utilisation of digitalisation will be promoted, for example, through the design and implementation of a digital service platforms. Currently, for example, a lot of service providers do not have a proper digital sales platform at their disposal. The development of e-commerce supports not only the survival of businesses in the difficult economic situation caused by the pandemic, but also serves as a new marketing and sales channel in the post-pandemic time and the post-war time. The digital service will be allocated to the use of service providers in the Vaalimaa and Virolahti areas. The purpose is also to update the Master Plan of the Vaalimaa shopping tourism area to reflect the current situation to support the development of commercial services. In the plan update, the area's vision and the area's development measures will be updated. The aim of the updated plan is to guide the further development of the area and the plan also functions as a support for the area's branding and the area's marketing and sales work.
Digital solutions and applications are also being sought to support the opening of border traffic services. The project will renew and strengthen the local economic structure, especially in the tourism industry, for the benefit of the whole region and in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, a total of 932,000 Russian tourists arrived in Finland. This number decreased by 71.4% during the first year of the pandemic. The Vaalimaa resilience project is designed to support the recovery of commercial services in the border region affected by the pandemic. This also requires increasing the attractiveness and general recognition of the entire Virolahti tourism area as a destination among new potential customer groups. Thanks to the project, tourism and service companies will also receive concrete help for the development of new intangible products and services, e.g. by promoting digital solutions in tourism. The goal is also to draw attention to sustainable tourism and carbon-neutral construction. Compensating the environmental effects of tourism will be taken into account in the services and solutions developed for the region.
Hankkeen kohderyhmänä ovat Vaalimaan alueen pk-yritykset ja muut palveluntarjoajat.
Välillisenä kohderyhmänä ovat paikalliset asukkaat, kotimaan ja kansainväliset matkailijat.
EU and State funding granted: 179 556
EU and State funding used: 166 622
Planned public funding (total): 224 445
Planned public funding used (total): 209 492
Regions: Kymenlaakso
Subregions: Kotka-Hamina
Municipalities: Pyhtää, Hamina, Miehikkälä, Virolahti, Kotka
Street:
Postal code:
City/town:
Planned: 0, in which women are employed 0
Completed according to monitoring information: 0.00, in which women are employed 0.00
Planned: 0, which are founded by women 0
Completed according to monitoring information: 0.00, which are founded by women 0.00
| Direct | Indirect | |
| Luonnonvarojen käytön kestävyys | 8 | 8 |
| Hankkeen tavoitteena on kiinnittää huomiota kestävään matkailuun ja hiilineutraaliin rakentamiseen. Matkailun ympäristövaikutusten kompensoiminen huomioidaan alueelle kehitettävissä palveluissa ja ratkaisuissa. | ||
| Ilmastonmuutoksen aiheuttamien riskien vähentäminen | 8 | 9 |
| Hankkeessa huomioidaan ilmastonmuutos siten, että hiilijalanjäljen laskentaan kiinnitetään erityistä huomiota suunniteltaessa alueen palveluita ja uusia investointeja. | ||
| Kasvillisuus, eliöt ja luonnon monimuotoisuus | 4 | 5 |
| Hankkeella ei ole merkittäviä välillisiä tai välittömiä negatiivisia vaikutuksia kasvillisuuteen, eliöihin tai luonnon monimuotoisuuteen. | ||
| Pinta- ja pohjavedet, maaperä sekä ilma (ja kasvihuonekaasujen väheneminen) | 5 | 5 |
| Hankkeella ei ole merkittäviä välillisiä tai välittömiä negatiivisia vaikutuksia kasvillisuuteen, eliöihin tai luonnon monimuotoisuuteen. | ||
| Natura 2000 -ohjelman kohteet | 5 | 5 |
| Hankkeella ei ole merkittäviä välillisiä tai välittömiä negatiivisia vaikutuksia kasvillisuuteen, eliöihin tai luonnon monimuotoisuuteen. | ||
| Materiaalit ja jätteet | 7 | 8 |
| Palvelujen kehittämisessä huomioidaan kiertotalouden trendit. | ||
| Uusiutuvien energialähteiden käyttö | 8 | 9 |
| Matkailupalveluiden kehittämisessä huomioidaan uusiutuvien energialähteiden käyttö osana laajempaa Vaalimaan alueen kehittämistä. | ||
| Paikallisen elinkeinorakenteen kestävä kehittäminen | 9 | 7 |
| Hanke uudistaa ja vahvistaa paikallista elinkeinorakennetta, erityisesti matkailutoimialalla koko seudun hyväksi ja kestävän kehityksen periaatteita noudattaen. | ||
| Aineettomien tuotteiden ja palvelujen kehittäminen | 9 | 9 |
| Hankkeen avulla matkailuyritykset saavat konkreettista apua myös uusien aineettomien tuotteiden- ja palveluiden kehittämiseksi, mm. matkailun digitaalisia ratkaisuja edistämällä. | ||
| Liikkuminen ja logistiikka | 8 | 8 |
| Palvelujen ja investointien suunnittelussa huomioidaan logistiikkaan ja saavutettavuuteen liittyvät asiat sekä ekologisuus. Digitaaliset palvelut ja ratkaisut tukevat myös logistiikan vähähiilisyystavoitteita. | ||
| Hyvinvoinnin edistäminen | 8 | 9 |
| Hankkeella on uuden yritystoiminnan ja matkailumahdollisuuksien kehittämisen myötä myönteisiä vaikutuksia seudun asukkaiden ja matkailijamäärien kasvuun. Olemassa olevien palvelujen säilymisen tukeminen vahvistaa myös alueen asukkaiden viihtyvyyttä ja alueen vetovoimaisuutta asuinympäristönä. | ||
| Tasa-arvon edistäminen | 9 | 6 |
| Hanke on tasa-arvon edistämisen kannalta neutraali, vaikka sillä ei ole suoraan tasa-arvon edistämiseen liittyviä toimenpiteitä. Toimenpiteissä kuitenkin huomioidaan toimenpiteiden vaikutus tasa-arvon näkökulmasta | ||
| Yhteiskunnallinen ja kulttuurinen yhdenvertaisuus | 7 | 8 |
| Ei suoria vaikutuksia yhteiskunnalliseen ja kulttuuriseen yhdenvertaisuuteen. Hankkeella on kuitenkin myönteisiä vaikutuksia Kymenlaakson elinvoimaisuuteen, työllistymiseen ja kansainvälistymiseen, mikä esim. lisää tarvetta kansainvälisille osaajille ja integroi heitä paremmin osaksi seudun elinkeinoelämää. | ||
| Kulttuuriympäristö | 8 | 7 |
| Hankkeen matkailupalvelujen kehitystyössä huomioidaan kulttuuriympäristön säilyminen ja kehittäminen kestävän kehityksen periaatteiden mukaan. Palveluiden kehittämisessä huomioidaan myös kytkökset alueen kulttuuripalveluihin, -tapahtumiin ja -kohteisiin. | ||
| Ympäristöosaaminen | 8 | 7 |
| Hankkeen myötä seudulla vahvistetaan matkailutoimialalla toimivien yritysten tietoisuutta kestävän ja vastuullisen matkailun periaatteista. |
Summary: Strengthening resilience of the Vaalimaa Area
The Covid 19 pandemic has caused particularly severe damage to the tourism industry and related service sectors. The recovery in demand is strongly linked not only to the lifting of international and national restrictions and recommendations, but also to the restoration of accessibility. At present, we must also prepare for a situation in which tourism demand in Finland will remain below the 2019 figures for an extended period due to the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, especially in south-eastern and eastern Fin-land. In addition, the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia are having a particularly difficult impact on the number of customers of tourism related services in South-East Finland, which has led to the permanent or temporary closure of several services in the Vaalimaa border region.
There is a risk that the municipality of Virolahti and Vaalimaa area will be left out of the global recovery of the tourism market, as the unstable situation in Russia and subsequent unpredictable border traffic practices and regional perceptions of security overshadow the recovery and development of international tourism after the coronation epidemic. As tour-ism opens, consumers and tour operators are attracted to destinations with a predictable trade outlook and smooth entry procedures. The aim of the project has been to support the business community in Virolahti and the recovery of the tourism sector, adapting tourism and commercial operators to the post-crisis period in an unstable environment.
The project aimed to:
1. Support the development of social infrastructure in the Vaalimaa border region
2. Develop new digital platforms and solutions for commercial services in the Vaalimaa and Virolahti region
3. Support the accessibility and vitality of commercial services in the Vaalimaa and Viro-lahti area
Project measures:
WP1: Sustainable cross-border social infrastructure
WP2: Development and testing of digital commercial services in Vaalimaa and Virolahti
WP3: Productization and testing of services in Vaalimaa and Virolahti
The project supported the renewal and development of tourism and service businesses in the Virolahti and Vaalimaa region, affected by the interest rate pandemic and the challenging current situation on the eastern border, by introducing a digital marketplace Johku and piloting new and improved tourism and commercial services for new target groups.
The introduction and development of the online shop will not only support the survival of businesses in the difficult economic situation caused by the pandemic but will also serve as a new common marketing and sales channel for the future. The project has also provided tourism and service businesses with concrete support for the development of new intangible sustainable products and services. The new and improved productized tourism and commercial services have helped the companies to reach new domestic and international tourists who are potential target groups to visit Virolahti and also to use tourism and commercial services in the Vaalimaa region during their visit. The project has also contributed to the development of businesses and the maintenance of existing jobs and the vitality of the municipality of Virolahti.