Product and destination development

Presented below is a complete overview of the measures proposed by the government in this area. Measures to improve collaboration with the tourism industry and between the tourism industry and other business sectors:

• Better maps and signposting of and at destinations, including cruise destinations.

• Innovation Norway to carry out a cruise project. • Better coordination between the cultural sector and

the tourism industry.

• Better utilisation of the food-producing sector for tourism purposes.

Measures to increase use of the country’s natural and cultural heritage for tourism purposes:

• National park and natural heritage information centres to be further developed so they can play a more important role in the development of tourism. • Development of a brand/communications strategy

for Norway’s national parks, including the continu- ation of the national park villages and national park districts schemes.

• Natural and cultural heritage tours to be further developed.

• Better development of tourism products linked to major conservation areas, so that they can be are- nas for experiences/activities within the individual area’s conservation framework.

• Coordination between culture and tourism to be followed up particularly in the government’s action plan for culture and business.

Measures to improve development of tourism products along the national tourist routes:

• Establish an operative market collaboration between the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Innovation Norway and the regional tourism boards.

• Invite Norwegian tourism companies to enter a competition to propose ways in which the national tourist routes can be utilised in the best possible way by the industry.

• Continue the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s programme to focus on food along the national tourist routes.

Measures to improve utilisation of the country’s coastal culture for tourism purposes.

Measures to improve utilisation of the country’s pilgrimage traditions for tourism purposes.

Measures to increase levels of competence within the tourism industry:

• The “Tourism Industry Development Centre” project to be continued and reinforced.

• Support for measures to improve recruitment of staff to the tourism industry to be given priority. • Ensure that a complete overview of training/

education courses, etc, is available to the tourism industry.

• Increase the number of courses offered by Innovation Norway.

Measures to improve innovation in the tourism industry: • Establish a dedicated incubator for the tourism

industry under the auspices of the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway (SIVA). • Promote more entrepreneurship in the tourism

industry.

• Promote increased use of new technology by the tourism industry.

• Undertake pilot projects covering technology development at the point where tourism, culture and the IT sector meet. The main objective of the projects is to arrive at partnerships and new solutions across the three sectors.

79 Establishment of a new research project entitled

“User-driven tourism research”.

• The main objectives of the research project are to identify what kind of competence and research- based knowledge the tourism industry needs, to survey and communicate tourism research, and propose measures that will increase the usefulness of research to the tourism industry.

Implementation and development of the star-rating scheme for providers of overnight accommodation. Continue efforts to increase knowledge of sustainable tourism, and increase the number of eco-certified companies.

Continue efforts to develop an eco-labelling scheme for tourism destinations.

Continue and evaluate ongoing pilot schemes for the voluntary financing of collective benefits.

Draw up proposals for the establishment of new seed- capital funds, which are also available to the tourism industry.

Investinor will continue to offer capital to the tourism industry.

Measures to increase the accessibility of Norwegian destinations:

• Continue the National Tourist Routes scheme. • Develop a national public transport route planner. • Improve collaboration between the counties’

transport administrations to increase the predictability of public transport schedules.

• Continue Avinor’s efforts to develop new air routes, while the state authorities continue to ensure flights are available to all parts of the country by purchasing air routes that would otherwise not be commercially viable.

Continue the tourism industry’s designation as one of the cornerstones of social development in Svalbard.

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7 Sales and marketing

Companies themselves have a responsibility to ensure they have a product that the market wants at a price that generates an adequate profit, and that the market is aware that the product exists.

Nevertheless, the authorities devote substantial re- sources to marketing Norway as a tourism destination, not only to make the market aware that many valuable experiences are to be had throughout the country, but also because marketing Norway internationally benefits the tourism industry as a whole. The objective is primarily to present Norway as an attractive destina- tion and achieve greater value creation in the tourism industry. To maximise the effectiveness of the market- ing effort, it must be sustained at a stable level over time. Since obtaining funding for such image-building activities, both at the national and regional level, is a challenge, the Norwegian authorities, like those of other countries, contribute to this type of marketing.

The authorities also wish to help establish an infrastructure to make it easier for the market to buy Norwegian tourism products. This is a shared infra- structure that all Norwegian tourism companies can make use of.

Sales is a key focus area of this strategy because it is a vital element if the main objective of increased value creation and productivity in the tourism industry is to be achieved.