The project Coast Tour will produce new knowledge about different aspects of cooperation in the development of coastal tourism.
Coastal tourism is developing in Norway, but faces challenges regarding profitability and professionalism. Increased cooperation may improve innovation and subsequently, profitability in coastal tourism operations. The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs highlights the need to stimulate cooperation between the fisheries and seafood industries and the tourism industry.
Cooperation between these industries should strengthen Norway as a tourist destination and also as a successful seafood producing nation. In addition to such cross-sector cooperation it is important to increase cooperation between small and large as well as rural and urban actors within the coastal tourism sector. However, there are few studies published on development of tourism in coastal conditions similar to Norways.
The project CoastTour will contribute by providing new empirical data and analysis of important aspects of cooperation in tourism development in coastal areas. The main objective of the project is to answer the question: Can cooperation between actors across industries, scale and urban-rural settings bring about development in coastal tourism? In connection to this the project will investigate questions related to four aspects: cooperation itself, effects on the tourism product, effects on the customer base, and conditions for cooperation.
Project period is 1.7.2011 30.6.2014. The project is led by Centre for Rural Research, Trondheim and is carried out in cooperation with the research institution Nofima in Tromsø. The project also involves Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada and Norwegian user partners: Hurtigruten (the Coastal Steamer), Rica Nidelven Hotel, Forum for Showcases in Aquaculture, Norwegian Hospitality Association, and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council. The project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council.