Cooperation to enhance coastal tourism development (CoastTour) – Samarbeid for å styrke utviklingen av kystturisme (CoastTour)

Coastal tourism is developing in Norway, but faces challenges regarding profitability and professionalism. Increased cooperation may improve innovation and profitability. 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 coastal tourism. There are few studies published on development of tourism in coastal conditions similar to Norway’s. 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, based on studies of selected cases, investigate the cooperation itself, effects on the coastal tourism product, consequences for customer base, and framework conditions.