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Water Tourism in Päijät-Häme Region. Products, Marketing and Distribution Ms. Marjaana Salomaa, Lecturer . Vesijärvi Päijänne. Research I. Sysmä, Asikkala, Heinola, Padasjoki, Hollola, Lahti municipalities
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Water Tourism in Päijät-Häme Region Products, Marketing and Distribution Ms. Marjaana Salomaa, Lecturer
Research I • Sysmä, Asikkala, Heinola, Padasjoki, Hollola, Lahti municipalities • Interviews of Päijät-Häme area municipality-officials and 20 companies offering water-related tourism products Vääksy canal www.paijannettapohjoiseen.com
Research II • Material was analysed from the individual travellers point of view • Concentrating to e-marketing for it’s easy access and growing importance • Companies and municipality web-pages and brochures analysed • 20 tourism companies interview materials • Travel agencies comments • Tour around Vesijärvi for the road traveller’s point of view
Worth visiting • Sibelius-house • Small, picturesque villages • Art –exhibitions • Exhibitions of the history and the nature • Summer concerts • Old Manor-houses • Medieval churches • Summer cottages • Local food and beverage • Camping areas • Pulkkila Harju Heinola harbour http://www.heinola.fi/FIN/Palvelut/Matkailu/matkailu.htm
Water related products • Cruising (charter, scheduled) • Sailing • Paddling • Rowing • Equipment rental • Fishing (net, angling, fly) • Boat taxi • Catch crayfish • Water games • Swimming and sauna • cross-country skiing • Ice-skating • snow-mobile-safaris • ice-fishing • Also as a part of other theme Activities http://www.heinola.fi/FIN/Palvelut/Matkailu/matkailu.htm
Service focus in harbours Asikkala • Vääksy-canal, an intersection between Vesijärvi and Päijänne • Päijänne –house, The Rapala success story, Asikkala´s Fishing and Cultural Centre • Lighthouse Pavilion, harbour and services Sysmä • Suopelto-harbour and village harbour Heinola • Connected to Päijänne with Kalkkinen-canal • Lake Ruotsalainen Padasjoki • Kelvennetupa Hut at Padasjoki Guest Harbour • Harbour with services and summer shop Hollola • pier is suitable for cruisers Lahti • Many islands for visiting and harbours with services
Results about products • Wide selection of leisure activities and services for domestic tourists and people active in water sports • Most leisure activity products available for groups only • Only few product descriptions (example products) • Products can be tailored • Customer has to have foreknowledge of products and area in order to get tailored product • Companies offer opportunities instead of ready made products
Results about marketing • Good photos illustrating water products • Marketing focus on making the company known (not products) • Still many companies without web-pages • Reservations only by telephone or email • Same information is aimed to individuals, groups and b-to-b • Most texts are in Finnish or only partly in English • Water is not very visible in Päijät-Häme area tourism marketing
Development ideas I • Product development and quality • Services for individual customers • More additional services like accommodation and restaurants • Opportunity to try activities for beginners • Products without advance booking • Services for tourists outside season • Ready made routes with full service description • Developing signs and information by the roads
Development ideas II • Marketing material should be segmented • More co-operation in product development, marketing and supply. Tourism destinations have a key role in this development • Regional information packages to distribution channels • Better use of Päijännettä Pohjoiseen material www.paijannettapohjoiseen.com • Benchmarking www.saimaa.fi • The focus in developing to the harbours • Consultation to companies