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The region of Kalmar län is located in the south-east of Sweden on the Baltic Sea coast. Together with the three other regions Kronoberg, Jönköping, Gotland it forms the NUTS 2 region Småland and islands. The region Kalmar län includes the eastern part of the province of Småland and the island of Öland and consists of 12 rural municipalities with few inhabitants in the region. In each municipality there is only one town with more than 3.000 inhabitants.
While many elderly people live on the island of Öland, there is only one university in the region and it is difficult to keep young people in the region due to the lack of attractive jobs. The area is known among tourists for its forests, lakes and rural surroundings, as well as for the Astrid Lindgren Park, which attracts more than 500,000 visitors every year. In summer, many visitors come from big cities like Malmö, Stockholm or Gothenburg.
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One challenge is to expand tourism in the Kalmar region to the whole year. Especially in summer, there are some crowded places, such as the island of Öland. There is a current study about the acceptance of locals in order to identify potential problems before the situation escalates. There is no mass tourism yet, but it is expected that there will be too many campers, not enough parking spaces and other infrastructure. Another challenge is that 82% of tourists arrive by car. In the future, charging infrastructure for e-cars will be built. The public transport is mostly used by locals. There are three train lines in the area, but only one electric train, which is harmful to the environment. Other challenges include high taxes on gas for busses as well as the differences in each municipality, since they work very differently on the topic tourism.
The offer combines the train ticket and accommodation for Astrid Lindgren Park guests and thus offers a price advantage. At the start of the project, Astrid Lindgren’s World and SJ (Swedish Railways) contacted each other to initiate cooperation. It developed into package offers for SJ travelers who wanted to visit both Astrid Lindgren’s World and the Kingdom of Crystal. Astrid Lindgren’s World has carried out a campaign aimed at SJ-prio travelers for two seasons. By being registered as an SJ-prio (SJ customers with a membership), the visitor has been able to get a discount on the trip to and accommodation at Astrid Lindgren’s World. The offer has been developed during the course of the project from covering high season and autumn holidays to covering the entire season. The experiences from Astrid Lindgren’s World led to the Kingdom of Crystal also initiating cooperation with SJ and a similar package offer was developed for the autumn of 2021. Autumn was chosen partly to show that events also take place during that season, but also as a way to extend the season. SJ-prio travelers could book train travel to Nybro, Lessebo and Emmaboda, connecting travel with Hertz and accommodation at three visitor destinations: Kosta, Ödevata fishing camp and Grimsnäs manor. The campaigns were marketed via SJ-prio as well as on the social media of the cooperating actors.
“Buss o’hoj” aimed to make it easier for visitors to travel by public transport on Öland. The activity began with a survey of the possibilities for taking bicycles on buses in different regions of Sweden. The possibility of taking bicycles on buses exists, but was perceived to be limited. To address these shortcomings and investigate how possibilities for visitors can be improved, a dialogue was initiated with Kalmar County Traffic (KLT)) about the possibility of testing various new routes during the summer and making it easier for travellers to bring their bicycles on the bus. The result was a marketing campaign – Buss o’hoj. The campaign has focused on the possibility of travelling in an environmentally friendly way by combining public transport with cycling for trips between Kalmar and Öland as well as for trips on Öland. The target group for the campaign was visitors in the region between June and September. Three different films were produced to show the different travel possibilities available. The films were shown on social media through Destination Kalmar and Öland’s tourism´s own channels and during the summer also on KLT’s buses. One of the films is available on the project’s website. In connection with the campaign, KLT has also produced an instructional film on how to hang bicycles on the bus. The film is available on KLT’s website and is also shown on the buses. The project is a collaboration mainly between Mörbylånga municipality, Öland’s tourism, Destination Kalmar and KLT.
Package offer train travel and accommodation in Astrid Lindgren Park and Kingdom of Crystal
The offer combines the train ticket and accommodation for Astrid Lindgren Park guests and thus offers a price advantage. At the start of the project, Astrid Lindgren’s World and SJ (Swedish Railways) contacted each other to initiate cooperation. It developed into package offers for SJ travelers who wanted to visit both Astrid Lindgren’s World and the Kingdom of Crystal. Astrid Lindgren’s World has carried out a campaign aimed at SJ-prio travelers for two seasons. By being registered as an SJ-prio (SJ customers with a membership), the visitor has been able to get a discount on the trip to and accommodation at Astrid Lindgren’s World. The offer has been developed during the course of the project from covering high season and autumn holidays to covering the entire season. The experiences from Astrid Lindgren’s World led to the Kingdom of Crystal also initiating cooperation with SJ and a similar package offer was developed for the autumn of 2021. Autumn was chosen partly to show that events also take place during that season, but also as a way to extend the season. SJ-prio travelers could book train travel to Nybro, Lessebo and Emmaboda, connecting travel with Hertz and accommodation at three visitor destinations: Kosta, Ödevata fishing camp and Grimsnäs manor. The campaigns were marketed via SJ-prio as well as on the social media of the cooperating actors.
Bus & Bicycle – travel with your bike and public transport on Öland
“Buss o’hoj” aimed to make it easier for visitors to travel by public transport on Öland. The activity began with a survey of the possibilities for taking bicycles on buses in different regions of Sweden. The possibility of taking bicycles on buses exists, but was perceived to be limited. To address these shortcomings and investigate how possibilities for visitors can be improved, a dialogue was initiated with Kalmar County Traffic (KLT)) about the possibility of testing various new routes during the summer and making it easier for travellers to bring their bicycles on the bus. The result was a marketing campaign – Buss o’hoj. The campaign has focused on the possibility of travelling in an environmentally friendly way by combining public transport with cycling for trips between Kalmar and Öland as well as for trips on Öland. The target group for the campaign was visitors in the region between June and September. Three different films were produced to show the different travel possibilities available. The films were shown on social media through Destination Kalmar and Öland’s tourism´s own channels and during the summer also on KLT’s buses. One of the films is available on the project’s website. In connection with the campaign, KLT has also produced an instructional film on how to hang bicycles on the bus. The film is available on KLT’s website and is also shown on the buses. The project is a collaboration mainly between Mörbylånga municipality, Öland’s tourism, Destination Kalmar and KLT.
Region Kalmar län
Website: https://utveckling.regionkalmar.se/utvecklingsomraden/besoksnaring/
Climate-smart travel in the hospitality industry – examples from Småland and Öland
Websire: https://utveckling.regionkalmar.se/utvecklingsomraden/besoksnaring/klimatsmarta-resor-i-besoksnaringen/
Contact
Stine Breum Appelquist (Head of Tourism)
Email: stine.breum.appelquist@regionkalmar.se
