About the project
Project „South Baltic Winter Bathing Events” - „Winter Events” is an effect of co-operation of two communes: Mielno (Poland) and Båstad (Sweden). Partners jointly developed an idea of creating a new tourist product – Winterbathers' Tourism in order to deal with negative effects of seasonality in tourism, typical for seaside resorts. So far, dead tourist season is to be stimulated through the organization of a typical winter events. For this purose experience of the Polish partner, acting as the main beneficiary, in organizing the International Winterbathers' Ralies will be used. The event, organized since 2004 in Mielno is gradually attracting more and more participants each year.
The project is funded by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund),accepted in 6th Call of South Baltic Programme, whose main objective is development of the South Baltic region. The full project budget is EUR 174,880.05, and the duration 12 months. Funding includes promotion of the Winter Eventgs as a new tourism product and a partial organization of two events: IX. International Winterbathers' Rally in Mielno and Ist Winterbathing Festival in Båstad based on the Polish event.
Promotion of the project is carried out in Poland, Sweden, Germany and Denmark during sport events and frequently visited public places. The campaign is based on printed material, internet, local newspapers and other available media. Promotional stands organized in different places from July to December 2011 are to encourage active recreation enthusiasts to participate in Winterbathing events in Poland and Sweden. Promotion in Germany and Denmark is broadening the community, derivin from Winterbathing tradition often encountered in the South Baltic region.
During the entire duration of the Project partners will seek to establish formal ties between associations bringing together active rest enthusiasts, institutions promoting various forms of active tourism and units interested in the use of a new tourism product in other regions of the South Baltic. For effective promotion of both the Project and the Winter Events a photo database and contact list of both events' participants will be created, which will be used to further promote the new tourism product.
