Using digitality and data to build a competitive tourism ecosystem
Visit Tampere promotes the digitality of partner companies, where e-commerce, including reservations, is an integral factor. The whole process must go smoothly and without interruptions in real time, from design to booking and payment. Visit Tampere is involved in the search for suitable digital platforms and systems (open interfaces) which partner companies can use and which serve the shared ecosystem. The provision of training and practical assistance is part of this whole, as is the provision of the information in question to support activities.
Knowledge management
Numerous studies, statistics, market data and diverse other data available from different sources enable success and the Tampere region’s growth in the tourism and event markets. Combining and utilising different information helps make the right decisions and choices in markets.
Information and data are acquired and shared in cooperation with Business Finland, other cities and partner companies. Information is shared and distributed to partners, other stakeholders and, in particular, the media. Information and data are processed and market intelligence is used to support decisions. In collecting data, partner companies have an important role to play in providing information about customers’ experiences and the development of their own business to Visit Tampere to generate valuable information on the impact of measures.
Strengthening local, national and international cooperation and networks
Visit Tampere is primarily responsible for strengthening local, national and international cooperation and networks. Visit Tampere is reshaping the Visit Tampere Partners model and strengthening the partnership paths and dialogue with partner companies. In addition, partner companies are actively involved in developing the partnership model and the Visit Tampere Partners network. Partner companies are encouraged to operate sustainably, digitally and internationally through incentives.
Partner companies influence the content of the partnership events, and Visit Tampere offers the most attractive and inspiring training and discussion opportunities to improve business. New and developing partners are acquired for the network through opportunities open to all. In addition, the division of labour and responsibilities is being clarified between partner companies and Visit Tampere.
Visit Tampere participates actively in local, national and international networks (Visit Finland, Finland Convention Bureau, ICCA, CNF, Suoma, Tampere Chamber of Commerce and Industry and entrepreneur associations).
Bold marketing in the Tampere region adds value to the marketing and sales of partners
Strategic marketing
Visit Tampere is responsible for strategic marketing, which means finding value, producing value and communicating value to tourists with effective measures. It is, above all, courage, competence and creativity. This identifies Tampere’s potential for success in international and domestic markets, strengthens the Tampere brand and effectively disseminates its messages.
Visit Tampere leads the planning of the measures and engages partner companies in the planning every year. Visit Tampere compiles an annual plan, and partner companies are actively involved in its planning and implementation. The dialogue is strengthened by various means at events, in face-to-face meetings with partner companies and through electronic channels. The annual plans are mirrored in the direction of strategic partners, such as Visit Finland, Finland Convention Bureau (later Business Finland), other strategic partners (e.g. transport companies) and regional policies.
Information and data are systematically used in plans and in implementing measures. Information and data are processed and target market intelligence is used to support decisions.
Refining messages and target groups
Visit Tampere refines marketing messages and target groups using the Tampere.Finland brand. Partner companies are also committed to target groups and marketing messages to maximise the dissemination of messages. Partner companies are encouraged to use common marketing messages through a range of incentives developed in the partnership network.
The Tampere region’s visibility is being increased and strengthened in the selected target markets: German-speaking Europe, Japan, Russia, China and Finland. The international target markets are based on cooperation with Business Finland and other regions. In international markets, operations are always carried out in conjunction with Visit Finland, other regions and selected partner companies.
In Finland, operations are carried out in collaboration with partner companies. Visit Tampere coordinates the cooperation and ensures the visibility of the Tampere brand and the spread of messages on its own website and social media channels also in Finland. Where appropriate, other measures or channels are also used to spread the message when the target groups in the country have been refined. Partner companies play an important role domestically. They distribute and reproduce brand-compliant marketing messages, sales talks and visual materials (videos and images) to their respective target groups.
Unbroken chain of marketing and sales
Ideally, an unbroken chain of sales and marketing enables effective cooperation between Visit Tampere and partner companies as well as maximising results. The goal is for marketing and sales to be a smooth and consistent process that integrates seamlessly.
Visit Tampere selects channels and measures by market area, taking into account the special features of each market area. The emphasis in the channels is on digitality, as the number of individual tourists is growing globally and digital platforms play an important role in tourism development.
Courage to take action and make choices!
Visit Tampere facilitates and coordinates tactical marketing and sales operations in the region, both internationally and domestically. The tactical measures focus on digital channels. Visit Tampere coordinates and focuses on forming a clear message in tactical marketing and sales operations.
Partner companies are responsible for their own marketing and, in the case of joint operations, for sales, after-sales service and follow-up.
In domestic marketing and sales operations, partner companies play a leading role. Visit Tampere coordinates a uniform message and focuses measures for the months when the hotel occupancy rates in Tampere are known to be lower than the average in Finland. Partner companies are responsible for their own marketing all year round.
The social media channels and websites aim to reach the right target groups both domestically and internationally and to communicate stories and interesting phenomena using the Tampere.Finland brand. Visit Tampere’s role is to communicate the interesting phenomena and stories of the region visually with videos and images. Partner companies create content, stories and phenomena in order to increase international awareness and maintain domestic attractiveness. Visit Tampere’s website is becoming increasingly important in digital campaigns, which combine attractive marketing materials with existing digital sales channels, creating the most straightforward shopping path possible. The site is optimised separately for each language market. Partner companies should also review and develop their own digital channels, taking into account the needs of today’s customers. Partner companies benefit most from Visit Tampere campaigns when their own websites and sales channels are in order.
The media and influencers that are selected in each market area play an important role in marketing. In general, destinations that use the media and influencers can raise their profile and thrive in global competition.
Visit Tampere’s operations put an emphasis on influencers and the media. Established successful influencer-marketing concepts (such as Instagram) will be utilised and refined further. Visit Tampere and Business Finland invite influencers and media from the target market to the region together. In addition, other ways of increasing Tampere’s visibility in the target markets are being explored. Partner companies play an important role in producing content and actively offer products, services and phenomena to Visit Tampere. These are used to compile visitor programmes for the media and influencers.
Tours and digital resale and direct sales channels
The success factors in domestic and international competition are the interesting and varied offerings of cities and partner companies (programme services, hotels, restaurants, etc.) that can be easily purchased digitally, online and from tour operators. This increases the city’s visibility, makes purchasing easier and makes visible what is on offer.
In the pursuit of international customers, cooperation between different cities and partner companies is important. They are also offered tourism products that are not confined by the borders of countries, cities, municipalities or regions. It is important to make Tampere a part of the tours of the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries and Finland (Helsinki, Lapland, lake districts) for individual visitors and group trips.
In the future, partner companies’ own direct sales channels, global retail and recommendation channels and interfaces between these will be important both in Finland and internationally. Partner companies’ own direct sales channels (such as Bókun, BookVisit) are online stores on partner companies’ own websites that enable products to be sold 24 hours a day, regardless of time and place. From the customer’s point of view, buying is easy, quick and effortless. Resale channels (Finnair Now/here, Airbnb Experiences, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Ebookers) also allow cross-selling and wider packaging of products into a single package. Recommendation marketing is important and also a part of direct sales and retail channels. Partner companies should also take into account separate recommendation channels, such as TripAdvisor, in their activities.
Visit Tampere trains and inspires partner companies to use digital direct sales, retail and recommendation channels. In addition, Visit Tampere connects actors and helps to enable cross-selling between the different actors. Visit Tampere will make these direct sales channels even more accessible on its website and social media channels, thus strengthening the customer journey. To be effective, businesses need to have more of their own online stores and to be involved in the appropriate sales channels.
As global direct sales and retail channels become more important, tour operators also play an important role. As individual numbers of tourists increase, leisure tour operators specialise in different group travel products (such as fishing and cycling tourism) and also commercialise the offering to individual visitors. Tours in Finland and the Nordic countries play an important role.
Visit Tampere and Business Finland play a significant role in the tour operator’s work. Visit Tampere and Business Finland meet tour operators at workshops and fairs in the target market. In cooperation with Business Finland, tour operators that sell products to international target groups are invited to the region. Partner companies will be encouraged and urged to take action in the target market. Visit Tampere leads the planning, coordinates the programme and selects companies from the partnership network to be included in the visits. Partner companies, for their part, develop interesting products and services and actively offer their products for the introductory visit. In addition, partner companies are responsible for sales and follow-up.
Science and research as a strength of the Tampere region
The growing range of conventions in the Tampere region and the new arena strengthen Tampere’s significance in the congress and convention business both at home and internationally. The Tampere university community and internationally networked scientists provide a good basis for the growth in the number of international congresses in Tampere.
The Tampere business sector is a major partner, which increases Tampere’s attractiveness for business conferences and incentive trips in Finland and internationally.
The revenue and employment impact of the congress and business-event sector is significant for cities. Visitors to a congress have a long stay relative to leisure travellers (5 days) and spend more money than average tourists. A single congress delegate spends EUR 1,340 during their visit (FCB, Delegate Survey 2016).
Tampere Convention Bureau (TCB) is part of Visit Tampere and draws potential international scientific actors to the city. TCB also encourages local scientists to organise congresses in Tampere. Tampere’s recently reorganised university community is a major strategic partner for TCB. TCB leads the search processes for congresses using the Tampere brand, company offerings and services to influence the location of congresses. Search services are developed in cooperation with the university, and the aim is to focus on the health, technology and social research in Tampere. Dialogue with partner companies will be strengthened to enable the Tampere congress and convention sector to respond to expanding needs. In addition, partner companies are involved in the process of applying for congresses where possible and offer locations for congresses. TCB, in cooperation with the Finland Convention Bureau and partner companies, takes various measures to increase awareness of Tampere as a congress and business conference city at international and domestic level. TCB also maintains contact with international scientific organisations and business conference organisers.
Tampere is an important area of domestic business conferences and incentive trips. The reforming and growing supply in Tampere also offers additional potential for pursuit of international target groups. Visit Tampere will refine the objectives and explore the potential of partner companies to meet the need for incentive trips and business conferences. Where appropriate, opportunities for incentive trips and business conferences will be organised for partner enterprises.
European Capital of Culture application
Tampere’s application for the European Capital of Culture is a key element in promoting the tourism and event business. It produces positive images of the operating environment and builds the area’s attraction and retention power and a high quality of life, attracting visitors from different segments. The experiences arising from culture also affect the business conditions of companies, improving business experience, innovation and renewal capacity as well as the competitiveness and value creation of the region. Visit Tampere participates in the Capital of Culture application projects as an expert, marketer and developer of affected ecosystems together with Business Tampere.
Sustainable growth and appeal through a tourism-friendly operating environment and accessibility
From regional marketing to comprehensive tourism management
The roles of Visit Tampere, partner companies and other stakeholders need to be clarified amidst the major changes in tourism and the expansion of the operating field. This way, the ecosystem works as efficiently as possible. The role of Visit Tampere is to promote the construction and development of the operating environment through strategic planning, lobbying and development work. Visit Tampere leads, designs and implements measures in conjunction with partner companies and acts as the regional mouthpiece and lobbyist in the travel and event field. The main areas in this are the Tampere region, the greater tourism areas and Visit Finland. This makes it possible to develop Tampere’s internationalisation and to be a central part of the Finnish Lakeland.
Plans and measures must be based on data collected from different information sources and made clear. These actions are prepared openly in collaboration with partners, both face-to-face and using digital tools.
Visit Tampere’s role is to serve as a platform for cooperation between entrepreneurs and public tourism operators, enabling regular meetings between different actors. Meetings will be ensured especially for the partners involved in the partnership model, but some of the opportunities will be opened to the whole tourism industry in the Tampere region. This will ensure the best possible flow of information and reach new companies interested in cooperation and internationalisation. Partners have an important role to play in bringing information to Visit Tampere on how tourists have experienced the services in the area.
Visit Tampere has an important role to play in highlighting the tourism perspective in the development of the operating environment. Visit Tampere coordinates and introduces in the dialogue the needs and aspirations of tourism, including town planning, infrastructure (such as Wi-Fi), the route network, safe guidance and legislation supporting tourism growth.
Improving accessibility is an essential prerequisite for the growth of Tampere’s attractiveness and tourism. At the same time, the carbon footprint of transport is one of the most important sustainability challenges for tourism. The challenge will be met by investing in extending the stay of tourists arriving in Tampere, in direct flight connections and in sustainable public transport connections, especially on rails. Smooth rail connections serve both domestic and international travellers. In addition, Visit Tampere will improve and increase the sustainable mobility services available to tourists within Tampere and the region in cooperation with key stakeholders. The city centre and the surrounding areas are highly accessible by foot or bicycle, which brings a competitive advantage.
The goal is to create a sales platform (app) that provides all traffic information and tickets easily in one place. This includes up-to-date and accurate information on the connections of the Tampere airport, Helsinki airport (to the city region), the railway station and the bus station. In addition, the sales platform will integrate internal public transport links and information on parking places. The sales platform will be communicated through partner companies’ own websites and the visittampere.fi site.
Strategic partnerships and active lobbying at regional and national level are key to promoting sustainable accessibility. Sustainability can be made a competitive advantage vis-à-vis other areas by, for example, building a common and genuinely effective emission compensation model.
With partner companies, it is important to create a common vision and goal for sustainable tourism in the region, to engage the actors in implementing them and to provide companies with the tools to develop business sustainability.
Systematic development of partner companies’ business and of an operating environment supporting sustainable growth will be promoted through Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland programme. The strategic objective is to bring the Tampere region into the programme as a destination and to engage the network of partner companies in this. The close interaction between the city and the countryside as well as the utilisation of local services and production are the foundation stones of sustainable tourism in the region and the region’s attraction. The aim is to harness the potential of urban nature and the nature of the lakes more strongly than before as a driving force for tourism.