International Meeting in Tallinn Promotes Community-Based Tourism

18. June, 2025

On June 10th, Tallinn hosted an international partner meeting as part of the project “Social Innovations and Digital Education for Community-Based Tourism Promotion” (NPAD 2024-10206), funded by the Nordplus Adult programme.

The goal of the project is to strengthen community-based tourism in Lithuania, Estonia, and Denmark by training local community guides to present their region’s culture, history, and identity in an engaging and modern manner. Project partners include Klaipėda University and Mažeikiai Museum (Lithuania), Creative Estonia (Estonia), and Monnet Gruppen (Denmark).

The meeting took place in the Telliskivi Creative City and was hosted by Creative Estonia. Partners shared experiences, reviewed ongoing activities, and planned the next phase of the project, including training sessions for local communities starting in autumn 2025. The programme also included a visit to the Kalamaja Community Museum and a guided walk through the district to explore its community stories and heritage.

Key project achievements so far:

  • Research on the current situation of community-based tourism in all three countries.

  • Interviews with local residents to collect stories and values;

  • Creation of pilot digital routes in Tallinn, Copenhagen, Priekulė, and Mažeikiai;

  • Marketing strategies and training materials were developed for local tourism.

  • Guidelines created for community guide competencies.

Over the summer, project partners will continue developing themed community routes that highlight local identity and culture. They will also finalise a marketing plan and prepare for the training of local guides. The results and training materials will be compiled into a practical handbook titled “Community-Based Tourism Guide: Notes from Practice” to support future community learning initiatives.

This project strengthens local communities, increases their visibility through tourism, and fosters innovative collaboration between culture, education, and digital tools.