Project partners 6 municipalities, tourist board, Fryslân Marketing, Province of Fryslân, NFW, sme’s, ambassadors, Markant Fryslân, gastengilde 'selfdiscovering hostmanship'
Contact data
Frederieke van der Lijn
Municipality of Achtkarspelen
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.dwaande.nl
Key words Promotion, hospitality, sense of place, network, campaign, cooperation
Main problems to be solved (analysis) Minimal or no connection between parties who are promoting the region and promotional activities in the region, lots of low scale activities with seperate exposure. No large attraction for tourists. Lots of variaties of activities with very low profile exposure. No regional exposure as a whole. Several initiatives that have the same goal, but no cooperation between the parties.
Wâldpyk is a organization that develops and brings back local food. They work together with restaurants and farmers in the region to cultivate 'historic' fruit and vegetables. The have a strong and growing brand. They focus on the landscape and the companies in the landscape, but there is a lot to gain in cooperation between de organization National Landscape Noardlike Fryske Wâlden (a farmers organization) and Wâldpyk, and also between Wâldpyk and Dwaande.
Small mini campings for example have not enough budget to work on good promotion tools, to make a good website. They also offer only few activities in the region because there is not enough knowledge about the activities of other touristic companies.
National Landscape Noardlike Fryske Wâlden for example worked on regional branding at the same time the preparations for Dwaande were starting up. Both project ideas started up with a 'sounding board group', even some people were invited to both groups. The Dwaande project team invited NFW, we combined the ideas, shared contacts, budgets were brought together. Now NFW takes care of input about the landscape, the project team implements it into the Dwaande project.
Policy frameworks to be dealt with/fitting in Strong local sense of identity of separate municipalities and companies. Each municipality gives subsidy to events, local organizations etc. All Nofa municipalities should compel organizations to use the Dwaande brand in there publicity. Each municipality has to deliver every event tot the Dwaande project team for the event letter. Each municipality has to use the Dwaande logo on there website.
Aim of the project All small activities combined in one campaign, a uniform exposure, making small activities with lots of variations and combinations the strength of the region, exposure outside the region, the Province, the Netherlands. Also creating a 'Dwaande' look witch can be used by development of new activities to have a uniform exposure of the region.
- good hospitality of touristic companies and development of new products/services (by the project ‘self discovering hospitality’) - network of touristic companies that refer to each other, promote each other by making freepost cards. These cards are available for guests of touristic companies, these companies also offer packages (Ziesa touristiccardclub) - event newsletter: all activities in the region are put together and spread by the event letter, each party in the region signs up its own activities (Dwaande.nl) the event letter is filled by the region - newsletter: news about the campaign, good examples etc. - information points in the national landscape Noardlike Fryske Wâlden, connected to the Dwaande campaign using digital techniques/services as QR codes and social media - new canoe and sailroutes implemented in Dwaande - new horsetrailriding routes implemented in Dwaande -Staatsbosbeheer and National Landscape NFW have connections because they both work in the landscape. Both parties wanted to do more with recreation. Now they work together: first they developed a map of the region with landscape characteristics, to show the region as a whole, second: the map is the basis of the project of the information banks/points that connects every specific spot in the region. Dwaande was connecting the ideas and the way to communicate.
Expected outcome within the WP - a brand that gives the region a common identity. It is already used by a lot of parties in the region. - a strong network of local and regional parties with combined activities - a basis for all regional parties to link to (Dwaande.nl) - a network of tourist companies that develop touristic and recreational packages - promoting the regional as a very active, touristic region, but also active and attractive to work and to live. - # Dwaande: using social media as a strong network that combines all activities - all results make the region more 'visible', interesting to discover and economically stronger by keeping visitors longer in the region and informing citizens better about the variety of recreation in their own region. - using new digital techniques and products combined with the well known ways of informing tourists (a map, a sign) to serve several target group, it makes staying in the region interesting a broad audience.
An example of how to develop a campagne supported by the region, shaped and established by the region to strengthen the region as a whole. To combine all small, low exposed, interesting qualities of the region as a whole and turn these characteristics as a strength.
(Expected) outcome for the region as a whole Increasing activities in the region linked to Dwaande, all activities exposed and to be found on Dwaande.nl. Exposure outside of the region, the province even the country. Inhabitants are proud of their region and learn how to show it. The region has developed a strong and popular network and campaign to promote its identity, to promote it's qualities on recreational, living and working theme's
Concrete results / activities Ziesa cards (a promotion card of each touristic company that joins the cardclub, each location distributes the cards of the several touristic companies for free, promoting each other)
Information points: connecting and promoting the national landscape of the region with information points with a digital game, routes etc.
New horsetrailriding and canoe/sail routes 'Selfdiscovering hostmanship' gastengilde
social media: # Dwaande, linkedIn for ambassadors
Planning the campaign started in 2011 with the kick off of Dwaande . The first preparations of the project idea started with network meetings in may 2007 working to a regional network that adopts and unfolds the Dwaande campaign fully in 2014
Costs
Financing most concrete activities are financed by the initiating sme's and organizations, in some cases with financial support of the municipalities and the project, the overall communication, 'look and feel' is financed by the project, this is Dwaande.nl
Implementation of the project (cf. CAA)
which stakeholders were involved? Sme’s as Ziesa, De Pleats, De Leijen. Tourist Board (VVV Lauwersland), Wâldpyk (local products) NFW (national landscape,)ONOF(Sme board)R & T policymakers
what process did you run through to fit the project into local conditions? Starting with a group of regional stakeholders as a 'sounding board', an advisors group in the fase of starting up the campaign. The region developed a political structure with 4 municipalities, growing to 6 municipalities, and the Province of Fryslân to build a political and financial foundation for an overall regional development of economical, social, infrastructural themes.
how did you sustainably implement the project (locally, regionally)? The Dwaande campaign is developed by the input of all stakeholders, ambassadors. It is an 'umbrella' for all existing regional initiatives and new initiatives. New activities initiated by local and regional parties (private parties, unions), to increase their exposure. These initiatives become part of their business. On the level of subprojects: key persons initiated new project under the ‘umbrella’: for example the Ziesacards (touristic card, exchanged by the participating companies that goes with a personal reference to one of the other participants and that offers packages. Ziesa is a communication company that invests in a network to connect small touristic sme’s and their activities to make them stronger by cooperation. It has an economical spin off for all parties involved in the Ziesa cardclub. Another example: the union of the national landscape Noardlike Fryske Wâlden and the national landscape and wood managing organisation (SBB) developed a map with all landscape qualities and touristic companies. The map is now a base for a new initiative: placing several pick nick tables with the map, children’s game and lots of information about the landscape on the table. The tables are located next to touristic companies and together they connect all information table locations and overlay the national landscape. In this project the information is on the spot, by playing a game or by QR codes, web applications available and there for for a large targetgroup interesting.
KEY QUESTIONS
1 Which successes were achieved so far in the pilot project? - a regional campaign adopted by the region, new initiatives by regional parties, adoption of the campaign, further development and filling of the campaign by the region - main reasons for these successes are: all parties finally have a way to connect to - what set-backs or problems did you face and what were the reasons for this? the touristic board felt threatened by the project in the beginning and there were problems of bringing activities but also ‘look and feel’ of activities and exposures together. - are there any break-down patterns to be recognized in the project? See above - are these set-backs, problems or break-down patterns easy to solve? How? - what are the DO’s and the DON’Ts of the project? DO start with stakeholders and key persons in the region to develop a campaign if you want the campaign to be adopted by the region, use a topdown/bottum up strategy at the same time DO control the process and make sure all parties are involved DO embrace initiatives of parties, do not control the details, stay focused on the process, bring parties together, connect and facilitate where necessary, DON’T work only top down DON’T be afraid of making choices in crucial faces in the project DON’T lose focus - what are critical success factors in this project? commitment of key persons (stakeholders) in the region, invite organisations to join, support any initiative of idea and help to make it concrete within the goals of the project
2 What are the expected boundary conditions for the project to be implemented? - in terms of policy frameworks: political support and financial support for many years is needed, an agreement on activities and budget for many years, authorization on project level of the political board for yearly planned activities is necessary to keep up the speed in the project. From the start the municipalities need to have the same focus on which area exactly is part of the promotion. All investments should support the project and no other promotional activities which are not promoting the project area of which are not committed to the project - in terms of physical circumstances: none, using all digital techniques for communication - in terms of involvement of people / partnerships / entrepreneurs / public bodies: involvement of stakeholders, key persons etc. of the region are an important condition to succeed with the campaign, a combination of top down and bottom up - in terms of budget and financial support: budget for several years (al least 4 years) to start up the campaign, divided in yearly budgets with a year plan of concrete activities and meetings
3 Which related projects can be studied or consulted (other innovative best practice examples) before starting to think on implementation? strategy building Branding project of Meetjesland, ambassadors network West Flanders Hospitality: http://www.hadrians-wall.org/ Activities, network: http://www.fundingsouthwest.co.uk/sdc/index.html Sense of place: http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/projects/project-detail?project=1814 Promoting the region and attracting new residents: http://www.ruract.eu/IMG/article_PDF/article_1711.pdf
Hospitality , pride, sense of place, development regional economy Hadrians Wall: http://www.hadrians-wall.org/ Quality of the visitors experience, it contributes the local and regional economy, a symbol of local, regional and national pride and sense of place, Promotion South Devon Coastel Activities Network http://www.fundingsouthwest.co.uk/sdc/index.html: improve tourism product through the creation of a network of activity providers, identifying opportunities for providers to collaborate in the development of activity packages, promoting and marketing those packages. Promoting the region and attracting new residents http://www.ruract.eu/IMG/article_PDF/article_1711.pdf Sense of place http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/projects/project-detail?project=1814 a member organisation of tourism providors, celebrating the county's uniqueness, production of leaflets, webpages and social networking and other new marketing media.
4 What is the applicability / transferability of the project? a) as derived from the project results - in terms of critical mass (physical, social, budget): depending of the scale of the campaign a example of the starting budget of Dwaande, find a quality of the region that connects the people of the region, they are the best ambassadors of the campaign, build the campaign using the regions best quality to gain commitment and enthusiasm for the campaign - in terms of the needs of the region or location: NO Fyslân is a small scaled, divided region with many qualities, many activities, the Dwaande campaign brings all activities together. - in terms of the starting point for implementation : find keypersons, stakeholders together so the campaign can profit of their existing network to start up the campaign and to gain commitment - in terms of participation and organization: the organisation set up and the start of the campaign is directed by the project team of the 5 municipalities of NO Fryslân using input of the region. The campaign will be directed by this project team for several years, but will in the future be directed by a project team composed members of organisations of the region. - in terms of time needed for implementation: it took us approximately one and a half year from the first meeting with the regional stakeholders and keypersons and political board to the kick of of the campaign - in terms of expected outcome (spin off for other fields: physical, social, economical): small and medium enterprises have wider promotion of their business by linking their activities to the campaign
5 Which tools does the project bring in to alleviate / help starting up implementation elsewhere? Creativity tool and knowledge (transfer) tool: Ziesa cardclub created a attractive promotion card for touristic companies, or restaurants etc. To promote their business in a attractive way (photo's). These series of cards are free available at the companies place. Every member of the cardclub has cards of the other members, so they promote each others business. They also are a network that learn more about each others businesses and that arrange package deals.
social media: # Dwaande, linkedIn for ambassadors
6 Sustainability a) How is/can the project be sustainably implemented? What is needed to reach this? - in terms of organization: each new project initiated by regional parties are directed by the parties, the project team facilitates and connects to other parties are project if needed, but all concrete results are made by these parties which is a good foundation for a long term commitment to the project - in terms of regional / local networks/partnerships / people - in terms of budget: a sufficient budget to start up a good basis in organisation and to start up with a concrete campaign where regional parties can link to easily. It creates a basis for development through activities initiated by regional parties.
b) what are the benefits of the project seen from the Profit, Planet, and People side? People: being a part of the Dwaande campaign creates, in a way, solidarity. Poeple want to be part of it, making new connections, sharing information and experience. Planet: we all want to keep our landscape, by offering different ways of experiencing the landscape and the qualities of the region, there is also a motivation to keep is in shape. Profit: promoting the region and offering more cohesion between activities, knowledge, connects, information, there is more to offer and for people to come back to or to stay longer for. Economical growth (income).
Date of production of this project format: December, 2012