Tourists enjoying Norwegian nature. Photo: Torkil Sørensen/norden.orgBy 2015, there will be 18 new architectural works of art and installations along Norway's tourist trail - the result of a collaboration between the Norwegian Road Administration, designers, architects and landscape architects. So tourists will be able to admire Norway's breathtaking mountains and deep fjords, whilst enjoying a spectacular art experience.

Hege Lysholm, the spokesman for the Norwegian Road Administration, describes the background to this project: "Our aim is to offer the experience of a lifetime to people travelling along the Norwegian tourist trail!" There is a growing desire to create inspiring places for active relaxation all over the world. This turns traditional experiences and discoveries into something more rich and diverse. It would appear that experience alone is starting to become boring...

The Nordic tourism sector has strong potential for further innovation and development. Nordic Innovation Centre (NICe) introduces a new focus area and funding programme: “Innovation in the Nordic Tourism Sector – New Products and Services”. NICe invites small and medium sized companies, and other relevant actors, to apply for funding of co-operative tourism innovation projects. The proposals should primarily focus on the development of innovative products, services and concepts to accelerate the Nordic tourism sector.

What does a ‘cluster’ mean in tourism? Is Estonia capable of sustaining its touristic attractiveness? What role do the Chinese play? The tourist economy is examined by Mr Ain Hinsberg from the Pärnumaa Tourism Foundation.

The UN World Tourism Organisation has predicted the Baltic Sea region will be positioned between the two most vibrant tourist regions in Europe until 2020. Northern and Central/Eastern are Europe’s top tourist havens and the Baltic region is set to continue to benefit from their popularity.

The UN World Tourism Organisation has predicted the Baltic Sea region will find itself positioned between the two most vibrant tourist regions in Europe until 2020. Northern and Central/Eastern are Europe’s top tourist havens and the Baltic region is set to continue to benefit from their popularity. On Thursday May 15th, the Nordic Forum hosts Creative Tourism. At this event tourism experts from Nordic and Baltic countries will detail various experiences of tourism in the Baltic Sea Region and propose innovative solutions to the current strategy. Creative Tourism takes place in Pärnu on May 15th from 10.00-16.00.

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia in conjunction with SA Pärnumaa Tourism and Tartu University Pärnu College, are pleased to announce a competition to design a web-based game aimed at promoting tourism. The purpose of the tourism game is to introduce and present the Nordic and Baltic countries as a thrilling tourism region, showcasing its variety of wonderful possibilities and attractions. The winning entrant’s model will be promoted as a practical tool for both tourists and students in tourism studies from all over the world.

“We do not sell tickets, just as we do not sell concerts. What we sell is the ambience, the atmosphere,” states Mr Pori Jazz, alias Jyrki Kangas. The man who has been behind the biggest jazz festival in Northern Europe since it started in 1966 in Pori (Björneborg), Finland.Jyrki Kangas expressed his views on festival management using Pori Jazz as an example during a session of the creative industries lecture series on 4 May in Tallinn. The creative industries lecture series is driven by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia and aims to showcase more or less viable creative industries initiatives and implementations within various fields across the Nordic countries.