Funded Projects 2014-2020

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Project SPOT-Lit (BLITZ)

Project Acronym SPOT-Lit (BLITZ)
Project Title Business of Literature Zones
Project subsite
Project Website

Summary

The Vision of the project is “To grow entrepreneurship and SME reach beyond local markets by developing and marketing literary tourism products”.

The project will thereby ensure the enhanced capacity of SMEs to act beyond local markets through increased awareness, enhanced visibility and changed attitudes towards the Literary Tourism sector as an economic driver within the region.  The project will achieve this change through:

 

  • The creation of 1 SME Literary Tourism focused support programme, ensuring project partners work together across transnational borders to develop new and innovative solutions which maximize place-based opportunities for SME growth. Within this programme 4 models for Literary Tourism will be developed and trialled facilitating knowledge transfer of economic development solutions, their practical application, and means by which to maximise their transformative economic impact, from one country to another.
  • Engaging 40 SMEs with the project on a transnational basis, working collaboratively to engage with the Literary Tourism sector.
  • 12 support workshops/sessions delivered to participating SMEs.
  • 1 cluster of SMEs assembled to ensure complementarity of literary tourism products and services developed, shared learning and effective transnational marketing.
  • A minimum of 20 new literary tourism focused products or services developed thereby ensuring changed market behaviour and integration of SME activity within the LT sector.
  • Creation of a digital platform to capture and increase visibility of literary tourism products, services & sites, thereby ensuring the use of innovative ICT solu­tions, e-commerce and social media, to overcome distance to market.
  • Creation of a Literary Tourism network engaging key stakeholders from across the NPA region thereby ensuring shared learning.
  • 1 literary tourism methodology / best practice guide developed facilitating dissemination of good practice across national boundaries.

Objectives

SME Development Programme
Support for SMEs to increase market reach beyond local markets through delivery of a comprehensive SME mentoring and support programme, creation of 40 new literary tourism focused products and services and knowledge transfer of marketing methodologies.


Digital Solution Development and implementation to increase transnational visibility of literary tourism products, services and sites thereby overcoming distance to market.
Create innovative digital platform and resources for use by SMEs to enable their entry, or increase participation, in the literary tourism sector and increase their visibility on both a local and transnational basis thereby extending market reach.

Literary Tourism Framework Development and Dissemination
Co-development of an innovative literary tourism framework to provide / maximise SME support and enable knowledge transfer of best practice in SME development within the Literary Tourism sector for application in each of the partner regions.

Impacts

Tangible

Business development:

Literary tourism is an emerging niche sector within the wider cultural tourism sector. With growing interest and recognition, also comes an increase in business potential. The Business Support Toolkit and a suite of other useful resources were developed to guide the SMEs that are interested in developing literary tourism business concepts and maximising the awareness of tourists and relevant stakeholders. As part of the Product Incubation Programme, the participants exchanged the best practices with their peers across the Northern regions and developed networks. As a result, new literary products were developed across the NPA region such as literature and philosophy events, literary tourism guided tours, festivals and cultural tourism experiences.

 

Intangible

Improving social cohesion:

Over the course of the project, the team identified the potential role of SMEs in establishing literary tourism destinations and products. The project identified and tested four models. One of them took place in Enniskillen, where Oscar Wilde's legacy became real through the installation of 80 gold leaf swallows above businesses and premises in the market town. A different model explored the possibilities to establish Dumfries as Scotland’s home of children’s literature, a destination for families to visit and a national cultural resource.

 

Lead Partner

Partners

Project Info

Theme
Creative industries, visual and performing arts, design, media
Priority
2 Entrepreneurship
Objective
2.2 Greater market reach
Project duration
01-10-18 to 30-09-21
Total budget
1 952 669 EUR
NPA co-financing
1 269 235 EUR
Target groups
local public authority
regional public authority
sectoral agency
enterprise, including SME
business support organisation
General public
interest groups including NGOs
Joint Secretariat Desk Officer
Kirsti Mijnhijmer