Seasonality: The biggest challenge for Nordic tourism!
It’s safe to say that we found trouble in the first phase of X-Nordic Travel Contest ‘Call for Problems’!
ABOUT XNTC
The XNordic Travel Contest is a project by Nordic Innovation that invites Nordic tourism sector and innovation and startup ecosystems to find solutions for the most important tourism problems and challenges. We will invite, develop and test the best and most industry-relevant solutions with potential to strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of the Nordic tourism industry.
BACKGROUND
INNOVATING NORDIC TOURISM
The XNordic Travel Contest is a 2-year innovation process designed around four key phases. From mapping of challenges to developing, testing and promoting new and industry-ready solutions, the project aims to strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of Nordic tourism industry and beyond.
Based on the first phase mapping of the challenges and opportunities of Nordic tourism today, the project will identify three (3) core problem areas, which if addressed and solved, have potential to add substantial value to the future of Nordic tourism.
From challenge to solution, the projects following phases 2-4 seek to:
- Create solutions that address the prioritised core challenges and problem areas– and turn them into future opportunities;
- Test and re-test the new solutions in a relevant Nordic setting;
- Promote the solutions for broader adoption and enable a more sustainable and competitive tourism industry across the Nordics – and beyond.
In more practical terms, the XNTC will initiate design sprints, solution camps, and open calls to create solutions targeting the challenges of the Nordic tourism industry. The strongest, most promising solutions, will later be tested and retested in different testbed setups in different parts of the Nordics.
BACKGROUND
NORDIC COLLABORATION
Since 2018, Nordic Innovation has been running the special initiative Tourism in the Nordics which aims to facilitate Nordic cooperation on innovation in the tourism industry, and contribute to a more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable region.
In 2019, the Nordic Ministers for Cooperation (MR-SAM) launched a process for Vision 2030. A key issue in the reform process was Nordic collaboration on tourism, with the objective of increasing competitiveness, innovation and sustainability within the sector. The Ministers proposed that tourism should be prioritized within the framework of Nordic collaboration. This was followed up with a Nordic Tourism Policy Analysis Report to the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019.
The XNordic Travel Contest project is founded in the Tourism in the Nordics initiative and considers other activities under the initiative, as well as other Nordic tourism projects and policies.
Follow the progress of the XNordic Travel Contest on this project site, see more about the Tourism in Nordic Initiative and XNTC on Nordic Innovation and see the full press release about the project launch here.
PROCESS
IT STARTS WITH A WICKED PROBLEM
1. Call for Problems.
From January – June 2023, we are looking for trouble! We are mapping the most important challenges and problems faced by Nordic tourism in terms of sustainability and competitiveness in the long run. We ask the Nordic tourism industry to share their problems with us – in surveys, interviews and in six workshops taking place across the Nordic countries. See a full list of all workshops and locations under Upcoming Events.
2. Call for Solutions.
From July until end of 2023, we are shifting gears and Calling for Solutions to address all the tourism troubles. We are inviting startups both within and outside tourism to join us in coming up with new solutions in three Nordic Solution Camps and design sprints. Dates for Solution Camps will be published in Spring 2023.
3. Testing-testing.
From January – June 2024, we will be testing the very best and most promising solutions. Working closely together with the XNTC team, with mentors and industry partners, the solutions will be developed and tested in testbeds across the Nordic region.
4. World-ready.
In the last 6 months of 2024, the solution owners will be supported in their journey to expand their work and developed solution across the Nordic region and beyond.
XNTC PROJECT
ALSO FOR YOU?
The project reaches out to:
- The Nordic Tourism Industry such as ports, airports, travel companies, the meeting industry, the cruise industry, museums and travel tech companies.
- Municipalities, industry organizations, clusters and visit organizations.
- Startup and innovation ecosystems as well as universities.
