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:
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.
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.
From Spring to Summer 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.
From Fall to Winter 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.
From Spring to Summer of 2024, we will accelerate the previously identified startups and solutions through various means, from fine tuning minimum viable products, seeking new partnerships, matchmaking and testbeds, to seeking mentorship, looking for market introductions and promotion.
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.
The project reaches out to:
© 2023 XNordic Travel Contest.
