Overall objective of the project and the expected change The objective of the project is enhanced development of tourism and tourism SMEs along the expanded Via Hanseatica (VH) route due to smart marketing of Via Hanseatica and strong network of Via Hanseatica entrepreneurs. The expected change the project will make to the current situation is expanded VH route in cooperation with VH entrepreneurs and tourism developers. VH route from St. Petersburg to Riga will be expanded with detours to Vyborg (RUS), Rakvere (EE), Viljandi (EE) and Pskov (RUS). Common challenges, the need for CBC and planned approaches VH tourism route is a cross-border tourism route linking St. Petersburg and Riga. As VH is an international tourism route, its success depends on CBC between the tourism developers and SMEs along the route. Parties interested in developing VH are interdependent actors on different sides of the border, thus proper development of VH can only be carried out in CBC. This project will focus on 4 common cross-border challenges that require cross-border approach for addressing them properly. 1) There are attractive destinations near VH route in Russia and Estonia that are not yet incorporated into VH packages, although their key tourism attractions and sites match well the idea of VH. Expansion of the VH route requires support from cross-border community of VH stakeholders and the maximum usage of earlier experiences from similar actions. The current project will incorporate the following destinations into VH by extending the VH route and creating detours to Vyborg and Pskov in Russia, Rakvere and Viljandi in Estonia. 2) The cross-border network of VH entrepreneurs and stakeholders requires reinforcement to support further development of VH. CBC is essential for empowering the cross-border network of VH entrepreneurs. VH has to be strong, visible, functioning and supported by local tourism stakeholders along the whole route. Only national networks are not sufficient for supporting durability and development of VH. One of the main tools for reinforcing the network are joint and practical events for entrepreneurs from EE and RUS that will be planned and carried out in cross-border cooperation. Those include cross-border study trips combined with trainings and meetings with travel agents. The focus of the trainings will be on maximum practical value for the participants. For example, trainings on simple ways of promoting their businesses on web and social media, effective cross-marketing of sites, attractions and services along VH. 3) Insufficiency of target group focused marketing of VH route and packages. Target group focused marketing of the VH will be based on sites along the whole VH. Thus, cooperation between partners, associated partners, tourism developers and SMEs from EE, RUS and LV is a prerequisite for generating content and developing solutions for successful marketing. The project will devote a lot of attention to target group specific smart marketing of VH. The marketing efforts will focus on two visitor groups with the biggest potential for VH. a) Families with children. Primarily from St. Petersburg, Leningrad and Pskov oblast, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. b) (Groups of) cultural tourists arriving in St. Petersburg or Riga, who could travel St. Petersburg-Riga or Riga-St. Petersburg along VH. They are primarily from Germany. 4) Limited cross-marketing between VH sites and attractions, especially in cross-border context, is possible only via cross-border cooperation. That';s why its development can be carried out only as a CB effort. The set of marketing activities will also provide solutions for the VH enterprises for effective cross-marketing of each other and the trainings will reinforce the network of tourism SMEs and developers. Main outputs and activities Main outputs and activities of the VH+ project are the following: VH+ routes to Vyborg, Pskov, Rakvere and Viljandi, including marking of the routes and involvement of new stakeholders in the VH network; Study trips for tourism entrepreneurs combined with practical trainings; Contact event for VH entrepreneurs and travel agencies; FAM tours: primarily for travel agencies (in case of culture tourists), journalists and bloggers for families in case of family tourists. Marketing solutions and activities for 2 most potential target groups of VH: families with children and cultural tourists. New and original The main new elements of the project are: - creating and incorporating additional routes to the main VH route; - a very clear focus on target groups throughout all the marketing activities; - more intensive and practical training element during study trips for entrepreneurs.