The Swedish region Kalmar Län wished to create growth in the tourism sector by attracting more guests from foreign markets. Therefore, the overall goal was to increase awareness for Småland and Öland, which would contribute to a rise in bookings and enhances tourism earnings.

On account of the demographic changes, the 50+ and WHOP (wealthy, healthy, older people) target groups have become increasingly attractive for tourist destinations wanting to increase their number of visitors. This target group of wealthy, independent, quality-seeking travellers is especially important for regions with a rich cultural heritage and natural scenery like the eastern part of Småland, known for its lush forests, lakes, coastal areas and archipelago, as well as Swedish icons such as the world-famous author Astrid Lindgren. 

Regionförbundet i Kalmar län started a cooperation with EHRENBERG Kommunikation already in 2009. This was done in order to position the destination in DACH, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark, with a focus on WHOP/50+. As lead agency for all key markets, we have been supporting Regionförbundet i Kalmar Län with PR, marketing, analysing and we have also acted as their press office for the past seven years. We have among other activities conducted classic destination PR measures such as arranged group press trips, journalist visits for top media representatives, trade fair presence and news pieces.

During the last few years, we have also explored the possibilities of online channels in destination marketing. We have included activities that target a digitally present audience through media/brand collaborations and blogger visits. As authentic experiences become more and more important for both influencers and consumers, our main focus is storytelling. Since the launch of the cooperation in 2009, EHRENBERG Kommunikation has been working closely with the local tourism representatives in order to develop relevant and new scopes for the selected target group and markets.