The VisitSaimaa & MikkeliRegion project launches a comprehensive tourism development project which aims to ensure that, by 2020, the recognition of Etelä-Savo and the Saimaa region as an attractive tourist area in both domestic and international markets has increased significantly. The number of international tourists and tourism income is increasing steadily from the selected market areas and year-round tourism is being developed in a long-term manner in accordance with the principles of sustainable tourism. Companies are committed to cooperation — common goals and common customer relationships. Saimaa has become a significant and prestigious tourist area alongside Helsinki and Lapland. The project seeks solutions for the further development of customer-oriented and year-round tourism content and services in the Mikkeli region, the growth of tourism revenue, the creation of new businesses and jobs, internationalisation and the development of know-how in a sustainable way. This project brings together all the key tourism development needs in order to ensure the most flexible and efficient use of resources. International marketing is carried out in close cooperation with tourist operators in the Savonlinna region and South Karelia. The Saimaa brand is built by means of service packages and content of interest to target groups, as well as targeted marketing, making effective use of international distribution channels and networks. In addition to the development of international tourism under the international Saimaa brand, the development of business networks and tourism services, as well as domestic marketing, will continue in the Mikkeli region.The preparation of the project has taken into account, together with tourism operators and funders, the updated South Savo Tourism Strategy 2014-2020 and the strategic main points of tourism defined by it, which were recorded as such; Saimaa as an international tourist destination, internationalisation of business, customer-oriented service design and thematic service packages, sustainable tourism and the development of the tourism environment. The content of the project consists of both the development measures of the Mikkeli region (= Visitmikkeli) and measures taken jointly with Savonlinna (= VisitSaimaa). The Mikkeli region’s own measures ensure the continuation of the development of content, products and networks initiated in previous projects, while VisitSaimaa’s cooperation focuses primarily on international marketing and improving the conditions of international sales as well as customer-oriented creation of new, common service packages. The development of VisitMikkeli offers for its part ensures that services and products are placed on the international market as part of VisitSaimaa content.Together with Savonlinna, the development and marketing work (=VisitSaimaa development and marketing) The measures taken together with Savonlinna can be divided into two main categories for the development of content, services and know-how, as well as marketing and the construction of the Saimaa brand. The development measures will be launched immediately with companies‘product development workshops in cooperation with Savonlinna tourism, the improvement of companies’ internationalisation capabilities and the collection of the content of the VisitSaimaa website under the agreed leading themes. The top themes you saw are Culture&Nature, Heritage, Local&Lifestyle, Outdoors Saimaa, Wellbeing Saimaa and Taste Saimaa. New VisitSaimaa packages are produced in a customer-oriented manner for each market using the comprehensive offerings and seasons of the Saimaa region. The international target markets are primarily Europe, Russia and Asia. Development and marketing work is carried out in close cooperation with entrepreneurs, GoSaima (South Karelia), VisitFinland and educational institutions in the region. The content of the VisitSaimaa website is primarily created as a target group for an international final consumer. The brand level is dominated by tourism organisations in Savonlinna and Mikkeli. The companies and networks involved in the project will receive brand-level visibility. All Etelä-Savo entrepreneurs have the opportunity to get contact information to the website contact list below the brand level. This aims to ensure that services are as comprehensive and customer-oriented as possible. Significant efforts are made to promote the VisitSaimaa website through electronic distribution channels. The University of Eastern Finland’s research data on customer needs and behaviour will be used in the development of the website. In addition to the VisitSaimaa website, we invest in interactive communication, social media and media and blog posts.