EXPERIENCE will extend the tourism season (Oct-Mar) attracting 20,038,906 additional new visitors to the FCE region by project end and 44,398,954 by 5 years later. To have lasting impact you must break the cycle of challenges: -Visitors won’t come Oct-Mar because there is no tourism offer and infrastructure is not adapted for off-season use, -Businesses will not open if there are no tourists (financial risk), -Visitors and businesses are not aware of unique FCE region off-season tourism assets. The FCE region currently uses a destination-based tourism approach based on conventional, mass-market locations during peak season. Modern travellers are losing interest this type of holiday (Skift 2018). Experiential tourism is a growing travel trend based on regional uniqueness (Trekksoft 2017). Travellers seek off-the-beaten path, ‘live like a local’ authentic experiences throughout the year (Skift 2018). 69% of global travellers (all ages) tried something new in 2016 (Trip Barometer). Regions inside and outside the EU have shifted from destination-based approaches to successfully harness this new experiential trend to extend the season. In Maine (US) experiencing fall colours increased visitors 13% Oct-Dec (2017). Off-season visits to Tasmania grew 50% by 2017 following a festival for Australia’s longest night. The FCE region is not popular with experiential travellers despite abundant potential. Current offer does not target the off-season or meet modern expectations, limiting competitiveness in the global tourism market. To break the cycle and successfully extend the season, EXPERIENCE will develop a new tourism strategy to tackle all the challenges at once. We will capitalise on successes with experiential tourism observed in other countries. We will apply this to the FCE region to attract off-season visitors. The new strategy is composed of 5 delivery plans designed to break existing tourism convention and bring global innovation in season extension to our region. We will: - Unite and train traditional (tourism offices) and atypical actors (foresters/artisans) to recognise unique regional tourism selling points. - Create new off-season tourism offer, harnessing regional selling points to create exciting itineraries. - Adapt regional summer tourism infrastructure for off-season use. - Promote the FCE region for experiential tourism Oct-Mar. - Ensure offer is demand-driven for continued off-season visitors growth in FCE region. We test the strategy across 6 pilot regions (Brittany, Pas-de-Calais, Compiègne, Norfolk, Kent, Cornwall) each with diverse characteristics representative of other FCE regions and wider.