THE Danish and Swedish tourist boards have joined forces to promote the region of Oresund following the opening of a combined bridge/tunnel between Copenhagen and Malmo next July.
The region, which takes in Zealand in Denmark and Skane in southern Sweden, will be joined by the Oresund Fixed Link, so called because it spans the Oresund channel separating the Danish and Swedish cities.
The link consists of a 4.8-mile-long bridge and two-mile tunnel which meet at a 2.5-mile-long island that has been built in the channel. The structure will be the world’s longest cable bridge.
It will take cars and trains and will reduce travel time between Copenhagen and Malmo from the present 45mins by ferry to just 15mins.
The speedy connection is expected to create a greater integration of the two countries. The Danish capital will become the cultural focal point of the people of southern Sweden, rather than Stockholm, while Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport will be their local hub.
In terms of tourism, there is already co-operation. The Swedish Travel and Tourism Council and Danish Tourist Board are both represented on the Oresund Consortium, which is overseeing the whole project, and there have been talks between the tourist boards in the UK.
STTC London-based marketing manager Camilla Elvljung said: “We have had an initial meeting with the Danish Tourist Board in London to discuss jointpromotion.
“The consortium is providing cash to help promote the Oresund region and some of that will come to us to pay for our work in the UK although there will be no fixedbudget.”
Danish Tourist Board UK director Soren Damstrup added: “We will start planning our campaign activities for 2000 soon and they will now have to include southern Sweden.
“We will also be looking to sell space in our Copenhagen brochures to Malmo hotels, and we have been discussing with the STTC how we should link up at World Travel Market from this year. As far as the UK market is concerned, the link won’t be an incentive for more visitors to go to Copenhagen in the short term, but I believe people will extend their stay for a few days to see southern Sweden.”
Elvljung said visitors can combine a city stay in Copenhagen with a tour of the manor houses in the Skane region of Sweden or play golf on some of the many courses in the area.
They will also be able to fly into the Danish capital, drive north to Helsingor, take the ferry to Helsingborg in Sweden, drive south to Malmo and cross the bridge back to Copenhagen.
“We have had meetings with tour operators about joint packages and they seemed to like the idea,” said Elvljung.
The feeling is echoed by the Danish Tourist Board. Damstrup said: “There is canoeing and rafting on the Swedish side so operators can build up exciting packages. The two-country aspect will also be easier to sell to operators.”
As well as leisure tourism, the conference and incentive market will benefit from the link.
Copenhagen, which gets full at peak times, will be able to make better use of Malmo’s hotels, where there is usually plenty of space.
The Malmo authorities are also planning to construct conference facilities and hotels at the foot of the bridge to build on this potential market.
Meanwhile, the first joint Meeting Planners Guide showing hotel and conference facilities in both cities was launched in April.