NORCE is an Interreg IIIB Northern Periphery project, approved in April 2004. The lead-partner is the Regional Development Institute of Northwest Iceland.

The 17 partners in the NORCE project come from Iceland (4), Faroe Islands (1), Greenland (2), Norway (3), Sweden (3), Finland (1), UK: Shetland and Orkney (2) and Newfoundland (1).

The project focuses on (traditional) coastal culture and how this can be used to sponsor modern tourism development in a number of selected areas.

Partners will develop specific aspects of their own areas to improve their appeal to tourists. Most partners work with traditional boats, traditional food and wildlife watching, and some partners are also looking into restoration of traditional fishing cottages or lighthouses and other seamarks.

The project is divided into two parallel-running subprojects, one in the North Atlantic Area (covering Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney and Northern Norway) and one in the upper part of the Bay of Bothnia, the so-called Bothnian Arc, comprising partners in Sweden and Finland.

The project is working closely with major carriers like ferry companies and airlines, and also with the regional destination companies in the partner areas.

The objective is to increase tourism through a new focus on traditional coastal culture, presented in a way appealing to modern tourists.

Traditional wooden boats can provide new challenges for youth seeking adventures, watching seals, whales, birds or other wildlife can be an added value for all kinds of tourists coming to these areas, staying in traditional fishing cottages close to the sea can provide both tranquillity and closeness to the rough elements of the seas.

Concerning food, the project focuses on how traditional food resources and traditional ways of preserving food can be used to present modern, trend-food menus appealing to all kinds of visitors. The project will produce an inspiration book presenting interviews with chefs using ‘trad-food’ in their ‘trend-food’ menus, and also present some of their creations. The book is meant to inspire other chefs.

The project will also produce so-called lore-brochures, lavishly illustrated booklets inducing people to visit the partner areas. These will be marketed through the co-operation with tour operators, destination companies and carriers.

Project manager of NORCE is Mr Rögnvaldur Gudmundsson, Tourism Research and Consulting in Iceland. He can be reached on rognv@hi.is