Scandinavian Islands - pure nature, pure adventure, pure quality

Scandinavian Islands is the archipelago area between Stockholm in Sweden across the Åland Islands to Turku in Southwest Finland. The landscape is a mosaic of 50000 I islands with the light and sounds of the North. Scandinavian Islands is the home to 400000 people of which 70000 live on islands. A life close to nature and water has created a special culture in the small but vibrant archipelago communities. Several of the activities that Scandinavian Islands have to offer relate to water, like fishing, sailing, kayaking and diving. Many visitors experience and explore the unique envi- ' ronment by bicycle, car or bus and accommodation and outstanding restaurants to suit all tastes can be found throughout the area.

Scandianvian Islands are easy to access from Stockholm and Turku. Cruise ships and ferries from these ports sail through the area all the way out to the smallest, inhabited islands. Mariehamn, the capital of the autonomous region Åland, has good connections to Stockholm, Turku and Helsinki. In Mariehamn the maritime atmosphere is everywhere to be found. Visit the world-famous Maritime Museum and Pommern, a four-masted, 310-foot clipper ship in original condition. Sights, restaurants, hotels and shopping - everything is located within convenient walking distance. And don't forget to take home a piece of the Åland Islands with you: genuine, high-quality-design objects, I handicrafts and artwork are found in I shops and galleries all across the islands. The tourist organisations and munici-I palities in Scandinavian Islands develop I and promote their common destination I together. The trademark Scandinavian I Islands is a quality guarantee for the visi-I tor, used only by certified enterprises in the area.

The aim of the stakeholders is to increase the number of visitors to Scandinavian Islands coming from abroad by 10% 'from 2008 to 2013. This is to be achieved by unified product development, joint marketing and enhancing the competence and quality among the service producers throughout the Scandinavian Islands. Branding Scandinavian Islands is also a project for developing tourism in the archipelago area. This work is supported by the EU through its Regional Development Fund.