Tjörn – Island of Art

Tjörn municipality leads a collaborative project based on three reasons for travel and marketed as Tjörn – Island of Art. The three attractions are the Nordic Watercolour Museum, Sculpture in Pilane, and Pater Noster – A home on the horizon. Culture and a unique natural setting bind these three together. In addition to the municipality of Tjörn, other stakeholders in the working group are Södra Bohuslän Turism AB and West Sweden Tourist Board.

The three destinations include opportunities for kayak tours, renting kayaks and bicycles, along with three accommodation providers. To further strengthen the reasons for travel, a number of events and activities are held at the three locations. The concept is based on a creative work process where all parties are differentiated by their unique contribution and offer to visitors.

The marketing has been largely digital and mainly during early and late summer. The aim is to encourage visits during the periods when it is less busy, and a leaflet has been produced to showcase the complete content. A cycling and walking path between the Nordic Watercolour Museum and Sculpture in Pilane has been signposted. Two of the businesses are open year-round and one from May to September, so Tjörn can offer residents and visitors a destination with unique, high-class experiences for twelve months of the year. In turn, this creates more opportunity for other companies to conduct their operations throughout the year.

Overall, we can see that a collaborative project like this contributes to all four principles in Stepping up Sustainability. The work continues and the goal is that new creative collaborative projects will continue to grow Tjörn as a destination, workplace, and place to live, and contribute to a stronger cultural profile for the area.