Norrbotten’s Flavor Routes highlight the county’s food destinations

Norrbotten’s Food Strategy, Nära Mat, and Swedish Lapland Visitors Board are joining forces to increase the visibility and accessibility of small-scale food producers as tourist destinations. Through the new project Norrbotten’s Flavor Routes, a digital guide, travel routes, and printed brochures are being created – a concrete solution that makes it easier for visitors to find local food and dining experiences while strengthening businesses’ digital presence.

“We know that local ingredients and local food experiences are becoming increasingly important when travelers choose their destinations. Therefore, it’s crucial for Norrbotten’s overall attractiveness and development potential to make it easy for the county’s visitors to find what they’re looking for,” says Linda Norén, Swedish Lapland Visitors Board.

“A unified marketing approach for the county’s food tourism offerings will help strengthen both the food and tourism industries, as well as contribute to positioning Arctic Sweden on the international travel map.”

The expected result is a strengthened local economy for businesses in rural Norrbotten and improved competitiveness for the region’s food and tourism sector, based on Norrbotten’s ingredients and food traditions.

Malin Naess, coordinator for Nära Mat, believes that the conditions for developing the food sector, food arena, and dining experiences in Norrbotten are very good.

“The food culture in northern Sweden is unique and shaped by the region’s geography, climate, and history. There is a diversity of high-quality, unique ingredients here, from mountains to sea. The ingredients are pure, have high gastronomic value, and production generally has a low environmental impact, which is becoming increasingly important to visitors.”

The Norrbotten’s Flavor Routes project is aimed at existing or future small and medium-sized businesses in the food chain and tourism industry operating in the county and using Norrbotten ingredients and/or food traditions.

“Highlighting the local ingredients, region-specific food traditions, and traditional food crafts that these businesses offer is perfectly timed. The offerings increase attractiveness not only for visitors but also for all those who already live and work in the county, plus all the new residents we want to attract here,” says Linda Norén.

The project’s activities will strengthen the businesses’ own capacity to reach new markets and target groups, adapted to visitors’ travel patterns and behaviors, as well as sustainability requirements.

“The collaboration between Norrbotten’s Food Strategy; Nära Mat and Swedish Lapland Visitors Board, together with local businesses and municipalities, will ensure that the project builds on regional strengths and promotes long-term sustainability,” concludes Nära Mat coordinator, Malin Naess.