Welcome to Luleå

Please note that this event has already occurred.

We wish you a warm welcome to Luleå, the NECSTouR AGM and the conference Care for the Arctic – let’s extend the horizon together. Did you know that the Swedish people loves to stand in line? We form queues whenever we get the opportunity, while waiting for the bus or when we are at the bank. Swedes are also known for their punctuality, we take pride in showing up in time regardless of whether we’re meeting a friend for a fika or have an important meeting.

Map courtesy of Luleå Business Region. Illustration by Lisa Wallin.

Click the map for addresses to the venues. If you scroll below the program you’ll find more interesting and useful facts about Luleå and Sweden.

Program for 21^th May (only for NECSTouR members)

07.45: Meetup at meeting point (outside Clarion Hotel) for a joint walk to Regional Council Hall.
08.00: Joint walk to Regional Council Hall.
8.00-8.30: Registration and taking seats for the AGM
8.30-10.00: AGM

10.00-10.30: Arctic coffee break

10.30-12.30: AGM and official photo
12.45: Bus from Regional Council Hall to Hägnan (for outdoor sessions, if you want to you can change clothing at Regional Council Hall or at Hägnan, and you can store luggage at Hägnan).

13.00-14.00: Lunch with membership ceremony at Kaptensgården

14.00-15.00: Guided walk to Hägnan open air museum (Gammelstad UNESCO World Heritage) and outdoor campfire sessions

15.00-17.30: Outdoor campfire sessions

17.35: Bus from Hägnan back to meeting point

18.45: Meetup at meeting point for bus transfer (with guiding) to archipelago, Brändön
19.30-23.00: Midsummer celebrations and ambassador ceremony at Brändön
23.00: Bus transfer back to meeting point

Program for 22^nd May

8.30-10.00: Living Labs at Clarion Hotel and Ebeneser (only for NECSTouR members)

10.00-10.30: Arctic fika at Ebeneser (only for NECSTouR members)

10.30-12.00: Living Labs continues at Clarion Hotel and Ebeneser (only for NECSTouR members)

12.00-13.00: Networking lunch at Vetenskapens hus
13.00: Opening ceremony
13.10: NECSTouR sustainability message with Peter de Wilde, CEO Visit Flanders, President NECSTouR
13.15: Moderator of the conference: Kata Nylén – What can I do as a person to canalize climate angst?
13.30: Care for the Arctic – it’s our home, Camilla Bondareva, Head of Brand Communications, Swedish Lapland Visitors Board
14.00: Keynote: Social progressive Index – Measuring the Wellbeing of Europe, Michael Green, CEO, the Social Progress Imperative

14.45-15.15: Arctic fika

15.15: A hymn to home – regenerative indigenous tourism paves the way, Lennart Pittja, Sapmi Nature Camp
15.50: 3 counries. One destination – cross border co-operation to create a new destination, Trond Øverås, Managing Director, Northern Norway Tourist Board
16.05: Company panel led by Kata Nylén: How will this have an effect for us as tourism companies?
16.35: Wrap up day 1

19.30-23.00: Welcome, pre-drinks and festive dinner at Elite Hotel, Storgatan

Program for 23^rd May

8.30: Welcome with moderator Kata Nylén
8.45: How tourism and the hospitality industry can work as a cathalyst for regional growth and innovation, Janus Brandin, Head of Regional Development Department at Region Norrbotten
9.00: The Arctification of northern tourism, Dieter K. Müller, professor Umeå University
9.45: Keynote: From saving the environment to exploring the meaning of home – Whats next in tourism? Guðrið Højgaard, CEO, Visit Faroe Islands
10.30: A new model in measuring Regional Tourism and Tourism’s Environmental Impact in the Nordics, Maria Wiberg, Analyst at Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth

11.00-11.30: Arctic fika

11.30: Why do we need tourism? Ann Heidi Hansen, Special adviser at Innovation Norway
12.15: Marjan Nauwelaert, Chairman Climate Hub Climate Action Plan and Climate Hub – NECSTouR initiatives and findings
12.45: Company panel led by Kata Nylén: How will this have an effect for us as tourism companies?
13.15: Wrap up day 2
13.30: Thank you and good bye

13.45: Networking lunch

More information about Sweden and Luleå

Drink the tap water – it is really good
It’s norm in Sweden to drink water straight from the tap. The water is clean, freash and tastes really good. Be kind to mother nature and skip the bottled water from the store.