Kulturen i hjertet (Culture at the heart)

The project brings together cultural stakeholders, local authorities and national partners to develop stronger and more cohesive cultural experiences. The project also raises the profile of the destination and its stakeholders both nationally and internationally through targeted campaigns. The aim is to make cultural experiences in the destination an even stronger driver of growth and vibrant local communities all year round.

Tourism Strategy

‘Culture at the Heart’ helps to achieve the ambitious targets set out in the Government’s tourism strategy: tourism revenue of DKK 200 billion, 74 million overnight stays, and 70% of overnight stays outside July and August. In the tourism strategy, cultural tourism has been identified as a key area for development in Denmark over the coming years. 

The national tourism strategy also supports the work on development plans in Denmark. Destination NORD is a driving force behind the development of Development Plan North, in which cultural tourism has also been identified as a key focus for the coming years. 

Objective 

The aim of the project is to strengthen the destination as a unified and competitive cultural tourism destination of international standing. The project aims to increase the number of overnight stays and revenue from both domestic and international visitors outside the peak season through more coherent and year-round cultural experiences. The project will also develop a clear and distinctive cultural tourism profile for the whole of Destination NORD. Finally, the skills of cultural stakeholders will be strengthened, and new business and market concepts will be created. 

Desired outcomes by 2032 

• The number of cultural tourists must increase, measured in terms of overnight stays
• The proportion of revenue derived from cultural tourism must increase
• The destination’s total tourism expenditure must increase annually
• International cultural tourists’ satisfaction with cultural experiences at the destination must increase
• <Internationally, there must be increased awareness of and preference for cultural experiences at the destination
• 1 unified cultural tourism profile for the entire destination
• Up to 7 local cultural tourism profiles
• 2 specific international cultural tourism campaigns
• 1 comprehensive vision statement for cultural tourism in the destination 
• 90% of the cultural stakeholders involved in the project must assess that:
  • They have strengthened their business development
  • They have strengthened their knowledge of the market, trends and tendencies, guest satisfaction and guest service
  • They have strengthened their data insights

Project content 

TRACK 1: Knowledge of the market and potential (2026) 

Track 1 forms the analytical foundation for the entire project. It involves a comprehensive mapping of cultural tourism resources, the capacity of the cultural sector, visitor behaviour and market potential – both nationally and internationally. Track 1 also examines the economic, social and environmental significance of cultural tourism, thereby creating a solid, data-driven understanding of the opportunities for growth and development.

TRACK 2: World-class visitor services (2026)

Track 2 focuses on the quality of the guest’s encounter with the destination and cultural stakeholders. As centralised guest services have in many places been replaced by stakeholder-driven services, it is becoming even more important to strengthen competencies in both digital and analogue guest guidance. Track 2 therefore works to identify the challenges guests face on their journey through the destination and to ensure that cultural operators are equipped to deliver a service that can guide guests to the right cultural offerings at the right time and place. The aim is to increase guest satisfaction and boost cultural consumption throughout the area.

TRACK 3: Skills Development (2027)

Track 3 focuses on the professional development of cultural operators. Modern cultural tourists expect a high standard of communication, curation and quality in their experiences, and this track provides operators with new knowledge on how to develop and present cultural experiences that meet guests’ expectations. The track explores national and international trends, best practice and new curation methods designed to strengthen stakeholders’ ability to create relevant and market-oriented experiences – whether in urban, coastal, rural or island settings.

TRACK 4: Development and marketing of an international cultural tourism profile (2027)

Building on the knowledge generated in the first three tracks, Track 4 will develop a comprehensive international cultural tourism profile for Destination NORD. The aim is to create a clear, attractive and recognisable narrative about the destination’s cultural offerings, which can be marketed effectively in the neighbouring markets of Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. This will create coherence between the stakeholders’ own communication initiatives, Destination NORD’s marketing and VisitDenmark’s international efforts. At the same time, new cultural tourism profiles are being developed for the individual locations, so that stakeholders can more easily work strategically with their own products and markets. 

TRACK 5: Development of business and market concepts (2028)

In Track 5, insights and strategic directions are translated into concrete products and concepts. Here, new, sustainable and year-round business and market concepts are developed, which must be marketable both nationally and internationally. Track 5 aims to ensure that cultural operators gain a stronger financial foundation and can offer experiences that meet the demands of modern cultural tourists. The goal is to create more relevant products that can attract new visitors throughout the year, thereby contributing to increased stability and growth in the cultural sector.

TRACK 6: Next step – strategic ambition paper towards 2032

Track 6 brings together the project’s insights in a joint strategic ambition paper designed to guide the development of cultural tourism towards 2032. This document sets out long-term shared directions and concrete strategies for the entire destination and the nine municipalities, based on national targets for growth, season extension, sustainability and satisfaction among both tourists and residents. Track 6 also ensures that the work is firmly established, so that the development of cultural tourism continues after the project’s conclusion and becomes an integral part of the future priorities of the municipalities and cultural stakeholders.

Budget

The project’s total budget is DKK 6.6 million, of which just under DKK 3.3 million has been received in funding from the Danish Business Promotion Board. Included in these figures is approximately DKK 1.64 million for international marketing. 

Timeframe

The project will run for 3 years from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. 

The project’s financial partners

Destination NORD FMBA, Frederikshavn Municipality, Brønderslev Municipality, Læsø Municipality, Aalborg Municipality, Danish Coastal and Nature Tourism, VisitDenmark and Erhvervshus Nordjylland 

Funding body 

The project is supported by Danmarks Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse. 

Økonomi

Projektets økonomiske ramme er på i alt 6,6 mio. kr., hvoraf knap 3,3 mio. kr. er modtaget i støtte fra Danmarks Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse. Inklusive i beløbene er ca. 1,64 mio. kr. til international markedsføring. 

Tidsperiode

Projektet løber i 3 år fra 1. januar 2026 til 31. december 2028. 

Projektets økonomiske partnere

Destination NORD FMBA, Frederikshavn Kommune, Brønderslev Kommune, Læsø Kommune, Aalborg Kommune, Dansk Kyst- og Naturturisme, VisitDenmark og Erhvervshus Nordjylland 

Bevillingsgiver 

Projektet er støttet af Danmarks Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse.