Offline Island

Tourism had now taken an additional dive due to the area’s proximity to Russia. To increase the appeal and popularity of the region as a travel destination, and especially that of its archipelago, we needed to come up with a creative idea using very limited resources.

Visit Kotka-Hamina wanted to gain the widest possible visibility through earned media. Our objective was to create a phenomenon that would trigger social debate, with main media messages relevant to current social issues and built upon the region’s strengths.

Both environmental and social sustainability are driving forces for Visit Kotka-Hamina, and the benefits to mental wellbeing of spending time in nature are a key topic of conversation for the brand.

The always-on online world has lured us in, and now it’s wearing us down. Its negative effects on our wellbeing have reached the travel industry, with the birth of Instagrammable destinations, swarms of influencers and screens blocking actual experiences. The only things recharging on these vacations are our phones.

We decided to tap into this universal experience and the rising trend of digital detoxing, offering a much-needed solution – while sparking conversation about the relationship between smart devices and leisure and tourism.

Our creative solution lay at the core of Kotka-Hamina. The peaceful, unspoiled nature and clean air of its archipelago are ideal for experiencing the mental benefits of nature.

In June 2023 we officially declared Ulko-Tammio a phone-free destination. We incorporated the concept into official signage, handed out screen covers during visiting and invited curated, credible influencers to Offline Island – armed only with Polaroid cameras and a limited amount of film.

At the same time, we targeted PR to global news, lifestyle and travel medias. National organizations Parks & Wildlife Finland and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare spoke as ambassadors, and Finnish embassies around the world gave interviews on behalf of Offline Island, helping us put Visit Kotka-Hamina on the world map.

As for the brand experience – we let the unspoiled nature of Kotka-Hamina’s archipelago speak for itself.

And it worked – ferries to the island were sold out for summer 2023. Ulko-Tammio was selected as a Travel Destination of the Year 2023 by The Finnish Guild of Travel Journalists.