In ”Hospitality 2030,” an easy-to-use digital platform is used where local businesses can present their current offers in various areas and recommend each other.

With the platform, businesses can collaboratively develop and communicate the local business offerings effectively via an app – a shared hospitality for the local economy.

The communication is directed specifically to both those who live and work in the community and to visitors from other places. Without taking the detour via large digital business platforms that are primarily designed for larger companies, have national perspectives, and can be expensive to use.

More local direct businesses

The digital platform used in ”Hospitality 2030” is called Loci Network and has been developed by Gotland-based Roombler, which is also the project owner in close collaboration with local stakeholders.

 With our model, local business networks are created that collaboratively showcase the businesses' current offers. The app includes lists for various business areas within services, trade, tourism, and so on. Lists can also be made focusing on, for example, organic or locally grown products. It is up to each community to decide, says the project leader. Per Nilsson.

The individual businesses' information in the app is quite concise and easy to update with both text and images. Here, the visitor should quickly and overviewingly get current information and contact with the business.

– The app does not replace the businesses' websites. It is a business-driven complement for more local direct businesses, says Per Nilsson.

Digital dissemination and recommendations

The participating businesses then spread information about the app and recommend lists and each other via their own digital channels. In addition, digital bulletin boards with QR codes to the app are set up in stores and other public places in the community.

The information can also be spread via joint websites for the towns or communities that participate. These websites can then, in turn, be further exposed via broader digital portals.

Underway in Roma – strong local engagement

The project is based on a need and interest among the local associations and businesses in the three Gotland rural areas that participate.

Work is already fully underway in Roma and in the startup phase in Klintehamn and Hemse.

In Roma, it is the Roma Interest Association that is a partner to ”Hospitality 2030.”.

Here, the project coincides with the association developing a new joint website for Roma. It will, among other things, contain news from the community and an event calendar. Through the website, the Hospitality 2030 app can be accessed, where local businesses are offered to participate free of charge during 2023 and 2024.

The plan is for the new website to, in turn, be accessed via, among other things, Gotland.com.

In Roma, among others, Coop and Ica will set up digital bulletin boards with QR codes to the Värdskap 2030 app.

– The strong local engagement and interest in the project is very encouraging. In Roma, several companies are participating from the start, says Per Nilsson.

Startup work has now begun to establish the project in Klintehamn and Hemse in roughly the same way as in Roma. Here, the partners are Klintetraktens Framtid as well as Knutpunkt Hemse and Hemseföretagarna.

The ambition is that ”Värdskap 2030” will eventually spread as a model for the development of local business networks in other places on Gotland and the mainland.

Text published/updated 2024-09-01

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Per Nilsson, project manager for ”Värdskap 2030”:

”The strong local engagement and interest is very encouraging.".”