On June 5–9, researchers from the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Social Sciences Centre Rasa Melnikienė, Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Rita Lankauskienė visited Iceland. During the visit, four transformative tourism objects and organizations were visited: the Westland Destination Marketing Office, the Gufua Farm, which organizes transformative tourism services, the Icelandic Seal Research Centre and the Holar University Tourism Centre. Visited organizations oversees the initiation and implementation of scientific projects, the content of which may include research initiated in the future.
During the scientific seminar at Holar University, organized on June 7, 2023, 3 scientific presentations were read, the purpose of which was to present the directions and topics of scientific research conducted by the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Social Sciences Centre. Rasa Melnikienė gave a presentation on the research carried out by the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences and possible synergies of cooperation, Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Rita Lankauskienė gave two presentations: Barriers to Start and Develop Transformative Ecotourism Business: Evidence from the Baltic Sea Region and Rural Economic Developments and Social Movements: a New Paradigm for Transformation in Rural Areas.
During the meeting at Holar University, the possibilities of developing bilateral partnership by preparing joint projects were discussed. During the meeting, it was agreed to cooperate with the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre, Holar University, and Westland Destination Marketing Office. Also, it was agreed on specific further cooperation in the preparation of applications for the Horizon and Baltic research program, as soon as the calls are published. During the meeting, the idea of the project of scientists of the Department of Business Ecosystems of the Institute of Economics and Rural Development was presented on the role of transformative tourism in increasing the vitality of rural areas, which corresponds to the action group of the European Horizon program "Culture, creativity and inclusive society".
The visit helped to exchange scientific experience of organizing and conducting research, work organization practices, as well as getting acquainted with specifics of implemented projects.
Visit was funded by Lithuanian Research Council, Funding of Research visits (Baltic Research Programme).