700 thousand PLN is the total amount allocated for the implementation of the project Pomorski Bursztynowy Szlak – promotional campaign of the amber heritage as a multifaceted tourist offer. 75% of this amount comes from European Union funds, the remaining part of the expenses will be covered by PROT. „Our contribution comes from membership fees as well as financial support from the cities interested in participating in this project, i.e. Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia, Słupsk, Malbork and Pruszcz Gdański” – explained Łukasz Magrian, deputy director of the PROT office.
The project began in April of this year and will last until the end of November. Its main objective is to break the stereotypical image of amber as a jewelry stone, but also to show its much broader application beyond just jewelry. As part of it, more amber beads will be created for trips along the Amber Highway A1, an updated guide to the major attractions of the Pomeranian Amber Route (in Polish, English and German), and two promotional videos encouraging people to visit various attractions related to amber in the Pomeranian Voivodeship will be produced. „One of them has been broadcast on the SKM channel for some time on the route from Słupsk through Trójmiasto to Tczew. Both have been designed to be attractive, for example, for shops and galleries selling amber products – we will soon make them available free of charge to those interested,” says the deputy head of the PROT office.
A very important element of this project is cooperation with the media from the Tricity and nationwide, both traditional media such as newspapers and radio, as well as bloggers. A group of 12 media representatives will be invited to Gdańsk, where they will, among other things, tour the production facilities, including NAC Amber and S&A. „I hope that the result of this visit will be interesting reports and articles that will encourage people to explore the Pomeranian Amber Route, but also contribute to improving the image of amber” – said Magrian.
PROT promotes the Pomeranian Amber Trail as an attractive place for autumn holidays, encouraging visitors to visit not only museums exhibiting amber artifacts, but also to take advantage of the offer of restaurants serving amber menus, tourist agencies encouraging outdoor games and hunting for amber from the sea in the company of professional hunters, and craft workshops that demonstrate amber processing, as well as the ever-growing number of spas where you can enjoy treatments using amber-based cosmetics. „This offer is becoming richer and more accessible year by year, not just during the holidays. The golden Polish autumn can be a unique experience also on the Baltic Sea,” believes Łukasz Magrian.
The project is financed under the Regional Operational Programme for the Pomeranian Voivodeship for the years 2007-2013