MARRIAGE initiates cooperation & exchange in the fields of water tourism marketing, marina management & operation and marina network consolidation in the southern Baltic rim (Vorpommern DE, Zachodniopomorskie & Pomorskie /PL, Kaliningrad / RU, Klaipeda region / LT). The overall aim is to increase incomes from water tourism in the participating regions, which are mostly lagging behind in these respects within the South Baltic area. The project addresses the following cross-border potentials and includes the following activities: (1) PROMOTING THE SOUTHERN BALTIC RIM AS CROSS-BORDER BOATING AREA: Joint marketing measures utilise the proximity and interesting mosaic of destinations of the region for popularising cross-border boating trips and attracting new customers from DE, PL, LT & RU. Backbone of the campaign is to coordinate the marketing of regional tourism organisations. They create new tools that promote cross-border boating and address foreign boaters (e.g. multilingual brochures, boating apps, fam trips). Lean umbrella actions (e.g. cross-border boater forum, joint fairs visits) complement on top. Marinas are motivated to follow the approach through pilot measures & common marketing guidelines. (2) KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ON MARINA MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION: Marinas in DE, PL & LT are provided with knowledge on how to enhance profitability of their operations. Sources of expertise are marina operators from DE, who act in comparable natural & institutional circumstances. The knowledge transfer follows the train the trainers principle: Successful practices from Germany are processed into a marina management handbook. An expert group of marina operators, experts & educators from DE, PL & LT supports this process. It is the learning arena for trainers from DE, PL & LT, who then carry out trainings in national languages that disseminate the knowledge to the target groups. (3) DEVELOPING AND TRANSFERING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE MARINA NETWORK: Joint development & cross-border transfer of innovative ways for developing & operating new marinas create impulses for consolidating the marina network in the event of decreasing public funding. They focus on three fields (PPPs for developing & operating marinas, island harbours at outer shores, complementary guest-only boater stops). Baseline studies, workshops & study trips gather expertise from all countries. Pilot measures in DE, PL & LT demonstrate applicability & facilitate transfer into national arenas. Guidelines take up the lessons and are used for further dissemination.The project partnership is composed of regional organisations that deal with water tourism and marina development as well as individual marinas that implement pilot measures. Further knowledge providers are involved as Associated Organisations, incl. public and private marina operators from Germany. Organisations from Kaliningrad complete the consortium. Achievements: PROMOTING THE "SOUTH COAST BALTIC" AS CROSS-BORDER BOATING AREA: The partners of the MARRIAGE project developed the brand South Coast Baltic – Where boating adventure begins to jointly promote their water tourism offers. It motivates boaters to sail along the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea and to deploy their boat in the marinas of the area. The "South Coast Baltic" and its (part-)destinations were presented at boating fairs & events in Germany and Poland (e.g. Hanseboot 2013, Hamburg / DE; Boot & Fun 2013 and 2014, Berlin / DE, Wind & Water Boat Show 2014, Warsaw / PL). Further fair visits are planned (Boot 2015, Düsseldorf / DE). Other elements of the campaign are e.g. a comprehenseiv marina guide, an image leaflet or a slide show displaying interesting places / destinations along the coastline. Fam trips for boating journalists took place in all participating regions in 2013-14 and induced a number of articles in boating journals. The "South Coast Baltic Boating Rally 2014" from Gdansk via Kaliningrad to Klaipeda attracted 12 boats and 50 participants. A website / smartphone app with boating & touristic information on the South Coast Baltic was launched in Nov 2014. - KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ON MARINA MANAGEMENT & OPERATION: The "MARRIAGE Marina Management Handbook" gives advice on how to make the operation of marinas in the southern Baltic rim (and beyond) profitable. 17 marinas in Germany & the Netherlands were visited and their managers interviewed in summer 2012. The great openess of the interviewees to share - good and bad - experiences allowed to gather practical hints for optimising operations in the handbook that proved to be successful in daily business. An international expert group with representatives from DE, PL, LT and RU accompanied the drafting process and ensures the applicability of the recommendation in the southern Baltic rim. The handbook was published in three languages (EN, PL, LT - DE version follows in spring 2015) and can be downloaded at www.project-marriage.net. It is used as base material to conduct workshops for marina operators in Germany, Poland & Lithuania that took place between autumn 2013 and spring 2015. - DEVELOPING AND TRANSFERING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE MARINA NETWORK: The dialogue and exchange involved workshops and study trips. A delegation from the City of Szczecin / PL visited Vorpommern / DE to obtain experiences from the German Wasserwanderrastplatz funding scheme made in the last 20 years for the construction of small guest-only boater stops in the Szczecin waters (so-called "Water Nooks"). Three workshops on Public-Private-Partnerships for operation & development of leisure boat harbours and alternative designs for outer shore marinas took place in Klaipeda / LT as well as Sopot & Szczecin / PL. A best practice survey on operating models for marinas gives recommendations for operating & developing marinasnunder involvement of private & public parties. The study is available in English and Polish.(State of information: 31 Dec 2014)