1. Perspectives of cross-border ticketing in Eastern Baltics Allan Alaküla Head of Tallinn EU Office Turku-Helsinki-Tallinn-Riga Särgava residence,Tallinn, 22th October 2009

2. What for? Earn more from visitors by providing better services Integration comparable, if not deeper, to single currency Asset for better internal and external marketing of entire Baltic Sea macro-region

3. Logic behind To increase visitors spending by facilitating easy and value-added payment options Serving tallinners needs abroad is secondary for us– but this might be of interest to Helsinki and Riga Starting from municipal sector because of its existing mass and experience of providing online services In perspective attracting business sector, and later NGO-s as well, to join same environment

4. How we started? Decided expanding online ticketing to all municipal services on December 2008 Submited to European Capital of Culture 2011 cooperation agreement annex for developing interoperable ticketing systems of public transport, tourism and culture services between Tallinn and Turku Good ground for involvement Riga as European Capital of Culture 2013

5. Progress made Joint Tallinn-Turku 3+3 commission was formed for coordination Both sides made feasibility studies, concluded in 2009 September Tallinn picked relevant scenario (from proposed 3) Waiting for formal consent of EU funding (MIMOSA project), expected very soon

6. From bilateral to multilatral Tallinn is learning Finnish e-ticketing concept (Helsinki-Turku-Tampere) and considering the joining it as another Finnish city Proposal for similar cooperation was made to and accepted by Riga, during their Mayor´s maiden visit to Tallinn in August 2009 Official proposal for e-cooperation (incl ticketing) is made to Saint Petersburg in October 2009

7. Practical issues Concert tourism – thousands visitors of major concerts between Helsinki-Tallinn-Riga Chance to merge public transport, parking and concert tickets – to solve traffic issues Purchasing channels should extended from internet to GSM. Ferries should considered as best location for vending machines (idea of linking municipal tickets to boarding pass and vice versa – City Cards to be used as boarding pass token)

8. Funding Cooperation is so far based on good political will Well might appear that no external i.e. EU funding is required (however Tallinn´s own develepment depends entirely from EU funding) Between Tallinn and Turku we just had no time before 2011 for applying EU money We will have always chance to join wider e- ticketing initiatives

9. Wishing fruitful discussions!