Oulu has become the first of Finland’s Big Six cities to be awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) label for sustainable tourism by Visit Finland. To qualify for the label, a tourist area must profile itself as a sustainable tourist destination and commit to the development of sustainable tourism. In addition, more than half of the tourism businesses in the tourism area that do business internationally must have the STF label and certified operations.
Sustainability has been one of the strategic development priorities for the industry in Oulu, so obtaining the STF label is a significant milestone for the region. A changing world is creating stronger expectations of sustainability and responsibility. Sustainability is also emerging as a competitive advantage in the development and marketing of industries.
– Sustainable travel chains, year-round tourism, extended stays, increasing regional economic impact and a balance of development that takes account of tourists as well as local people are examples of the different dimensions of sustainability. Sustainable choices often bring investment and change, but also efficiency gains and economic benefits, says Jyrki Kemppainen, Key Account Director for tourism at BusinessOulu.
Sustainability requires a long-term commitment and a willingness to change things for the better – in Oulu terms, a cultural climate change. BusinessOulu’s ongoing Smart and Renewable Tourism in the Oulu Region project aims to address the sustainability challenges of tourism and develop the industry to meet global requirements. A sustainable tourism development plan is being prepared in Oulu. During the current year, a nationally applicable operating model for businesses and regions has been developed. The city’s commitment to development and the active involvement of businesses are at the heart of success.
– Without active and involved businesses, it would be difficult for the tourism area to achieve impressive results. Developing sustainability requires a specific business approach and the setting and monitoring of quantitative and qualitative targets. Oulu is in a good position in terms of tourism development, as sustainability can be monitored, measured and developed in a proactive way. It is important that we can grow tourism in a controlled way, says project manager Iiris Kanniala.
Sustainability of tourism is a shared vision
Kirsi Eskola, entrepreneur at Go Arctic Oy, says that while sustainability in a broad sense has always been one of Go Arctic’s core values, the sustainability certificate and the STF label provide companies with a good framework and updated targets for continuous improvement. The integration of sustainability in product development, communications and marketing is now a clear competitive advantage that customers value.
– In our cafés, we favour locally produced raw materials in baking as well as organically produced coffee and tea. In event production, we are skilled at creating imaginative and personalised decorations from recycled materials instead of disposable decorations, and we donate a certain amount per participant to charity from our team competition products, Eskola cites as practical examples of the company’s sustainability efforts.
Development and success also require strong, broader stakeholder cooperation. In tourism sustainability, we work closely with Visit Finland and Finland’s Big Six cities.
– Cooperation between the six cities and Visit Finland is important for the effectiveness of both national and international development. Sustainability in tourism is a common goal for us, and Finland wants to profile itself on the international market as a strongly sustainable tourism destination. Together with the six cities, we will implement this vision in the industry, says Kanniala.
– As a region, Oulu has taken a huge responsibility leap. The sustainability of tourism is being examined and promoted in a very broad and multidimensional way, taking into account different stakeholders and objectives. In addition, cultural sustainability has been considered in the development work to a gratifying degree. The ongoing cultural climate change in Oulu truly is palpable, comments Liisa Kokkarinen, specialist on responsible tourism for Visit Finland.
For more information:
Jyrki Kemppainen, Account Manager, BusinessOulu jyrki.kemppainen@businessoulu.com
Iiris Kanniala, Project Manager, BusinessOulu iiris.kanniala@businessoulu.com.
Information about the STF programme
The free Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) programme provides businesses and destinations with a toolkit for sustainable tourism development, facilitating the systematic adoption of sustainable measures and choices in the everyday life of a region or business. The Sustainable Travel Finland label is awarded to companies and destinations that have passed the programme and meet the criteria to communicate sustainable practices to international tourists. Companies and regions awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland label will have access to a continuous development model, the latest information on sustainable tourism, marketing support, and increased visibility in Visit Finland’s channels. https://www.visitfinland.fi/liiketoiminnan-kehittaminen/vastuullinen-matkailu/sustainable-travel-finland