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Finland’s updated tourism strategy emphasises role of cooperation in doubling tourism exports

työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö
Publication date 26.11.2019 14.51
Press release
Snowy forest and hillside in Northern Finland.
Snowy forest and hillside in Northern Finland.

Finland is aiming to become the most sustainably growing tourist destination in the Nordic countries. Tourism is being developed as a responsible and growing service business that generates welfare and creates jobs across the country.

Finland’s updated tourism strategy identifies four priorities that will facilitate the sustainable growth and renewal of the tourism sector:

  1. supporting sustainable development
  2. responding to the digital transformation
  3. improving accessibility, taking into account the needs of the tourism sector
  4. ensuring an operating environment that supports competitiveness.

In 2017, Finland’s tourism exports accounted for more than 17% of the export income generated by services. The total demand for tourism was approximately EUR 15 billion, and its direct share of GDP was 2.6%. Tourism also has significant regional economic impacts. The sector maintains regional vitality and employs more than 140,000 people across Finland.

“Tourism is a service sector with great potential for Finland, and a growing export sector. The priorities laid out in the tourism strategy will enable us to double tourism exports to EUR 8 billion by 2028,” says Jari Gustafsson, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Joint guideline for developing the tourism sector

The cross-cutting theme of the strategy is cooperation, which is essential for achieving sustainable growth and renewal in Finnish tourism. The tourism strategy serves as a joint guideline for tourism operators in the development of the tourism sector. Actions will be taken in intersectoral collaboration by a wide range of operators. The actions will be monitored by a horizontal expert group on tourism, coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

“Collaboration plays a fundamental role in boosting growth and renewal in the tourism sector, and this is also reflected in the name of the strategy. The doubling of tourism exports requires careful and high-quality tailoring of tourism products to the respective needs of relevant target groups. We must make the products easy to buy online and ensure that the activities in the sector are developed sustainably,” Gustafsson says.

The tourism strategy will be discussed at a tourism seminar organised at the request of the Permanent Secretary Jari Gustafsson in Helsinki on Friday 29 November. Representatives of the media are welcome to attend.

Finland’s national tourism strategy for 2019–2028

‘Achieving more together – sustainable growth and renewal in Finnish tourism’ is the name of Finland’s national tourism strategy for 2019–2028. The strategy defines targets for the development of tourism until 2028 and measures to be taken between 2019 and 2023. The strategy is based on the roadmap for growth and renewal in Finnish tourism 2015–2025, which was updated in 2019 under the coordination of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The Ministry is responsible for the priorities of Finland’s tourism policy and coordinates the development together with other Finnish ministries and actors in the tourism sector.

Follow the webcast from the tourism seminar:

Follow the live webcast from the tourism seminar on Friday 29 November 2019 at 9–12.30 (in Finnish): www.businessfinland.fi/ajankohtaista/tapahtumat/visit-finland/2019/temn-ja-visit-finlandin-matkailuseminaari

Inquiries:

Sanna Kyyrä, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, [email protected], tel. +358 50 358 9497 (tourism strategy)
Johanna Keskitalo, Communications Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, [email protected], tel. +358 50 438 3692 (media)
Kaisu Mäkelä, Project Assistant, Visit Finland, [email protected], tel. +358 50 515 0355 (seminar inquiries)

 
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