Finland is going strong as a sustainable destination and even more so after the pandemic. Visit Finland organised a presentation on sustainable travel under the title: “Holistic sustainable travel from the happiest county in the world”. In this way, they presented their competitive approach to sustainable travel.
The first speaker was Lisa Kokkarinen, Director of Sustainable Development and Regional Partnership at Visit Finland. She began by clarifying the differences between “sustainable travel” and “eco-travel”. In the first case, it is about maximising the benefits not only ecologically, but also socially, culturally and economically in the long term. While eco-travel would focus solely on minimising ecological impact.
Finland, one of the most sustainable countries in the world
Visit Finland invests heavily in sustainable travel, according to Kokkarinen, because “it is easier to prevent negative impact than to fix it afterwards“. Moreover, the Nordic country, “is one of the most sustainable in the world” and with this model of tourism they ensure that it will be “a sector that can exist with more longevity“. In addition, almost 80% of the territory is forest and it has the largest number of mineral water reserves in the EU as well as the cleanest air in the world. In order to certify that a company is sustainable, they award a label if they meet the requirements and pass an audit. The sector with the most sustainable labels is the accommodation sector.
Reindeer on Lake Livojärvi (Posio)
Paradigm shift due to the pandemic
After the pandemic, travel trends have undergone a drastic change. Many people have returned to the villages, to nature, so that they can keep their social distance more easily than in the city.
Posio is a small region in the northern half of the Nordic country. The companies in this place organised themselves to offer a sustainable trip, so they joined forces and drew up a plan of how they would organise themselves. The peak season for this destination is in the summer, the numerous lakes offer experiences such as fishing, sailing, etc. The infrastructure is designed in such a way that it is limited to a limited capacity and avoids overcrowding. Despite being far from Helsinki (about 10 hours by car), they offer the possibility of arriving by train or bus to avoid the use of private vehicles.
Riisitunturi Nature Park (Posio) Credits: Arvids Baranovs
Ceramic gallery by Anu Pentik. Photo by Harri Tarvainen
Maximising well-being, minimising ecological footprint
Still in Posio, Naali Lodge (Saarisiulantie 16, 97900 Posio) offers the possibility to connect with nature in a remote place where silence reigns. The lodge was created by Catherine Chevillard and Thierry Chevillard , both from Paris. During a roadtrip in Lapland they fell in love with the place and decided to do something related to tourism.
One of the objectives was to minimise the carbon footprint, which is why they have geothermal heating and water consumption is regulated. In the words of Thierry Chevillard, “quality is preferred to quantity“, which is why we accept small groups. The experience aims to involve visitors, so they are encouraged to travel there by train and are offered a night in return.
Trineo tirado por huskies Créditos: Thierry Chevillard
At the stays, “you reconnect and relearn to see and hear the silence,” says Catherine Chevillard. Moreover, a very special bond is established between the visitors and the place, many of them returning the following year.
Reindeer experiences
In the same region, there is the Ylitalo reindeer farm (Suottaniementie 31, 97900 Posio). The owner Christina Mourujärvi tells how to preserve the ancient tradition of reindeer husbandry in a sustainable way. Visitors accompany the herdsmen in their work. The farm organises activities all year round. In addition, they offer a very private holiday where very few people stay with the owners, so that they are treated as guests and not just as clients, thus building up a good friendship. Some of the reindeer are selected by Santa Claus himself to accompany him on his mission to deliver presents.
Reindeer from the Ylitalo farm. Credits: Janica Suominen
Adventures for everyone
A little further south of Posio is Kuusamo, a small town where Adventure Apes is located (Majoontie 2, 35300 Orivesi). This company, founded by Heidi Savolainen, is a pioneer in accessible travel. In Savolainen’s words: “Nature belongs to everyone no matter what disabilities they have“. These accessible trips often require a year of preparation as many skills must be learned to achieve the goal. They also organise educational group trips. Everyone is welcome by this company and before planning the trip, a case-by-case analysis is made as each person has different needs. They have also launched into the virtual world and at the moment they are doing different tests as far as online sightseeing tours are concerned.
Image of a lake in Kuusamo. Credits: Harri Tarvainen
The case of its owner, Heidi Savolainen, is curious. The Finnish woman founded the company in 2014, previously worked in international sales and decided to become an entrepreneur after attending the Guide School.
Pyhä Ski Resort and its fight against climate change
In the north of the country, near Rovaniemi, is Pyhä Ski Resort. Its director Jusu Toivonen explained the resort’s ambition to be the cleanest ski resort in the world. This area has the cleanest water in Lapland and is carbon neutral. In his presentation Toivonen talked about how to cope with the effects of climate change. For example, to avoid delaying the ski season, snow is stored in summer. Despite being a ski resort, they also aim to be a summer destination, offering activities such as sledging, mountain biking or climbing up to panoramic views.
Aerial image of the Pyhä ski resort. Credits: Jani Karppa.
This is a small X-ray of the Nordic country’s sustainable travel network. It is certain that with its firm commitment to sustainable travel, more and more initiatives like the above will emerge and can be exported to other countries. The tourism model needs to be rethought not only because of the pandemic but also for the good of the planet, and Finland is a good example of this.
Images courtesy of Visit Finland
