Sustainable Tourism

According to Finland’s tourism strategy 2019-2028, ‘sustainable tourism means tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of tourists, tourism enterprises, the environment and host communities. Taking sustainability into account increases the profitability and qualitative growth of the sector and the positive impact of the sector on society, and steers towards minimising the negative impacts of tourism. In addition to environmental aspects, sustainable tourism means socio-cultural responsibility (including activities that do not damage the destination’s societal structures, promoting the development of the host society based on its own values and needs, conserving and strengthening culture and cultural heritage, assuming responsibility for the enterprise’s own personnel, and having ethical values and implementing them in practice) and economic responsibility (including sourcing services locally, employing host populations, developing infrastructure, cash flows remaining in the destination, and operating lawfully and responsibly, including taxes and other obligations imposed by public authorities, wages and salaries)’.