Can the ideology of outdoor activity centres be applied in Finland? Sweco is a step ahead in the development of sustainable tourism.

Sweco is a pioneering expert in sustainable tourism, land use and new kinds of travel services. The significance of our environment and culture, our responsibility for the dynamic future of our surroundings and respect for nature are close to our designers’ hearts. But what does “sustainable tourism” mean, and how can you see it at our sites around Finland?

Sweco’s Development Manager, Kimmo Vähäjylkkä, knows all about the appeal of nature activities, thanks to his role as an environmental designer. He has been designing sustainable tourism and interesting areas in Finland for a long time: he has been involved in nearly 30 locations. “Our advantage is definitely the unique atmosphere and environment of Finland: the purest air in Europe, silence, various natural elements, coldness, darkness, and nothing artificial. These are the basis of sustainable tourism. When we bring new activities into the Finnish nature in the form of well-designed tourism services, we can attract even more tourists to interesting locations,” Vähäjylkkä says, smiling.Today’s tourism is ecological and energy-efficientMany connect sustainable tourism with ecology. To mitigate climate change, people try to avoid unnecessary travel and favour “staycations.” But sometimes, people from the south of Finland, for example, want to travel north and see the fells in Lapland. Could they make these trips by train or using shared transport? Hopefully, they would not even need a car at their destination.

Our experts design new travel destinations which are as compact as possible and where services, transport and the functionality of travel chains are taken into account everywhere.

Many destinations in Finland are only accessible by a private or rental car. However, tourists – particularly those from outside Finland who are unfamiliar with the local weather – may find it difficult to drive a car in the Finnish winter conditions. Unnecessary travel by car should also be avoided within the destination. “It’s important that we create travel chains which combine public transport, logistics services and shared transport and which are as functional as possible. At the destination, you should be able to swiftly walk, cycle or take a lift from one place to another. Services need to be sufficiently close to each other so that customers can leave their car at a parking lot that they can use throughout their trip without worries,” Vähäjylkkä describes.

Destinations aim to use energy-efficient lifecycle solutions, local energy, bio-economy and natural construction materials that fit the Finnish environment, such as timber, peat and stone. Parking spaces are being moved underground.

New solutions for sustainable tourism

Tourism destinations need to invest in sustainable tourism. ”Koli, Himos, the Saimaa region, Kalajoki, just to name a few destinations. Koli’s vision to multiply its tourism volume by ten by 2050 requires year-round activities and intense internationalisation. As the number of tourists grows, sustainable design becomes increasingly important.”

Innovative solutions are needed. These may involve connecting a roofed slalom slope to a spa or connecting two hiking centres with lifts. For Koli, Vähäjylkkä has innovated outdoor activity centres in the spirit of a “base camp,” parking spaces for electric bicycles to be used by all ages, and various solutions to utilise water elements.

Sustainable tourism requires co-operation – when land use and interests match each other, agreement can be reached

Tourism should be designed to suit the size of the destination. ”Things such as natural conditions, land use, valuable waterways and protected locations are sensitive topics. From the perspective of sustainability, we need to respect and listen to the local culture and residents. When we respect the local way of life and the local entrepreneurs, such as those herding reindeer in Lapland, we can find the best solutions to develop the area. At this point of the design process, we need to be able to ask questions and pay attention to the answers,” says Vähäjylkkä

Tourism should be developed comprehensively to maintain the vitality of the area. Entrepreneurs and accessible and diverse services need to be taken into account. But how will the ideology of outdoor activity centres, which has been used in Germany, for example, work in Finland? “In Finland, we’re starting to take in the idea that all services could be purchased at the same place, from laundry services to camping gear to a guide,” Vähäjylkkä states.

Setting the framework – investments are made in infrastructure

The Himos Master Plan was started in 2018, and now, the area is being developed to an entirely new level. Himos will have new tourism services, hiking and cycling paths, traffic routes and diverse tourism buildings to support the area’s growth.

The idea of sustainable tourism centres is also visible in Kalajoki, where local entrepreneurs are thrilled about the new tourism concept that will bring new energy, business and income to the area. Kalajoki is being intensively developed into an arctic and international tourism destination where the closeness of nature and various nature experiences are available on every day of the year. This means that new adventure services need to be designed for the area while also respecting nature.

“We have so much unused potential that we now need to utilise. The development of tourism benefits everyone: the local entrepreneurs, the tourists and the residents,” says Vähäjylkkä.

But what is the most memorable destination for the designer himself? “I miss the Tana River Valley in November. It’s unique enough to walk on water, drill a hole in the snow and drink a cup of water from there.”