Visit Northern Finland where creativity, culture and sustainable tourism thrive

The forum serves as an open and free platform for anyone interested in tourism and offers an excellent opportunity to hear the latest insights on regional tourism development as well as to network with peers. For the Oulu Business School, the forum has been an important event, helping to build a bridge between its scholars working in tourism and the industry. The Oulu Business School (OBS) is currently coordinating the Interreg Aurora project ACCENT – Arts, Culture and Creativity for Entrepreneurial Networking and Tourism. Next year, OBS will also launch another tourism-related project focusing on animal welfare in tourism.

Tourism Is Growing — Sustainability Comes First

Tourism continues to grow across the North Ostrobothnia region. This was a key message from destinations such as Kalajoki, Kuusamo, Syöte, and Rokua. Although most of the growth has been in Lapland, with Rovaniemi leading with 1.5 million overnights, Ruka and Oulu follow close behind with 1 million and 851,000 overnights in 2024. There are major investments underway in Ruka and other resorts. Growth remains steady, and Rovaniemi’s success is having a positive spillover effect on the surrounding regions. Accessibility continues to be the number one priority, and airlines will play a crucial role in supporting market growth in the region.

Because tourism does not adhere to administrative borders, collaboration beyond regional boundaries is essential. As the number of international visitors continues to grow, the challenge is how to maintain this upward trend without negatively affecting the ecological, social, and cultural fabric of the region. It was widely acknowledged that tourism must be developed sustainably and build on the strengths of the region’s places and communities. In this context, culture was recognized as one of the key drivers of sustainable tourism development. The European Capital of Culture 2026 will serve as an important platform for these developments. Also in ACCENT project, we collaborate on these terms especially for enhancing cross-border, and cross-sectoral, knowledge sharing among universities, developers and cultural and tourism actors.

Oulu – European Capital of Culture 2026

Everything is ready for Oulu 2026, as Samu Forsblom (Programme Director Oulu 2026) noted. Next year’s program is rich and diverse, catering to a wide range of audiences. It presents culture as something that belongs to everyone – from opera to street food festivals – making Oulu a vibrant beacon of light in the North. As Jussi Rämet (Region Mayor at Council of Oulu Region) highlighted, the European Capital of Culture will play an important role in the development of tourism in the Oulu region. Sustainability remains a key focus. The goal is not to copy other destinations like Lapland, but to build on Oulu’s own strengths and explore its unique possibilities for development.

Food was also highlighted as an integral part of culture. As Terhi Hook from Visit Finland demonstrated in her presentation, Finland is being positioned as a gastronomic destination, and the North Ostrobothnia region has an excellent opportunity to ride this wave. Indeed, food is a vital part of the region’s cultural identity. This was further emphasized in presentations by Juho Pietarila, from Luovo, and Pasi Ruuskanen and Matti Moller from Arctic Lab Food, where authenticity, pristine nature, and traditions were strongly linked to the gastronomic experiences offered to visitors. Fish as part of nature and fishing as part of the cultural heritage exemplify this connection. The history of tar as an element tied to North Ostrobothnia’s past and traditional industries – and its links to gastronomy – provides a vivid example of how culture can be experienced through food.

Food will play a critical role in the European Capital of Culture program. Arctic Lab Food has also created a platform where visitors can discover local gastronomic products and producers – an excellent initiative that could similarly be applied to cultural products and creators.

This year, the forum concluded with Y. T. Kivisaari (Visit Oulu) proposing that the entire region be positioned and branded as “Visit Northern Finland,” a unified identity that could help place Oulu and the wider region more firmly on the map of Nordic destinations.

Authors:

José-Carlos García-Rosell
Professor, Business Ethics
Department of Marketing, Management and International Business
Oulu Business School
University of Oulu

Saila Saraniemi
Professor, Brand Marketing
Department of Marketing, Management and International Business
Oulu Business School
University of Oulu

The authors are part of the project Accent – Arts, Culture and Creativity for Entrepreneurial Networking and Tourism (ACCENT), which aims to establish cross-border, sustainable cultural and creative tourism initiatives in Finland and Sweden. Learn more about ACCENT on the project page here.