Tourism in Protected Areas of Finland Matti Tapaninen Conference "Tourism in Protected Areas" Konverents "Turism looduskaitsealadel" 14.-16. septembril 2017 Soomaa national park, Estonia

1. Parks & Wildlife Finland1
Promoting sustainable tourism in National
Parks and other protected areas – a view
from the top North of Europe
Parks & Wildlife Finland, Matti Tapaninen 14.9.2017

2. National Parks
2
Parks & Wildlife Finland

3. Parks & Wildlife Finland3
RUKA Holiday Resort
The biggest resort in Finland, annually app. 1 million tourists in
travel destination (24 % international tourists)

4. Parks & Wildlife Finland4
Oulanka National Park
The most international Park in Finland, annually app. 200 000
visits (20% international tourists)

5. 5
Evaluations of the principles of sustainable tourism
by tourism businesses:
(1 = very bad … 5 = very good)
▪ accessability 4.43
▪ applicability to business 4.40
▪ competence for realization 4.06
▪ clarity and comprehensibility 4.08
Evaluations of the implementation of the principles
of sustainable tourism by:
(1 = very bad … 5 = very good)
▪ business itself 3.89
▪ stakeholders 3.65
▪ tourism industry (in destination) 3.54
▪ Metsähallitus 3.77
Parks & Wildlife Finland

6. Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy
6
http://julkaisut.metsa.fi/julkaisut/show/906
Parks & Wildlife Finland

7. 7
Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC)
as Applied in Finland
Sustainability
Principles of Sustainable Tourism
Desired
future
conditions
Derived from the principles and adjusted for
local circumstances
Indicators
The best available local indicators from the
list of indicators
Methods of
measuring
Statistically valid and reasonable methods
Current
values
Measuring and estimating
current values
Limits of
acceptable
change
Managerial decisions based on the
best available knowledge
Management
actions
Parks & Wildlife Finland

8. 8
LAC Indicators in Oulanka NP
Species (2 indicators)
Visitor survey (10)
Monitoring of visits (1)
Entrepreneur survey and feedback (2)
Firewood and waste management (2)
GIS analysis of channelling (1)
Trail erosion (2)
Quality of infrastructure (1)
Brown trout of river Oulankajoki
Golden eagle Ospray
+
Parks & Wildlife Finland

9. 9
Partners of the Park – 40 businesses
Parks & Wildlife Finland

10. 10
Business partner – Basecamp Oulanka
Parks & Wildlife Finland

11. Argument in travel destination in 2000:
”National Parks are nice
attractions, but back-packers
are not really economically
important”
Slogan of travel destination in 2017:
”the land of National Parks”
Cooperation with tourism
industry makes sense
11 Parks & Wildlife Finland

12. The Total Value of a Protected
Area
Use values Non-use values
Indirect use
(water, climate,
photos, films)
Option value
(future use)
Direct use values
(recreation, scenery)
Total value
Existence value
(original nature,
species, habitats)
Bequest value
Visitor spending increases income and employment in the area. Income
effects are part of the direct use values.
12
Parks & Wildlife Finland

13. Local economic impacts of
national park visitation
▪ Money spent on management
and services of national parks
and other PAs comes back many-
fold through local private
businesses and creates
a plenty of jobs
▪ Annual benefit in Oulanka NP in
2016 (from spending of visitors):
▪ 18 million euros
▪ app. 200 jobs
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Parks & Wildlife Finland

14. 14
▪ It is worth exploring the benefits of the national park
management taking a proactive role in sustainable tourism
development for the wider region
▪ Greater participation and collaborative management
strengthens social capital within a location and creates local
ownership and pride.
▪ The tourism industry does not automatically contribute to
conservation or sustainability, but if adequate framework is in
place, tourism can generate wider support for conservation
Parks & Wildlife Finland

15. Parks & Wildlife Finland15
Thank you for your attention!
www.nationalparks.fi