Building Regional Capacity

Building Regional Capacity

Why we volunteer up to 40 hours a month on EU and municipality projects to grow tourism for the whole region, not just our own business.

It does not matter how good our company is, how much better our products are than the competition's or how high our standards are, if few tourists come to the area at all.

So, for the long-term future of the region, the infrastructure to grow this vital market must improve, clear marketing strategies must be set, and a wide range of products, transport and accommodation must be available.

  • 10 to 40 hours per month volunteered to regional development
  • Pasi: chairman of Enontekio's Entrepreneur's Association and board member of Enontekio Development Ltd
  • Helped establish the Northern Sleddog Entrepreneur's Association
  • Part of the project that led to Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park gaining Europarc status

Volunteering for the region

To this end, we spend anything from 10 to 40 hours of our time, per month, voluntarily participating in EU and local municipality-driven projects working towards the long-term viability of the area as a whole.

Pasi, for instance, is currently the chairman of Enontekio's Entrepreneur's Association and a board member of Enontekio Development Ltd. He is also a member of the Enontekio / True Lapland marketing group, the Revontuli Opisto group (which provides ongoing educational services to adults in the region) and the municipality healthcare board. He is a substitute member for the regional Environmental Health Board and sits on the national Survival Guild Finland board as well as being a member of Survival Guild Finland's 'masters council'.

Anna isn't part of the various committees primarily because her Finnish isn't up to it - however, she still does a lot of work in the background, contributes to project meetings that the company is part of, and is on the board of Enontekio's Voluntary Rescue Services.

EU and cross-border projects

Pasi has been part of the KKTM EU leader group deciding funding for Fell Lapland and on the steering group for three projects: attracting immigrants to work in Western Lapland, 'Destination Enontekio', and the EU-supported Region Arctica project to increase trans-border tourism cooperation between providers in Finland, Sweden and Norway. He was also board member and MD of Hetta's small Ski Resort and on the board of the Fell Lapland Travel Association.

As a company we have supported numerous regional EU projects, including a Village to Village project on the responsible development of the area's national park (linked to it gaining Europarc status), a safety network project to raise standards in northern tourism, the Ounasjoki water-tourism project and a mountain biking network development project.

A common voice for sleddog tourism

Our company was also part of the first sleddog-specific EU project, aimed at driving higher safety and quality standards within Lapland's husky companies. A key goal was developing communication platforms between providers, who understood the need to come together, share best practice and decide common ground for the industry. One outcome was the establishment of the Northern Sleddog Entrepreneur's Association.