Third stakeholder meeting in Finland
The third Regional Stakeholders’ Meeting for the "DETOCS – DE-carbonizing the TOurism Industry Post Covid-19 Support" project took place on 13th August 2024 at Kosolan talo, a historically significant log house over 160 years old, restored using traditional methods. Kosolan talo has earned both the Sustainable Travel Finland and ECEAT marks, underscoring its commitment to sustainable tourism practices.
The meeting commenced with the presentation of results from a SWOT and PESTEL analysis, which evaluated the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by South Ostrobothnia’s tourism industry. The analysis, organised using the Eisenhower matrix, identified 64 key factors, with the conclusion that all proposed actions are both urgent and important for the region’s tourism development. This was followed by a presentation on good practices, with participants working collectively to identify further areas of improvement.
One of the key issues raised during the meeting was the accessibility of tourist sites within the region. While local tourism companies can arrange private transport for visitors, public transport services remain sparse. Although Seinäjoki serves as a regional hub with frequent train services, travel beyond the Seinäjoki train station to other municipalities remains challenging due to the lack of onward transport options.
Particularly during the summer, cycling could offer a sustainable solution for accessing nearby attractions. However, Seinäjoki does not currently offer bike rental services. Although many companies provide mountain bike rentals, these businesses are not conveniently located near railway or bus stations, highlighting a gap in the region’s infrastructure. The potential use of a carpooling app, Matkalink, was also discussed, though it appears that the app has yet to gain traction in South Ostrobothnia, with few rides available in the region.
Participants emphasised the need for deeper business collaboration. Companies could benefit from sharing experiences of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly practices, which not only support sustainability goals but also offer significant cost savings—a crucial factor for encouraging further business investment in decarbonisation initiatives.
As the DETOCS project progresses, the hope is that such collaborative efforts will lead to more sustainable, accessible, and efficient tourism solutions for the region.