Sustainable Travel Finland (STF)

By project TOURBO

Published on 16 February 2024

Finland

About this good practice

In order for the tourism industry to be able to respond to changing demand and secure its future, development must be sustainable. STF programme is free of charge and designed for all tourism stakeholders in Finland
The program offers companies and destinations a toolkit for sustainable tourism development, which makes it easier to systematically adopt sustainable measures and choices into the everyday life of the region or company.
The STF programme offers companies and tourism destinations a 7-step sustainable tourism development path. Each step is accompanied by criteria that comply with international standards. When the tasks are completed and criteria fulfilled, the application for the STF label is sent to a third party for review. The program, renewed every two years, ensures ongoing commitment to sustainability. STF fosters awareness and competence through educational tools and content, supported by Visit Finland Academy's 11 different sustainability training modules and ten sustainability consultants. Through the academy, Visit Finland builds the competitiveness, resilience, and competence of the entire tourism industry in Finland.
The destinations and companies that undergo the entire programme and meet the criteria are awarded with STF label, and gain access to ongoing development, with the latest information on sustainable travel and tourism, marketing support, and additional visibility through Visit Finland’s channels.

Resources needed

Visit Finland is responsible for developing and delivering STF programme. The budget for development of STF in 2018-2019 was 400.000€. Visit Finland is funded by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Additionally, measures to develop sustainable and digital growth are financed by the RRF.

Evidence of success

STF programme is widely accepted and adapted by the tourism industry in Finland as the national framework and standard for sustainable tourism. By Jan 2024, some 1,200 businesses and 65 destinations have enrolled on the programme, of which 395 businesses and 5 destinations have already been awarded with the STF label. In addition, the Sustainable Tourism Indicator System allows to measure tourism success and development needs in a completely new way.

Potential for learning or transfer

Instead of having many different sustainability schemes with various standards and criteria, STF programme delivers all required tools and information in one address, making the sustainability journey smoother for everyone. It also brings economic advantage for those committed to sustainability through added visibility.
We’d like to emphasise Sustainable Tourism Indicator System built in the STF programme. The system collects data from various sources, including DMOs and tourism businesses. It allows us to understand better our strengths and development needs. For instance, we now have a better knowledge on LGBTQ+ or wheelchair friendly tourism businesses, and understanding social sustainability needs more emphasis. We have learnt, that our industry is taking serious measures on climate change mitigation, and also have various measures in use to manage, protect and restore local biodiversity. It’s this system that allows us to measure success of Finnish tourism in an entirely new way.

Further information