Espoo is among the first major cities in Finland, alongside Oulu and Turku, to receive the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) label from Visit Finland. Visit Espoo has been long committed to advancing sustainable travel in Finland, working collaboratively with local businesses for several years. Through its efforts to promote responsible tourism, Visit Espoo aims to achieve comprehensive sustainable development in tourism, considering ecological, economic, and socio-cultural objectives.
Currently, the Espoo tourism area boasts over 20 companies with the STF label, showcasing outstanding work across various aspects of sustainability. Espoo is also one of the leaders in Finland in terms of the number of STF-certified companies. Longstanding sustainability efforts by hotels, which have earned various certifications, highlight these businesses as forerunners of sustainable tourism. Notably, businesses of all sizes have embraced the STF program and earned the label. The area is also home to Visit Finland’s first sustainability ambassador, and local businesses’ sustainability efforts have garnered international recognition.
“The STF label is a significant recognition for us and a testament to our long-term commitment to promoting sustainable tourism. Companies have played a crucial role in achieving this milestone, and they deserve our gratitude. We have several pioneering companies, particularly in the Nuuksio region and along Espoo’s coastline including Visit Finland’s first sustainability ambassador. It is gratifying to see the Helsinki Metropolitan Area’s longstanding efforts in sustainable tourism being acknowledged, especially with Helsinki recently named the world’s most sustainable tourism destination according to the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index. We can proudly aim for the world’s most sustainable capital area as a tourism destination,” says Miikka Valo, Director, Conventions & Tourism at Visit Espoo.
Sustainability efforts are also being developed through a joint conference and congress project for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which supports businesses and organizations in areas such as carbon footprint calculations, environmental certifications, sustainable product development, and creating a unified sustainability narrative for the region’s meetings and events sector.
Together for Sustainable Tourism
To ensure all dimensions of sustainable growth are addressed, Visit Espoo’s tourism strategy, the Roadmap for Sustainable Tourism 2021–2030, emphasizes offering responsible tourism services year-round while promoting diverse tourism and inclusivity under the concept “Travelling belongs to everyone.” Sustainable tourism growth in Espoo and its surrounding areas is achieved in partnership with local stakeholders, and the results of these sustainability efforts are openly monitored and reported.
“Responsibility means concrete actions. In addition to profitability, cultural vitality, and environmental initiatives, sustainable tourism also incorporates social responsibility, which manifests in accessible services and investment in employee wellbeing. Espoo’s tourism strategy boldly champions the idea that tourism is for everyone. Visit Espoo and the region’s tourism businesses have jointly committed to ensuring inclusivity becomes an integral part of business development, productization, and communications by next year,” celebrates Liisa Kokkarinen, Visit Finland’s sustainable tourism expert.
Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) program provides tourism businesses and destinations with a comprehensive toolkit, as well as information and marketing support to promote sustainable tourism. The STF label acts as an umbrella certification, consolidating existing certifications to simplify the adoption of sustainable practices for regions and businesses. It also serves as a recognizable symbol for travelers and partners to identify companies and destinations committed to sustainable tourism. A destination receives the label when 51% of its businesses have earned the company-level STF certification.
The main image: Omar El Mrabt
More information
