Professor Juho Pesonen appointed as rapporteur to prepare roadmap for sustainable tourism in eastern Finland

Professor Juho Pesonen appointed as rapporteur to prepare roadmap for sustainable tourism in eastern Finland

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the Prime Minister's Office has appointed Juho Pesonen, Professor of Tourism Business at the University of Eastern Finland, as rapporteur for sustainable tourism development in the programme for eastern Finland. The appointment was announced at the programme's advisory board meeting in Kouvola on 22 June. The report on sustainable growth is set to be completed by the end of November.

The tourism business environment in eastern Finland has undergone more radical changes than in the rest of the country: the closure of the eastern border, Russia's overflight ban, and the slow recovery of international demand have hit the region hard. At the same time, this lake region's nature, waterways, sauna culture and tranquillity are key pull factors driving international demand. For this reason, the region has both an exceptional need and a unique opportunity to modernise its tourism sector.

"In Finland, tourism is a growing export sector with potential for increased international demand. Eastern Finland has a strong role to play in this growth but delivering it across parliamentary terms will require a shared, practical approach that brings stakeholders together," said Risto Artjoki, State Secretary to the Prime Minister, who led the meeting of the advisory board for the programme for eastern Finland in Kouvola.

In his work, Professor Juho Pesonen will focus on the development of international tourism in eastern Finland. The aim is to prepare an impactful roadmap for a stronger future for tourism in eastern Finland, spanning several government terms and bringing together diverse stakeholders. The work is in line with Finland's national tourism strategy for 2025-2028 and complements other ongoing projects to promote tourism under the programme for eastern Finland.

The joint review of the permanent secretaries across ministries, entitled Finland's Choices, was published in May. The review highlights the conditions for economic growth, changes in the regional and demographic structure, security and resilience, and the sustainability transition as the key issues for upcoming government terms. The roadmap will cover all these themes.

"The roadmap for eastern Finland will be grounded in the key messages of the permanent secretaries and further developed from a tourism perspective," said Director General Harri Martikainen from the Prime Minister's Office.

Inquiries: Juho Pesonen, Professor, University of Eastern Finland, tel. +358 40 184 2698, Harri Martikainen, Director General, Prime Minister's Office, tel. +358 295 160 856