Cooperation Group on Tourism gave its guidelines for the next government term

The tourism industry sees that the central government can influence directly the growth and viability of tourism companies by increasing the industry’s price-competitiveness, improving the accessibility of tourist destinations and promoting all-season tourism.

The best ways to promote all-season tourism, for example, would be to move the school summer holidays and secure funding for nature tourism, according to a report by the Cooperation Group on Tourism. The group submitted its report, where it defines guidelines and targets for competitiveness, growth and employment in the tourism industry, to Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä on Thursday 7 June 2018. The guidelines also serve as proposals for the next government term.

The Cooperation Group on Tourism proposes that regulations should be eased in both Finland and the EU and the training for public officials to shift from supervisor to coach should be continued in all public authority organisations.

Visit Finland, which is responsible for the international promotion of Finnish tourism, should be granted more resources to enable more intensive tourism promotion and better visibility both in the main target markets and new markets. This would help increase the number of international tourists in Finland in the face of tightening global competition. According to the group, tourism companies need even special measures to increase their digital capabilities and skills.

The Cooperation Group on Tourism views that raising the value-added taxes would harm the tourism industry. Even passenger tax on flights or road, kilometre or congestion charging would hinder the growth of tourism.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment appointed the high-level Cooperation Group on Tourism in spring 2016. Its members represent the tourism industry. Its task is to gather and prioritise the guidelines and measures that are important for the competitiveness of tourism in Finland. These will be taken to the Government’s midterm review session in 2017 and the next Government Programme in 2019. The group will work until the end of 2018.

The guidelines of the Cooperation Group on Tourism, including background material (in Finnish): valtioneuvosto.fi/web/tem/hankesivu/-/hankesivu/hanke?tunnus=TEM027%3A00%2F2016  

Inquiries:
Pihla Väänänen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7064
Miia Porkkala, Chair of the Cooperation Group on Tourism, tel. +358 400 582 770