Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy 2011 – Syöte National Park

This Strategy was compiled as an update to the Nature Tourism Plan 2001 for the Syöte area. With the realisation of the action programme described in the Nature Tourism Plan, and the development that has taken place in the operational environment, a need to update the goals of nature tourism and compile a new programme has been created. In addition to Metsähallitus, the area’s central tourism operators have participated in the planning process, for example, through workshops and joint meetings. In 2010, the Syöte enterprise and visitor surveys were completed in support of the plan.

In 2004, the Syöte National Park was granted membership of the Europarc Federation’s European Charter network of protected areas. The objective of this programme is to develop sustainable tourism in protected areas. The main target of the Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy is to promote the nature tourism exercised in the natural attractions of Syöte, i.e. the Syöte National Park, Iso-Syöte Hiking Area and Syöte Recreational Forest. Another target is to observe the sustainability of nature tourism using the Limits of Acceptable Change method. The plan’s realisation results in the controlled growth of nature-based tourism, as well as the increase of local return from tourism and the well-being of the local communities.

In 2010, thirteen partnership enterprises were operating in the Syöte Protected Areas. Annually, some 100,000 visits are made to these nature attractions and the spending of visitors created a local economic effect of approximately MEUR 3.8 or 50 person-workyears to the municipalities of the neighbouring area. An extensive infrastructure for recreation has been built in the Protected Areas for locals, independent tourists and guided activities. This infrastructure is being developed into products. Hiking and skiing are the most popular activities, but along with new trends, new activities are gaining popularity. The Syöte holiday resort’s target is to substantially increase their number of visitors and the turnover in tourism caused by this. By developing the services in the Protected Areas and improving the tourism operators’ competence and quality of services, we are well on the way to achieving the vision specified in the Strategy.

According to the target situation established for 2020, nature tourism in Syöte is founded on the area’s nature, culture and locality. Syöte’s high-level services provide for the sustainable growth and success of domestic and international tourism. Success creates jobs and attracts new residents to the area. The development measures taken in order to achieve the target situation include the updating of the area’s communication, improvements to the quality of the hiking services and the development of these services into products on the basis of target groups. The activities of the Visitor Centre will be developed to meet changing requirements and, in cooperation with the area’s tourism operators, new modes of operation will be created with the aim of improving the quality of tourism products and the competence of the operators. Advancing international networking through the European Charter network will promote the growth of Syöte’s visibility on the national and international stage. At the centre of all these activities is the local population, who produce content for the tourism products and events through their culture.