Stine Selmer, Sustine. Sustainable tourism - experiences from Greenland. (remote)

Stine is a tourism nerd with vast experience and passion for sustainable tourism in Arctic areas. She has spent over 7 years in hands-on destination development both as Head of Sustainability at Visit Greenland and Destination Manager at Colourful Nuuk (now Visit Nuuk). 

She has pushed sustainable tourism development through data-driven projects focused on solving framework and strategic challenges within the Greenlandic tourism industry - especially on how to promote and increase demand for cultural tourism. In 2022 she turned her experience into a business by starting the company Sustine Consult. Currently, she has customers such as Visit Greenland, the Bank of Greenland, Nalik Venture, the Department of Interior (US), and the Greenland Business Association supporting them with projects and tasks such as sustainability transformation, cruise research, incubator platform, workshop facilitation, etc.

Dr. Steve Taylor, UHI West Highland, Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research Social Media Success for Tourism Brands, Making tourism more sustainable - issues and intiatives in Scotland

Steve’s current workload is centred on project management and development, consultancy and academic research. With a track record of securing EU-funding for projects, the development of tourism and outdoor recreation projects through funding streams such as Interreg, ERDF, Horizon 2020 and ERASMUS+ is a central part of his duties.

Veera Bianca, Social media influencer & expert, Social Media Success for Tourism Brands

Veera Bianca is a highly skilled influencer and digital marketer with over a decade of experience in the industry. She is an expert in travel marketing, with additional studies in sustainable tourism, and has collaborated with some of the biggest brands in the business. Veera's captivating content on her blog, Instagram, and TikTok focuses on body positivity, well-being, and travel, and has earned her a significant following. Her mission is to inspire women to accept themselves and their bodies while finding a gentler approach to well-being. Alongside her influencer work, Veera also hosts a popular podcast called "Kehorauhaa" and shares inspiration for travel, plus-size fashion, and lifestyle topics on her social media channels.

Liisa Kokkarinen, Visit Finland, Marketing & managing sustainable tourism on a national level

Liisa Kokkarinen is the Head of Sustainable Development at Visit Finland, a national tourism organization responsible for promoting Finland as a travel destination. Visit Finland is also in charge of the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) program, which aims to promote Finland as a sustainable travel destination and to encourage tourism businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

Kirsi Suomi, Sámi Parliament, Sámi tourism certificate project

Kirsi Suomi is a coordinator in Responsible Sámi Tourism -projects at the Sámi Parliament in Finland which is the representative self-government body of the Sámi in Finland.

The first Sámi tourism project started in February 2017 with the focus on safeguarding and maintaining the viability of Sámi community, their culture and living cultural landscape while distributing correct information about the Sámi through tourism. The first milestone was reached when the Sámi Parliament in Finland adopted Principles for Responsible and Ethically Sustainable Sámi Tourism in September 2018. The second milestone was met with the launch of Responsible Visitor’s Guidance to Sámi Culture and Sámi Homeland in Finland in May 2022. Currently, the 6^th project continues to execute the ethical guideline’s vision by creating criteria for the Sámi Tourism Certificate for responsible and ethically sustainable Sámi tourism entrepreneurs. All the projects have been financed by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Kati Koivunen & Sisko Häikiö, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Sustainability communication in tourism SMEs in Lapland

Kati Koivunen and Sisko Häikiö are both lecturers for Lapland University of Applied Sciences. They have been working on the Growth and Value through Sustainability Communication - VALUE project, which aims to develop the digital sustainability communication of Lapland's tourism companies. The project is focused on creating a digital sustainability communication evaluation model that enables tourism companies to assess, measure, and improve their sustainability communication efforts. By doing so, the project aims to support the sustainable business and growth of Lapland's tourism industry.

Maria Astrén, Lapland Hotels, Lapland Safaris & Lapland Ski Resorts, Sustainability will never be ”ready”

Maria Astren is the Destination Manager for Lapland Hotels, Lapland Safaris, and Lapland Ski Resorts. Lapland Hotels is a collection of 19 individual hotels offering a diverse range of accommodation options in various locations across Finland. The five ski resorts owned by Lapland Hotels are situated in Rovaniemi, Yllas, Pallas, Olos, and Luosto.

Terhi Hultamo, AT Nature, Small group sustainable nature activities led by a biologist - is it worth it? 

AT Nature is a family-run business offering outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. AT NATURE was founded for our passion for arctic nature. In our opinion nature activities can make us happier and healthier in today’s busy world. Our mission is to introduce arctic nature and its benefits to nature lovers around the world. In addition we want to share our concern about the threats the arctic nature is facing at the moment.

Liisa Ansala, Lapland Chamber of Commerce, Economic perspective on growth & sustainability (remote)

Liisa Ansala,is the Managing Director of the Lapland Chamber of Commerce. The Lapland Chamber of Commerce plays a vital role in promoting and developing the region's economic growth and business opportunities. Liisa brings experience and insights into the economic aspects of sustainable tourism. 

Jari Salo, Finnish Information Society Development Centre, Find the right data

Jari Salo works as Advisor for the Finnish Information Society Development Centre TIEKE. Jari is an expert in utilizing data to promote sustainability, and will share his insights and expertice on finding the right data to support sustainable practices.