Spirit of Inari - International Tourism Seminar 2022

We thank all the participants, speakers and makers of Spirit of Inari -seminar. If you want to watch the seminar video, please send a request to yrityspalvelut@inari.fi

Approximately 300 persons followed the seminar, 170 onsite and 130 online. The seminar was arranged for the fifth time by Business and Development Services of Inari Municipality.  According to Katariina van Boxtel, the Acting Director for Business and Economic Development, the purpose of the event is to promote cooperation and networking in travel business, and to exchange new ideas, inspiration and information between the participants.  We aim at enhancing internal, regional and international cooperation.

The regional marketing company Lapland North Destinations arranged a digital workshop between entrepreneurs and international tour operators on the 9th of November and the Business and Development Services of Inari Municipality took the  tour operators onsite to visit 15 enterprises during their stay.

Seminar programme 2022: 

-Opening words, Petri Saastamoinen, Chair of Board for Vitality, Inari Municipality

-Skolt Sámi music performance, U’cc Evvan

-Welcome to Inari, Katariina Van Boxtel, Acting Director for Business and Economic Development, Inari Municipality

-Review on tourism development in northern Lapland, Hanna Kouri, Marketing Director, Lapland North Destinations

-Sustainable tourism in northern Lapland, Miika Leivo, Project Coordinator, Inari Municipality and Noora Portti, Digital Marketing Specialist, Lapland North Destinations

-Lapland Safaris – 40-year-path till today and further, Jyrki Niva, CEO

-Attracting international investments, Torstein Bolme, Chief Commercial Officer, Norwegian Travel Company

-Investments on growth company, Susan Vuoriaro, Operations Director, UTAC Ivalo

-Cooperating with film and TV productions – the benefits for tourism, Anni Wessman, Chief Marketing Officer, Valofirma – The Light House/Film Service Finland

-Commentary speech: Economic significance of the audiovisual industry for Lapland Kirsikka Paakkinen, Film Commissioner, Lapland Film Commission

-Sustainable destination development and digitalization, tour operators’ expectations, Mr Bruno Bisig, General Manager, Kontiki Reisen (online)

-Preconditions for cooperation with international tour operators Tour operators Richard Nodder, Unique North Incoming (Denmark), Anna Ptak, Przezmorze.pl sp z o.o. (Poland) and Lijing Li, VOS Vision of Scandinavia (Denmark).  Discussion moderated by Kari Halonen, CEO, Toolbox Consulting Ltd.

-Fishing tourism, Aleksandra Shaknovitch, Account Manager, Visit Finland (video)

- Commentary speeches and presentation of fishing services by Atte Ikkala, Galddoaivi Safaris, and Pål Haldorsen, Varangerbrygge AS

-Golden Route of Lapland – project and Luxury Travel, Ari Siivikko, CEO, Arctic Signature

-Experience tourism in Iceland, Hördur Bender, CEO, Mr Iceland

-Achieving your goals through teamwork, Veikka Gustafsson, entrepreneur, ex-mountaineer, Top Star Finland

-Summary and discussion

Thank you, we will meet again in 2023!

The group picture is taken by Tero Titoff from Inari Municipal Media Workshop, and the original scenery picture has been taken by Tytti Bräysy. Its name is Aanaarjävri/Lake Inari.