Visit Tampere is staying steadfast in pursuit of sustainable tourism and has announced a significant collaboration with the City of Helsinki and a group of companies to create the Urban Climate Leaders in Tourism Network.
News of the Urban Climate Leaders in Tourism Network partnership, which cements Tampere’s standing as an environmentally friendly destination, will appeal to tourists looking to make greener choices when taking a holiday.
Visit Tampere, an expert organisation for tourism, events and congresses in Finland’s most popular tourist city, aims to strengthen the position of Tampere as an internationally attractive destination.
The city and wider region has been making ripples in the tourism sector having had a burst of positive coverage in British and international press. Tampere is quickly becoming a desirable short break destination, giving the more popular European cities some competition in terms of attracting UK visitors.
Sustainability expert Matti Pollari from Visit Tampere explains: “Taking a dive into clear blue lakes is an essential part of the Finnish sauna experience and we must preserve that for the future generations. As the Sauna Capital of the World we want to do our very best not just for the lakes but all natural environments, minimising the negative impacts climate change has on them.
Sauna is all about sustainability and equality and luckily it’s also a pretty climate resilient experience. It feels just as great on a sunny summer afternoon as in the midst of an autumn hailstorm.”
The Urban Climate Leaders in Tourism Network collective consists of Visit Tampere, together with the City of Helsinki and a host of travel companies in the regions and their mission is to accelerate the transition towards climate-resilient tourism together with industry leaders and cities. Acting as pioneers, the network hopes to provide the foundation for achieving climate goals in the tourism industry, both domestically and internationally. Each member of the network is dedicated to advancing climate-friendly tourism within the scope of their own business operations, and members are also committed to promoting the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) program led by Visit Finland.
Sustainable Development Goals and Sustainable Travel Finland
Visit Tampere’s sustainability and environmental policy is based on the Sustainable Tampere 2030 programme and aligned with Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland programme (STF) helps travel professionals make more sustainable choices. Visit Finland’s vision is to be the world’s leading sustainable travel destination and the first choice for mindful travellers.
Sustainability is a key part of Visit Tampere’s strategy and the city has high hopes to be known as one of the most responsible tourism, congress and event cities in the world. The City of Tampere aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. This means that the city’s greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 80% compared to 1990 levels and the remaining 20% will be compensated. Visit Tampere is one of the signatories of Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and cooperates closely with the City to strive towards common climate goals, making tourism companies the perfect vanguard for this development.
Examples of Sustainability and Tampere’s Tourist Attractions
Tampere Hall, Moomin Museum and Courtyard by Marriott Tampere City: In 2019, Tampere Hall became a carbon-neutral property, which together with the Courtyard by Marriott Tampere City Hotel forms a carbon-neutral block. Moomin Museum situated inside Tampere Hall provides great synergy benefits especially in environmental sustainability. Over the years, the property has undergone several environmentally friendly and energy-efficient improvements. On the roof of Tampere Hall there are three solar power plants, gardening boxes and a 20m2 greenhouse, and in the rooftop garden, produce is grown for use in the venue’s restaurants. The roof of the Tampere Hall is also inhabited by four bee colonies. There are 20,000 bees in every community, and they will grow into communities of up to 200,000 bees during the summer.
Särkänniemi amusement park: Särkänniemi has been a pioneer on environmental issues for decades and in February 2021, Särkänniemi was awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland label. It was also the first theme park in the world to offer vegan options at every restaurant and food stall.
Looking ahead, Visit Tampere along with the objectives set out with the Urban Climate Leaders in Tourism Network, hope to announce more new sustainable initiatives but for anyone visiting Tampere now, there are already things visitors can do to enjoy the city but with consideration for the planet.
Top tips for visiting Tampere City responsibly
Take low emission modes of transport: Avoid pollution and explore Tampere on foot – everything in Tampere is within walking distance so there’s no excuse for not getting around in a greener way.
Eco-friendly places to stay: Visitors coming to Tampere can do their bit by picking hotels and accommodation providers who have the Sustainable Travel Finland label.
Ditch the car and take the train: Tampere is a hub for train travel. There are around 20-30 daily train connections from Helsinki, and visitors are also able to travel to destinations in the region by train.
Responsible dining: Tampere offers lots of great places to eat with many of them following eco-friendly practices and are committed to zero waste cooking.
Finland was recently named the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row in The 2024 World Happiness Report and Tampere is an ideal place to experience a taste of that vibe. It’s a city where happiness and sustainability go hand in hand – thriving nature, well-being and the future of the planet.
The Urban Climate Leaders in Tourism Network partnership is a step closer to creating the world class climate resilient tourism model everyone is striving to achieve.
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