A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book
Tourism Policymaking in Finland: A Multilevel Governance Perspective
Authors: Korvenkangas, Heini
Editors: Pforr, Christof; Pillmayer, Markus; Joppe, Marion; Scherle, Nicolai; Pechlaner, Harald
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Publication year: 2024
Book title : Tourism Policy-Making in the Context of Contested Wicked Problems: Politics, Paradigm Shifts and Transformation Processes
Journal name in source: Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Series title: Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Number in series: 17B
First page : 49
Last page: 63
ISBN: 978-1-83549-985-6
eISBN: 978-1-83549-984-9
ISSN: 1871-3173
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S1871-31732024000017B004
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1108/S1871-31732024000017B004
In Finland, tourism policymaking is centralised in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, without a specific tourism minister. Tourism policymaking and implementation are much influenced by networks and collaboration of tourism experts on governmental, regional, and local levels. Despite the efforts of involving different stakeholders in tourism policymaking, the process includes wicked problems and occasionally conflicts of interest between the levels. Finnish tourism policymaking relies on various ministries, indirect laws, and working groups on the governmental level; and on regional councils, cities, municipalities, and destination management or marketing organisations (DMO) on the regional level, before reaching the operative level in tourism organisations. At every level, workshops, and other means to engage stakeholders are utilised. On a regional and destination level tourism is governed based on the strategies of each city, municipality, and regional councils, with varying collaboration and stakeholder engagement. The coordinator may be a regional council, DMO, or another stakeholder, such as a cluster of tourism enterprises and institutions of higher education. The different levels of governance are finally followed by enterprises, with their own interests, strategies, and visions. This chapter discusses Finnish tourism policymaking, focussing on the region of Satakunta, the city of Pori, and the Yyteri coastal area. Furthermore, the chapter discusses the strategic decision to focus on developing the Yyteri coastal area to meet the needs of locals and visitors, and how appointing a Senior Advisor for Yyteri beach and coastal area is sought to provide practical improvements also on an enterprise level.
