Tourism sustainability in Helsinki

Helsinki is committed to sustainability in all its activities. According to many international indicators, Helsinki and tourism as part of it are doing well in terms of sustainable development. Sustainability is considered a differentiation factor and competitive advantage for Helsinki. Sustainable growth and renewal will become a reality if public and private actors change their practices responsibly and on a long-term basis. Succeeding in this also requires systematic planning, measuring, monitoring, communication and support for companies and other operators on the path towards certification and continuous development of operations. The goal is to be the most sustainable destination in the world.

We will develop Helsinki into the smartest and most sustainable travel destination.

Helsinki City Strategy

Helsinki is an international pioneer and solution provider in sustainability, tourism and events.

Helsinki Tourism and Events Programme 2022–2026

What can tourism operators do to promote the sustainability of tourism?

Sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors

The City of Helsinki aims to be an international pioneer and solution provider in sustainability, tourism and events. Sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors. A clear path towards sustainability has been created for Helsinki-based companies, and this path includes three mutually supportive tools. Take a closer look at the sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors.

Sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors.

Sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors

The City of Helsinki aims to be an international pioneer and solution provider in sustainability, tourism and events. Sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors. A clear path towards sustainability has been created for Helsinki-based companies, and this path includes three mutually supportive tools.

Sustainability path for Helsinki-based companies in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors

Sustainable Travel Finland programme

The free-of-charge Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) programme provides companies and destinations with a toolkit for developing sustainable tourism, which enables them to adopt sustainable measures and choices in their daily operations. Companies and destinations that have completed the programme and meet the criteria will be granted the Sustainable Travel Finland label, which communicates sustainable activities to international travellers. Companies and regions having earned the right to use the Sustainable Travel Finland label will have access to a continuous development model, latest information related to the sustainable development of tourism, marketing support and increased visibility on the Visit Finland channels.  

In September 2023, the programme included 132 companies, 58 of which have been granted the STF label. Helsinki takes part in the programme and the city aims to receive the Sustainable Travel Finland destination label in 2025. 

Sustainable Travel Finland program(Link leads to external service)

Think Sustainably service

The Think Sustainably service highlights Helsinki-based companies that act responsibly in their business operations. The service covers six different categories: attractions, restaurants, events, venues, accommodation and shopping.

Think Sustainably service(Link leads to external service)

Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism

Cities and tourism operators that sign the Glasgow Declaration (supported by the UN) commit themselves to immediately accelerating climate action in order to reduce global emissions from tourism by at least half in the next decade. The aim is to achieve net zero emissions from tourism as soon as possible before 2050. Every Helsinki-based tourism company can sign the declaration.

Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism(Link leads to external service)

Carbon Neutrality Handbook for Tourism Enterprises

The Carbon Neutrality Handbook for Tourism Enterprises offers advice and support for companies in the tourism industry to implement their own emission reductions. The manual, published in September 2022, was created as a part of the Carbon Neutral Experience project, coordinated by Novago Business Development Ltd.

Carbon Neutrality Handbook for Tourism Enterprises

Guide to carbon footprint communication for tourism companies (in Finnish)

Guide for tourism companies on how to communicate to consumers about reducing carbon footprint. The guide is practical and contains concrete examples.

Guide to carbon footprint communication for tourism companies (in Finnish)

Measuring the carbon footprint for tourism companies and events

Tourism companies can measure their own carbon footprint using Visit Finland's Co2 calculator for the tourism industry. Helsinki-based event producers can calculate the carbon footprint of the event by using the calculator implemented by the City of Helsinki.

CO2 calculator for the tourism industry(Link leads to external service)

Carbon footprint calculator for events

Checklists for Saving Energy (in Finnish)

The Checklists for Saving Energy for tourism companies were created as a part of the measures of the Carbon Neutral Experience and Sustainable Growth for Tourism: Southern Finland projects (in Finnish, links open as excel files):

Transportation(Link leads to external service)  Accommodation(Link leads to external service)  Activities(Link leads to external service)  Restaurants(Link leads to external service)

Guide to Inclusive Travel

The goal of inclusive travel is to ensure that travel experiences are equally accessible to all, regardless of age, sexual orientation, religion, culture and special needs. With the help of Visit Finland's Guide to Inclusive Travel, tourism companies can develop their business toward inclusiveness.

Guide to Inclusive Travel(Link leads to external service)

Social responsibility compass for event organisers (in Finnish)

A tool for examining and developing the social responsibility of your event. The tool includes measures of different levels for use in event production.

Social responsibility compass for event organisers (in Finnish)

Guide on how to communicate about accessible services to customers with reduced mobility (in Finnish)

This guide provides advice on what lodging and restaurant industry companies should take into account to improve the implementation of accessible services and communicate about them to customers with reduced mobility. The guide was produced as part of the Sustainable Growth for Tourism: Southern Finland project.

Guide: "How to communicate about accessible services to customers with reduced mobility" (in Finnish)

Compass – A Handbook for Safety in Tourism in Helsinki

Compass, or the Handbook for the Safety of Tourism in Helsinki, offers comprehensive safety information and instructions for operators in the tourism industry. The handbook has been created together in the project "Matkailun alueellinen johtaminen". More about the project at Completed projects (page in Finnish).

Compass – A Handbook for Safety in Tourism in Helsinki

Logbook – a digital tool for mapping out safety issues

The Logbook is a digital tool for mapping out safety issues, and it contains the most important safety measures that a tourism company must take into account in its everyday operations. The manual was published in spring 2023.

Logbook – a digital tool for mapping out safety issues (in Finnish)

10 tips for improving cyber security in the tourism industry (in Finnish)

What should tourism businesses do to improve cyber security? Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences (JAMK) has created an annual clock for cyber security for tourism businesses and 10 tips for improving cyber security in the tourism industry.

10 tips for improving cyber security in the tourism industry (in Finnish)

Communicating Sustainable Tourism in Helsinki for Customer Service Personnel (guide & video)

In order to communicate Helsinki's sustainability in an effective way, a guidebook has been put together for people working tourism customer service, for example, hotel receptionists, museum workers, and restaurant personnel.

In the video, Senior Advisor Jukka Punamäki from the City of Helsinki's Tourism and Destination Management Unit and Anu Nylund from Mood of Finland discuss Helsinki's sustainable tourism and the guidelines for sustainable tourism aimed at customer service workers in the tourism sector.

Sustainable Helsinki Guidelines for Customer Service Personnel

Communicating Sustainable Tourism in Helsinki for Customer Service Personnel (video, in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)

A visitor's guide to a sustainable visit in Helsinki

For anyone visiting the city, Helsinki has created a guide to help to make the trip as sustainable as possible.
You can share the guide in your own channels, for example by linking it to your own website or booking channel.

Guide to sustainable visit in Helsinki

Toolkits for Communicating Sustainability in Helsinki

Helsinki Partners’ comprehensive responsibility-themed toolkit highlights sustainable development work done by Helsinki and helps to communicate it through concrete examples and tools. 

Toolkit for Communicating Climate & Environmental Sustainability in Helsinki

Toolkit for Communicating Social Sustainability in Helsinki

Sustainable Meeting Guidelines

Helsinki Partners has created guidelines for organising sustainable events. The guidelines can be downloaded from Helsinki Material Bank(Link leads to external service).

Sustainable meeting guidelines (PDF)(Link leads to external service)

Guide to Sustainable Food Tourism (in Finnish)

Visit Finland's guide especially supports the development of food tourism companies targeting international markets, but it is equally suitable for companies that only serve domestic customers. The guide contains plenty of useful links to other publications on the matter that have already been produced in abundance.

Guide to Sustainable Food Tourism (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)

More responsible restaurant operations workbook (in Finnish)

A workbook for all operators in the food and beverages industry containing information on carbon handprints and how it can be utilised to make the everyday operation of restaurants more socially responsible.

Workbook: More responsible restaurant operations (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)

Instructions for providing accommodation in a flat

The purpose of these instructions is to clarify when a permit is required for transferring the right of occupancy of a flat and when such provision of accommodation is considered professional and not occasional, short-term letting of a private home.

Instructions for providing accommodation in a flat

Developing sustainable tourism in Helsinki

Sustainable Tourism Policy

Helsinki has outlined the sustainable tourism policy that guide all the city's tourism development efforts. Get acquainted with the principles of sustainable tourism in Helsinki (pdf).

Sustainability in the Helsinki Tourism and Events Programme 2022–2026

The Helsinki Tourism and Events Programme 2022–2026 is divided into three strategic goals, and point B is especially tied to sustainability. The subgoals of the section are as follows:

B.1. Environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality at the forefront of development

B.2. Helsinki residents, inclusiveness and social and cultural sustainability at the core of development

B.3. Helsinki is a world leader in sustainability, verified by indices and certifications

B.4. The availability of skilled labour is vital for the sectors

B.5. Focusing on comprehensive safety is a prerequisite for the city’s appeal

Helsinki's Tourism Carbon Footprint and Climate Road Map

In the spring of 2023, Helsinki's tourism emissions(Link leads to external service)(site in Finnish) were estimated for the first time together with 14 other municipalities in Uusimaa. The calculation was carried out by the Carbon Neutral Experience project. Read the final report of the calculation (pdf). Based on the results of the calculation, a Climate Action Plan for Tourism 2023–2036 (pdf) was created in May 2023.

Circular economy programme for tourism and events


In Helsinki’s Action Plan for the Circular and Sharing Economy (pdf, in Finnish), measure 23 includes a circular economy programme for tourism and events, consisting of seven components.

Resident Involvement in Tourism Development

According to the Tourism and Events Programme 2022–2026, the well-being of Helsinki residents must be the starting point for all development. Helsinki has an action plan for engaging residents for the years 2022–2024 (pdf, in Finnish). The Helsinki Tourism and Destination Management Unit conducts research every two years to gather residents' views on the impacts of tourism on the city, with the most recent study conducted in February 2023 (prior research from years 2019 and 2021(Link leads to external service), pdfs, in Finnish). Additionally, Helsinki seeks development ideas through surveys directed to locals. The city also organizes public hearings and actively communicates the current state of tourism and upcoming projects. The 2023 resident involvement report (pdf, in Finnish) provides a detailed description of the results of various studies and surveys, as well as the resulting actions.

Inclusivity in Tourism and Events

According to the Tourism and Events Programme 2022–2026, Helsinki residents, inclusiveness, and social and cultural sustainability are at the core of development. In spring 2023, a comprehensive analysis of the current state of inclusiveness in Helsinki's tourism and events (pdf) has been completed, including also guidelines for developing inclusiveness in the future.

Certifications and Indices

Promoting sustainable tourism should be credible, measurable, and comparable. Opportunities for greenwashing should actively be reduced, and Helsinki aims to set an example. By 2025, Helsinki aims to be number one on the international Global Destination Sustainability Index(Link leads to external service). Helsinki aims to obtain Green Destinations Certification(Link leads to external service) in 2023 and the Sustainable Travel Finland label(Link leads to external service) by 2025.

The Helsinki City Executive Office (which the Tourism and Destination Management Unit is also a part of) was awarded the EcoCompass Certificate 12 May 2023 for managing and developing environmental matters in accordance with the EcoCompass environmental management system.
The Helsinki City Executive Office (which the Tourism and Destination Management Unit is also a part of) was awarded the EcoCompass Certificate 12 May 2023 for managing and developing environmental matters in accordance with the EcoCompass environmental management system.

Expert on sustainable tourism

"" Photographer: Sakari Röyskö

Name
Jukka Punamäki

Title
Senior Advisor, Tourism