Sustainable travel

The aim of the Unelmien Porvoo 2030 city strategy is that local businesses live a sustainable daily life and actively take part in promoting environment and climate goals. Climate action is expected to generate more well-being and appealing services to citizens and tourists in Porvoo as well as a health-promoting urban environment.

In the future the success of tourist attractions and tourism businesses is determined by how they acknowledge sustainable development in their operations. Tourists’ decision making is guided by values and attitudes. Stakeholders’ demands towards tourism operators are increasingly public and discussions on responsibility are ongoing in the media. To create successful business activities, tourism businesses must be increasingly interested in following and measuring the effects of their own actions on the economy, environment and society. Responsibility increases competitiveness, enables the success of businesses and affects the success of Porvoo as a tourist attraction.

A responsible tourist attraction has a good reputation, which attracts customers. A good reputation is not built solely through marketing and advertising. Instead, it is earned through reliable and responsible deeds and by discussing them openly. The choices of every business counts for the success of tourism in Porvoo.

Are you interested in joining Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland programme? Please contact Head of Tourism Development Sari Myllynen.

Carbon Neutral Experience 2.0 promotes carbon neutrality in domestic tourism, restaurant, and event sectors in the Uusimaa region. Simultaneously, it guides and supports businesses in transitioning towards profitable and sustainable operations.

Measuring and minimizing tourism emissions reduces environmental impact and helps mitigate climate change while enhancing the region’s reputation as a sustainable tourist destination. Tourism growth generates jobs and supports regional vitality. International examples, such as the Glasgow Climate Pact, offer new frameworks for achieving climate goals. Developed models integrate into the permanent activities of municipalities, businesses, and tourism organizations. Increasing circular economy expertise in industry firms advances the green transition and aids adaptation to changing operational environments and climate change impacts.

Carbon Neutral Experience 2.0 is a joint initiative involving Novago, Haaga-Helia, and Novia University of Applied Sciences. In addition to Porvoo, twelve municipalities have committed to sustainability goals in the Uusimaa region, including Helsinki, Raasepori, Tuusula, Hyvinkää, Espoo, Vantaa, Hanko, Sipoo, Lohja, Siuntio, Inkoo, and Nurmijärvi. The project is funded by the Uusimaa Regional Council and will be executed between 2023 and 2025.

By joining the Glasgow Declaration, Visit Porvoo is stepping forward as a global leader working to accelerate climate action in tourism and supporting the global commitment to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050.

During the COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit in November 2021, the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was made by the tourism industry. The declaration has been prepared within the framework of the UN-sponsored international One Planet network’s sustainable tourism program, and the declaration has already been signed by more than 500 parties around the world, 60 of whom are from Finland.

The intent of the Glasgow Declaration is to urge and enable all travel and tourism stakeholders to sign and demonstrate, for the first time as a united sector, a shared voice and commitment to aligning the sector’s climate ambitions with scientific recommendations and international agreements.

• To create successful business activities, tourism businesses must be increasingly interested in following and measuring the effects of their own actions on the economy, environment and society. Responsibility increases competitiveness, enables the success of businesses and affects the success of Porvoo as a tourist attraction, says Head of Tourism Development Sari Myllynen.

Tourism must continue to be possible in the future, and the business opportunities and jobs offered by the tourism industry must be secured. Sustainable tourism supports key national goals, e.g., regional economic development and the fight against climate change.

• Combating climate change is our common task. We must all commit to measures to ensure the development of low-carbon travel options, Kristiina Hietasaari, Senior Director of Visit Finland sums.

All signatories can be found on the One Planet web page.

In 2023 Porvoo was due to report the actions done since joining the Glasgow Declaration signatories.

The EU Urban Agenda is based on the Amsterdam declaration. The network develops innovative solutions to urban challenges and promotes cooperation between member states, cities, the European Commission and other stakeholders.

The sustainable tourism partnership network focuses on tourism as a central part of the sustainable development of cities. Sustainable tourism requires a balance between economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability. Themes covered in the work of the partnership network include, for example, respect for the natural and cultural environment, socio-economic development of destinations and companies, and the effects of tourism growth in cities.

• The acceptance of our application into the network is a huge source of joy and opens up an opportunity for us to develop sustainable tourism and have a peer-to-peer discussion at the European level. As tourism recovers and international tourism grows, Porvoo also faces both the positive effects and challenges brought by tourism. With our network partners, we get to exchange ideas about sustainable tourism perspectives and hear about good practices from different parts of Europe, says Sari Myllynen, Head of tourism development at city of Porvoo.

The work in the network will start during the end of 2022 and will be coordinated by the city of Galati in Romania and the city of Genoa in Italy.

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The We Speak Gay partnership supports Visit Porvoo’s strong desire to develop sustainable tourism, where social sustainability is one of the cornerstones of the development. With this partnership, we commit to promoting inclusiveness in our area and our networks. We want to ensure a safe travel experience for everyone, which is not a given globally.

In every third country in the world, homosexuality is a crime. Less than twenty countries have legislation that respects the human rights of gender minorities, and in only a fraction of the countries is the trans sex gender recognized. This means that Rainbow people still live in most parts of the world without full human rights. (We Speak Gay)

The We Speak Gay Partners network intended for the B2B target group complements the We Speak Gay community, which already includes more than a hundred member companies and events. With the partnership, information, training, guidance and support for the development of diversity and inclusiveness and rainbow communication are available to operators in the Porvoo tourism region.

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