Hanken receives research funding to develop sustainable tourism in the Kvarken region

"Natural areas like the Kvarken Archipelago are difficult to access and fragile. Uncontrolled tourism development without local engagement is not desirable. Much of the tourism development in Finland and globally is customer and business-driven, risking the neglect of the local community, which is often an integral part of the tourism experience," says Peter Björk, professor of marketing at Hanken.

Professor Björk, who leads the research project, notes that the voices of local residents in tourism development projects have not always been fully heard, as tourists' needs and expectations and various marketing measures have been prioritised.

"The local population is a resource, people to engage. The question is in what and how?"

The project, called Kvarken – be my guest, focuses on investigating local residents' interest in and engagement with local tourism development, and their views on how destinations can be made more accessible without exceeding the area's ecological carrying capacity.

"Our goal is to develop solutions that support community-driven tourism development as a counterbalance to tourist and business-driven development," says Björk.

The Kvarken – Be my Guest project, carried out in collaboration with the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Åbo Akademi University, runs from January 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026. During this time, workshops and seminars will be organised, and local residents will be interviewed.