Enter the ecosystem of sustainable tourism and meetings
Espoo, the second-largest city in Finland, is a vibrant city full of contrasts. Here, modern architecture, large corporations, and renowned Aalto University meet the unspoiled wilderness of Nuuksio National Park, archipelago, and the rich cultural offering.
In 2019, a total of 462,000 overnight stays were registered in Espoo, of which 58 % were for domestic and 42 % for foreign tourists. Business travel accounted for 60 % of all overnight stays. In addition, thousands of day visitors and cruise guests from Helsinki visit Espoo’s famous sights every year.
Enter Espoo is responsible for tourism, conference, and congress marketing and coordinates an active local supplier network of 40-50 companies from Espoo and municipalities of Kirkkonummi, Vihti, and Kauniainen.
Strengths of leisure tourism and business events in Espoo
- Large nature areas and Nuuksio National Park
- Archipelago
- Cultural offering
- World-class research by Aalto University and VTT to name a few
- Varied and quality travel and event services around the city
- Strong collaboration with and amongst local suppliers
- Collaboration with Aalto University, VTT, and other research centers
- Marketing cooperation with neighboring municipalities, Visit Finland and Finland Convention Bureau
We help you find the right travel business and investment opportunities
Enter Espoo is the one-stop-shop that helps tourism and service companies to find a location and to get the necessary permits to start a business in Espoo. We know the right people in the area as well as the organization of the City of Espoo.
Over the years, we have supported startups and companies like Bout, Skipperi, Kassiopeia Hotels & Restaurants and Laguuni Watersport Center to enter the market and start their business in Espoo.
We strive to find the best possible experts to help you!
Why should you do travel business in Espoo?
- Espoo has a very strong local customer base with purchasing power.
- Strong emphasis on developing the city and tourism activities sustainably and aiming to be the most sustainable city in Europe permanently.
- Location next to the capital Helsinki, close to the international airport
- A growing and developing city and infrastructure
- The development and potential of urban centres, the Nuuksio National Park area, and the coastal and archipelago area
- Espoo is open and interested in developing and testing new services and concepts.
#2: Espoo is the 2nd most popular conference city in Finland with the number of congresses held annually. Overall, Finland ranks number 12 in the global comparison and reaches the 7th spot in the European ranking (UIA 2019).
Did you know? Espoo has more islands than in Hawaii! A total of 165 islands, many of which are popular outdoor islands with camping opportunities and other tourism services.
Big numbers: The tourism industry accounts for 2.7% of Finland's GDP — making tourism the same size as the forest industry and larger than the food industry. The tourism industry employed more than 142,000 people in 2018.
What does sustainability mean in Espoo’s travel ecosystem?
The Visit Espoo's Sustainable Tourism Roadmap 2021-2030 outlines concrete measures for the coming years towards an ambitious goal to be the most innovative and sustainable travel destination in the Nordic region, where tourism belongs to everyone equally.
Visit Espoo, together with many local tourism entrepreneurs, is committed to Visit Finland's Sustainable Travel Finland program. The goal is that all companies in Visit Espoo's partner network are committed to responsible and sustainable tourism development and business by the end of 2022.
Forerunner companies in sustainable travel in Espoo are The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, Laguuni Watersport Center, Hawkhill Villas, Åbergin Linja, Glo Hotel Sello, and Honkalintu, to name just a few.
Hero image: the City of Espoo.