Climate Action Plan 2024-2025
Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism
Visit Kotka-Hamina
Visit Kotka-Hamina is the regional tourism organisation of six municipalities on the Finnish East Coast: Loviisa, Pyhtää, Kotka, Hamina, Miehikkälä and Virolahti. It is part of the regional development company Cursor Oy, and its main tasks are:
- To support the development and awareness of tourism in the region through marketing
- To create opportunities for growth through B2B tourism activities
- To organise networking meetings and training for tourism entrepreneurs in the region and to disseminate information to entrepreneurs
- To coordinate regional tourism research and statistical work and support the visitor’s customer journey in the destination
- Actively seek additional funding for tourism development and coordinate projects to support tourism growth
- Actively cooperate in networks of provincial and national tourism organisations
Kymenlaakso, the province where our area is located, has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030 from 2007 levels. Visit Kotka-Hamina wants to contribute to the achievement of this goal, and sustainable and lowcarbon tourism belong to the priorities of the Kymenlaakso tourism strategy.
The development of tourism in the region is based on experiences of nature and culture. Tourism activities therefore depend on these natural and cultural features.
Natural conditions, cultural offerings and the local way of life must be taken into account in a sustainable way so that they can continue to be enjoyed in the future.
Balancing high and low seasons creates a more year-round and sustainable business, both economically and socially. The aim is to develop a common approach to sustainability and to improve the skills of tourism operators.
Impact of global warming on regional tourism
- The average annual temperature in the Kotka-Hamina region is projected to increase by 1.8-2.9°C and precipitation by 6-7% by 2050.
- Baltic Sea surface temperatures are projected to rise by an average of about 0.45-0.9°C by 2050 and 2-3°C by 2100.
- In the eastern Gulf of Finland, the length of the sea ice season is projected to decrease by about a week and the thickness of the ice is expected to decrease by 6-7 cm per decade.
- The risk of flooding in autumn and winter on the Kymijoki River will increase, especially downstream.
Climate Action Plan
This Climate Action Plan is addressing the 5 pathways of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action: measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate and finance. The measures are divided into different levels; organizational level and industry support in the region. Cooperation is divided into geographical levels.
The plan is for the period 08/2024 - 08/2025, after which it will be updated.
Measure
Industry support
- We measure the carbon footprint of the tourist on a regional basis every year
- We support and encourage businesses to introduce a carbon footprint calculator (Visit Finland's calculator “Hiilikuri”)
- Communication, materials
- Training
- Advice
Decarbonise
Organizational level
- We aim to reduce carbon emissions from our own operations through the following measures:
- Encouraging low-carbon travel during working hours
- Providing charging facilities for electric cars in the office
- Good Travel Seal certificate as a guideline and as a tool for our own use Industry support
- Market the region's low-carbon tourism services through our own channels
- Identify ways to increase the share of low-carbon tourists arriving in the region
- Communication
- Identifying new partners
- Productize low-carbon tourism products, packages and tour packages in cooperation with tourism entrepreneurs in the region
- Promote low-carbon business among the tourism companies in the region
- Training
- Promotion of Sustainable Travel Finland programme
- Dissemination of good practices to businesses
- Engaging municipalities in the region in sustainable tourism activities
- Improving low-carbon accessibility
- e.g. improve bicycle rental system in the area
Regenerate
Organizational level
- We build an understanding of regenerative tourism within our own organization and plan ways to spread awareness among businesses
Industry support
- We cooperate and network with relevant stakeholders, including municipalities in the region
- We communicate about the theme with businesses
Collaborate
Destination level
- Tourism businesses in the area
- Engage them to cooperation with us
- Spread information, engage them to join our activities
- Support them to cooperate with each other
- Visitors
- Communicate on sustainable choices
- Schools and universities
- Project collaboration
- Student collaboration
- Municipalities
- Cooperation in sustainable tourism
- Communicate on our activities
National level
- Cooperation with other Glasgow Declaration signatories and with Visit Finland
- Other stakeholders
- Regional council
- Metsähallitus (State-owned forest company)
- VisitKouvola, GoSaimaa, Visit Porvoo
International level
- International project collaboration
Finance
Organizational level
- Ensure that our core funding is sufficient for our activities
- Ensure that we have the human resources needed to drive sustainable tourism development forward
- Apply for project funding for sustainable tourism activities and new experiments
Industry support
- Services provided to businesses are free of charge or with a small co-payment
- We inform businesses about the different funding channels and help them to apply for funding
- Communicating to businesses that there are long-term cost benefits to promoting sustainable tourism