Lapland gets 130 million euros as Päijänne seeks tourism funding

Tourism funding from the European Union is distributed unevenly across Finland, with Lapland receiving more than 130 million euros and the Greater Päijänne region just over 11 million between 2014 and 2026, Yle reports.

The Greater Päijänne region includes Central Finland, Päijät-Häme and Pirkanmaa, all of which are connected to Päijänne. The figures were compiled for Yle by tourism consultancy Flowhouse.

The totals cover project funding for tourism from the EU regional and structural funds. Support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development is not included. During the same period, eastern Finland received 118 million euros.

Greater Päijänne is part of the Lakeland Finland tourism region, but EU funding within the region has been concentrated in the east. The imbalance reflects regional policy and funding criteria, which direct projects towards areas facing economic and regional challenges, particularly in eastern and northern Finland.

Saimaa has gained visibility

Susanne Rasmus, tourism director at Visit Jyväskylä Region, said funding has a significant impact on the success of a tourism region.

EU-funded projects have helped promote tourism around Saimaa through advertising campaigns and by attracting foreign tour operators and media influencers to the region. Tourism around Päijänne, by contrast, has mainly been developed through basic funding from municipalities and businesses.

Rasmus said tourism regions should have more equal opportunities to carry out development projects.

“We do exactly the same things to promote tourism as elsewhere in Finland, but the impact is different depending on whether you have 10,000 euros or one million. Money is needed for a major growth leap and to increase recognition,” she said.

Group seeks 10 million euros

The provinces of Greater Päijänne no longer want to stand by as support flows to eastern and northern Finland.

A Greater Päijänne group was established in Parliament a year ago. It is chaired by Hilkka Kemppi, a Centre Party MP from Päijät-Häme.

Kemppi said the region had not received enough EU funding or significant state support and had not been sufficiently recognised in political decisions during the current parliamentary term.

“Päijänne has been left stuck, both in the distribution of money and in terms of credibility,” she said.

The group wants Päijänne to become the leading recipient of public tourism funding during the next government term. It has prepared a tourism growth programme to support that goal.

“There must be a strong commitment in the next government programme to raise tourism in the Päijänne region to the same level as Lapland is at currently. The shared Lakeland Finland product also requires Päijänne to rise,” Kemppi said.

The programme would require direct state support for the region, similar to the support eastern Finland received in 2024. Kemppi estimated that around 10 million euros would be needed to increase the region’s international recognition and tourism investments.

“Defence and security projects are currently taking priority over tourism. We now need to understand that tourism is also an industry and a serious area of economic activity,” she said.