Recent Projects

Responsibility and Food Tourism

2022 - 2023

The project aims to strengthen responsible food tourism-related networks and service development along the Via Karelia route. The project, which is implemented by the Lapland University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland, is funded by the Finnish tourism funds for sparsely populated areas (Lapland Centre for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment). The project is done in close collaboration with a parallel food tourism project implemented by the Rural Women’s Advisory Organization for Eastern Finland and Naturpolis.

Responsibility and Value Creation in the Sharing Economy

2020 - 2022

This project offered me a fabulous opportunity to expand my knowledge and expertise on responsible business by studying corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the context of the sharing economy. In addition to two senior researchers, four Ph.D. candidates were connected to the project. The research was funded by Business Finland and implemented by the University of Lapland in collaboration with the tourism industry.

Animal Welfare in Tourism Services

2016-2019

This project was run parallel to the project "Animals and Responsible Tourism". Its main focus was on the dissemination of information about animal welfare in tourism and gathering information about animal-based tourism companies in Finnish Lapland. The project was funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and implemented in partnership between the Lapland University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland. I was the principal investigator of the University of Lapland's research team, which consisted of two Senior Researchers, a Doctoral Candidate, and a Master Student.

Animals and Responsible Tourism

2016 - 2018

In this research project funded by Business Finland and ten Finnish tourism companies, I had the opportunity to study human-animal relations as part of responsible tourism business. As the project manager and principal investigator of the project, I enjoyed working with a fabulous research team consisting of a Senior Researcher, two Doctoral Candidates, and a Master student.  The project was implemented by the University of Lapland in close cooperation with tourism companies, foreign universities, research institutes, and animal welfare organizations.

Visit Arctic Europe

2016-2018

With a focus on cross-border cooperation in Northern Europe, this project aimed to promote collaborative marketing activities among tourism organizations operating in this geographic region. As a Senior Researcher, my task was to study the challenges faced by tourism companies and tourists in relation to cross-border tourism operations and service delivery. The study was conducted in close cooperation with Nordic Universities and tourism organizations. The project was funded by Interreg Nord and implemented by the Finnish Lapland Tourist Board in partnership with the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board and Northern Norway Tourist Board.

Barents Public-Private Partnership

2010 - 2013

This was an interesting project aiming to promote sustainable tourism development in the Barents region by initiating and supporting public-private partnerships. The project was implemented by the Lapland University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland in partnership with the Barents Euro-Arctic Joint Working Group on Tourism, Russian, Swedish and Norwegian universities. I was the Principal Investigator of the research team of the University of Lapland. The Barents Tourism Action Plan was one of the concrete results of this projects.