The High-Level Working Group on Tourism is an expert advisory body on tourism development strategy created to face the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and promote the implementation of Finland’s tourism strategy for 2019-2028.

The working group is led by the Minister of Economic Affairs, who oversees tourism policy development and support. It includes relevant ministries, administrative units, regional councils, state administration, regional tourism organisations, travel companies, research and educational institutions, and organisations.

During the pandemic this group focused on:
•    Crisis response and recovery: assessing the impact of the crisis, identifying measures to mitigate its effects, and recommending policies and actions to facilitate recovery.
•    Coordination and collaboration: promoting coordinated response and cooperation for tourism development.
•    Monitoring and evaluation: monitoring the evolution of the crisis and of the effects of the policies implemented, by analysing tourism-related research, including market trends, travellers’ behaviour, and the sector’s economic impact. Also, monitoring the implementation of Finland’s tourism strategy. 

#Tourism development #Adaptation strategies #Empowerment