Sustainable tourism

Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular visitor attractions in Finland. The growth of tourism in Helsinki, Finland and abroad can also be seen in Suomenlinna. The Governing Body of Suomenlinna is an active partner in networks where tourism is being defined and developed both in the nearby areas in Helsinki and on the national and international level.

During the past 20 years, the number of visitors to Suomenlinna has increased from 600,000 to one million. At the same time, the visitor profile has changed. At first, most visitors were Helsinki residents spending a nice summer day at the fortress, but now the majority of them are international visitors.

The sea fortress’s appeal lies in its history, sights and maritime environment. Suomenlinna combines large visitor numbers with cultural values that require conservation measures, the need among the Helsinki region’s population to have local recreational sites, and the day-to-day life of local residents. Sustainable tourism methods must be leveraged to ensure the site’s cultural, social, ecological and economical prosperity.

Sustainable tourism aims at minimising the negative impacts of tourism and maximising its positive impacts. The Governing Body of Suomenlinna strives to take sustainability into account in all its operations and also requires its stakeholders to comply with sustainable practices.

This page contains information about Suomenlinna’s sustainable tourism strategy, principles of sustainable tourism and the measurement and monitoring of sustainable tourism.

Sustainable Travel Finland label

In 2020, the Governing Body of Suomenlinna was awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland label as a sign of valued and long-term work towards sustainable tourism. In the fall of 2022, the Governing Body of Suomenlinna renewed the STF label until September of 2024. During 2024, the Governing Body of Suomenlinna is transitioning to the Ekokompassi certificate and renewing the STF label in accordance with it and the updated Suomenlinna Sustainable Tourism strategegy for the years 2024-2030.

Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) is Visit Finland’s programme for sustainable tourism that aims to offer tourism companies and destinations a concrete development model for sustainable tourism. Its objective is to help companies systematically adopt sustainable operating methods. Read more about the STF programme.