This Month we get to know better Visit Lahti/Lahden seutu Lahti Region Ltd.
What was your motivation to join ICCA?
ICCA membership gives us an access to the organization's valuable database. ICCA has gathered together a huge stock of information about congresses traveling around the world, their history, members and stakeholders. By researching through this data, it is possible to gain a more detailed information about various congresses and all important persons behind the scenes. ICCA also opens a Nordic and international cooperation network and the organization's versatile training program for Visit Lahti to utilize.
Tell us your story. How did Visit Lahti/Lahden seutu Lahti Region Ltd. get started?
The City of Lahti is European Green Capital 2021 and it is well known for winter sports consists of some stunning lake views, diverse nature, bold everyday environmental actions, clean technology and circular economy. The city of Lahti and our company Visit Lahti want to promote itself as a sustainable destination.
Visit Lahti has built an EcoCompass environmental management system, which is our tool in developing our operations. Our environmental programme includes concrete actions from sorting our waste at the office to committing partners and making communicating environmental matters even more efficient. Our organisation has been awarded the EcoCompass certificate, which indicates that our operations meet the 10 EcoCompass criteria. Our environmental management system is audited every three years.
Lahti Region Ltd has also been awarded the national Sustainable Travel Finland certificate in February 2022. Sustainable Travel Finland program is the national sustainability program for the companies in tourism business created by the national tourism board Visit Finland.
What can we expect to see from Visit Lahti/Lahden seutu Lahti Region Ltd. in the future?
We want to raise higher in all congress statistics in the future. Lahti is the youngest university city in Finland. We have started to build up a network together with our city and with all 3 universities we have in our region. Hopefully next year we will have own convention bureau in our city.