Background to the project Travel is one of Finland’s largest industries. According to the TEM, Finland’s tourism income in 2018 amounted to approximately EUR 16 billion and the employment effect was 140,000 people. Tourism is now in crisis. In 2020, overnight stays in tourism decreased by 60 per cent in Uusimaa and by 32 per cent in Varsinais-Suomi. Cities in particular have suffered a great deal from the crisis. A large part of the labour force is laid off or unemployed. The company’s cash registers are empty and there must be support for future, very tough competition.The project’s objectivesThe project has two mutually supportive core objectives. Support the recovery and competitiveness of SMEs in the tourism, restaurant and event sectors affected by the pandemic by developing new tourism products of interest to international target groups and supporting their export to the market using digital tools, while at the same time developing the sustainability of businesses and reducing their carbon footprint and creating a competitive advantage.The project is trans-regional in order to maximise the use of resources for tourism development in a broad cooperation. The project is part of a larger project family where other sister projects come from Western and Northern Finland. In addition, the project has an ESF sister project.The project measuresThe project consists of four sub-projects that support each other. All measures target the entire project area.The Helsinki sub-project develops digital operating models of knowledge-based management and develops sustainable and carbon-neutral tourism.Espoo’s sub-project promotes tourism inclusiveness and cybersecurity.Turku’s sub-project focuses on developing new products on top of Finland’s natural strengths, such as cleanliness, safety and looseness. In addition, tourism security will be developed.The project will test new data uses and bring them to tourism companies.The project focuses on development and productisation in partnership with companies and exports of new products to international markets using data and new digital sales channels.The project, in accordance with regional and national strategies, responds well to the regional survival plans of Uusimaa and Southwest Finland, for example by supporting sustainable enterprise renewal. The project is also in line with regional smart specialisation strategies and the Baltic Sea Strategy. The project also supports the urban strategies of the cities involved.In addition, the project is in line with the TEM Tourism Road Map and Visit Finland’s strategy. The project is also in line with the Ministry of Finance’s “Programme for Sustainable Growth in Finland”.Hostural principlesTravel is a female-dominated sector. Although the project is not an equality project, the aim is to take women’s perspectives into account. Tourism is in itself a cross-sectional sector and contributes to equality. Sustainable development is at the heart of the project and is promoted in a variety of ways.