Natural resources need turning into products

– Despite the fact that the region has an abundance of natural resources: forests, lakes, rivers and the largest Marine National Park in Finland, their use in product development is still weak, says Dr. Sanna-Mari Renfors from SAMK.

There are innovative ideas for creating competitive and versatile offerings.  In reality, though, the micro entrepreneurs do not have enough resources to convert them into packages or day trips.

Dr. Renfors has interviewed 34 experts when they prepared the regional nature-based tourism development plan to Satakunta region, Finland. The findings suggest that the most demand-oriented nature-related tourism products are fishing, canoeing and birdwatching activities. The various waters are also considered as a blue gym and a source of wellbeing.

– Tourists want to learn from nature and in nature, they want to hear and feel the sea. The findings also stressed that products, especially activities, should better match to different target groups’ needs based on their duration, difficulty level and time of the year.