About the Project

The main objective of the project is to co-develop inclusive and year-round service concepts together with tourism and rehabilitation service providers. During the project, the current state of accessible and inclusive tourism and rehabilitation services will be assessed, and the regional knowledge base on accessible travel chains and service ecosystems will be strengthened. In addition, the project supports companies in developing practical, inclusive, and accessible service concepts that can serve a wide range of customer groups throughout the year. The Equal and Accessible Lapland project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funding has been granted by the Regional Council of Lapland. The total project budget is €237,952, of which €190,360 is ERDF funding. The project runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027.

Approximately 16% of the world’s population requires accessible services. When people with temporary accessibility needs are also included, the estimate rises to around 40% (UN Tourism 2026). Travellers with accessibility needs seek the same experiences from their holidays as anyone else. However, people’s functional abilities vary. For some, accessibility is a prerequisite for travel rather than the reason for travelling (Invalidiliitto 2025).

Accessible tourism represents significant untapped potential in Finland and Lapland. For businesses, it offers an opportunity to differentiate themselves and gain a competitive advantage. Developing accessible tourism requires collaboration across sectors and industries, creating opportunities for new partnerships between tourism and rehabilitation service providers as well as third-sector organisations.

The figure below illustrates the collaboration opportunities between the tourism and rehabilitation sectors that have been identified during the project. The project focuses on building cooperation based on nature and wellness tourism, preventive rehabilitation, and the promotion of health and well-being.

An image illustrating the thematic scope and overall structure of the Equal and

Figure 2. Scope of the Equal and Accessible Lapland project and opportunities for collaboration (Kilpeläinen, Kugapi, Hiltunen & Strand 2026).

 

References:

  • Develop inclusive, accessible, and year-round tourism and rehabilitation service concepts together with businesses and target groups.
  • Increase the availability of inclusive and accessible services.
  • Strengthen the competitiveness, vitality, and cooperation of tourism and rehabilitation service providers.

Project activities include:

  1. Assessing the current state of inclusive and accessible tourism and rehabilitation services.
  2. Strengthening stakeholders’ expertise through networking events and development workshops.
  3. Implementing inclusive service pilots through collaboration between the tourism and rehabilitation sectors.

Description: Jenny Kilpeläinen and Ari Hiltunen present the key information about the project, including its objectives, activities, implementation plan, and project team. In Finnish. (14:00)

Equal and Accessible Lapland Project Poster (Finnish)