Sport tourism in Finland

Abstract

  Sport tourism, which combines sports and tourism, is expected to contribute to the development of local communities and economies, as well as the promotion of lifelong sports. Overseas, research on sport tourism has been systematically developed, with many studies conducting empirical analysis from the perspective of four types of sport tourism: participation event sport tourism, spectator event sport tourism, active sport tourism, and heritage sport tourism. In Japan, the government has primarily focused on both outdoor sport tourism and budo (martial arts) tourism. However, there is a growing need to explore and develop new types of sport tourism, such as spectator event sport tourism and heritage sport tourism, by utilizing the cultural and historical significance of stadiums and arenas. This highlights the importance of understanding and promoting diverse types of sport tourism to comprehensively advance the field within Japan. Despite this, research systematically examining the four types of sport tourism in Japan remains limited, and case studies focusing on sport tourism outside Japan are even rarer. To address this gap, this report aimed to examine sport tourism in Finland across the four types of sport tourism, based on a field trip conducted in Finland from August to September 2024. Our findings revealed that active sport tourism is the most prominent form of sport tourism in Finland, utilizing the country’s abundant natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, participation and spectator event sport tourism have experienced significant growth in recent years. Moreover, heritage sport tourism is actively promoted through the use of iconic venues such as the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. These findings indicate that Finland effectively leverages four types of sport tourism resources, offering valuable insights for sport tourism development in Japan.