Fin-Est Green Corridor memorandum between Estonia and Finland was signed at the sustainable tourism conference Green Destinations
The international sustainable tourism destinations conference Green Destinations 2023 is being held in Tallinn, the European Green Capital 2023. During the conference, a cooperation memorandum for a green corridor between Estonia and Finland was signed. Several Estonian tourism destinations have been part of the Green Destinations network for four years now.
The conference was opened with welcoming remarks from the Mayor of Tallinn, Mihhail Kõlvart. Following this, he, along with the Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen, the ports of both capitals, ship and ferry operators and a representative from the Estonian Ministry of Climate, signed a memorandum for a green corridor that aims for climate-neutral transit.
The primary goal of the memorandum is to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality and sustainable modes of transportation for both passenger and cargo traffic along the sea route between Tallinn and Helsinki.
“It is fitting that the signing of the cooperation memorandum for the green corridor is happening in the year Tallinn holds the title of European Green Capital,” said the Mayor of Tallinn, Mihhail Kõlvart. “The idea of a green corridor aligns with our objective to progress towards a more sustainable city and achieving climate neutrality, as outlined in our Tallinn 2035 strategy. As the European Green Capital, Tallinn is pleased to welcome guests from around the world who are dedicated to sustainable tourism and to acknowledge their efforts. It brings us great pleasure that the inception of the green corridor, a future success story in sustainability, begins at this conference.”
“Green Destinations provides destinations with a great opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of the field and knowledge on when to involve partners to ensure that all the important tasks are completed,” said Director of the Estonian Tourism Board at Enterprise Estonia, Rainer Aavik. “It is crucial that a region can benefit from tourism revenue while also ensuring that the visitor’s experience does not come at the expense of the beautiful Estonian nature or the well-being of local inhabitants. This is why we began offering network support to Estonian destinations as a contractual partner of Green Destinations four years ago. The conference, now hosted in Tallinn, is without a doubt one of the highlights of our partnership.”
The international conference brings together around 240 attendees from 43 different countries around the world in Tallinn. Visitors come from Europe, North America, the Middle East, Central America, Asia and Africa. Over two days, attendees discuss what their destinations around the world can do to enhance their sustainability efforts and how they can guide travellers to notice and acknowledge these solutions. The conference is organised by the Tourism Department of the Tallinn Strategic Management Office (Visit Tallinn) and the Tourism Department of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (Visit Estonia).
The Green Destinations network offers support for planning sustainable development in regions around the world. Estonian destinations that have joined the network include Lahemaa, Rakvere, Tartu, Pärnu, Järva County, Hiiu County and Saare County. International auditors have determined that the highest level of sustainable development can be seen in Lahemaa and Tartu.
According to the network’s auditors, the greatest strength of Estonian destinations lies in their sustainable treatment of natural and cultural heritage in the field of tourism services. An area that could be improved is monitoring, particularly in terms of the well-being of inhabitants, visitors, visitation frequency and data analysis. There is also room for improvement in waste reduction and the adoption of sustainable energy solutions.
