Cross-border collaboration can strengthen sustainable cultural tourism

Strong and durable collaboration between cultural actors and tourism stakeholders across Northern Sweden and Northern Finland could play an important role in strengthening regional development in the Bothnian Arc. This conclusion is presented in a new white paper produced within the ACCENT project, a cross-border collaboration between the University of Oulu, Luleå University of Technology, LTU Business, and the Oulu Culture Foundation.

The white paper, Opening pathways to sustainable cultural tourism in the North, presents evidence-based insights from the ACCENT project on how culture-led tourism can support sustainable regional development across Northern Sweden and Northern Finland.

“Cultural tourism can support regional resilience in the North, but only when it is developed through cooperation that respects local conditions and long-term regional goals,” says Saila Saraniemi, Professor of Brand Marketing at the University of Oulu Business School.

Strong cultural assets

Northern Sweden and Finland are undergoing rapid transformation. Alongside traditional industries such as mining and forestry, cultural and creative activities are becoming increasingly important sources of livelihood. At the same time, climate change and demographic change are placing growing pressure on local communities, particularly in rural and remote areas.

The white paper shows that despite rich cultural resources and strong creative competence, many initiatives remain small-scale and isolated. Cultural actors often lack access to business support and tourism markets, while tourism development is frequently planned separately from cultural policy. This separation limits cooperation and makes it difficult for initiatives to continue beyond individual projects.

“Many promising local initiatives lose momentum when project funding ends, and cross-border cooperation is still constrained by differences in governance and support systems,” says Jeandri Robertson, Associate Professor of Industrial Marketing at Luleå University of Technology.

Sustainability and cultural integrity

The white paper draws on regional mapping of cultural and tourism activities, policy analysis in Finland and Sweden, and 25 in-depth interviews conducted with actors working across culture, tourism, policy, and indigenous and regional contexts.

Rather than promoting growth through mass tourism, the report emphasises approaches that prioritise sustainability and cultural integrity. It argues that cultural tourism is most viable when it is co-designed with local communities and, where relevant, guided by Sámi perspectives, ensuring that development remains aligned with environmental limits and cultural values.

The report outlines several directions for action. It highlights the need to strengthen skills and confidence among cultural practitioners who wish to engage with tourism, to create spaces where cultural and tourism actors can develop a shared understanding of each other’s work, and to improve continuity through funding mechanisms that allow cooperation to mature over time. It also points to the role of intermediary functions that help connect cultural practice with tourism operations, particularly in cross-border settings.

Toward a shared Northern future

The white paper highlights the opportunity to articulate a shared Northern identity that reflects contemporary cultural life rather than relying on simplified or outdated narratives of the Arctic. By strengthening dialogue across the border, cultural and tourism actors can work toward ways of presenting the region that feel credible to residents and meaningful to visitors.

The authors conclude that cultural tourism can contribute to economic renewal and social cohesion when it is embedded in long-term cooperation and guided by local knowledge. With stronger coordination across the border, culture-led tourism has the potential to support resilient communities across Northern Sweden and Northern Finland

• The whitepaper in full text