National FIT ME! project develops mobility services for individual domestic and international travellers in order to improve service level and increase accessibility of destinations. The aim is to create new types of tourism mobility services and export business that utilize digitalisation.
Finland’s tourism assets for international travellers are remote destinations, nature, and nature experiences. Their importance has increased during the corona pandemic.
However, in sparsely populated areas, accessing nature attractions without your own car is difficult. For international travellers in particular, finding alternative modes of transport and travel chains connecting different modes of transport can be impossible in the current situation. Relevant information on, for example, travel modes, timetables and services at the destination is fragmented across a number of different websites and services.
The project will test new traveller and tourism-based mobility concepts as part of the solution development work. The aim is to create real-time and location-based service packages so that tourists have access to, for example, a route guide that combines tourism services with mobility services, as well as an easy way to book and pay for long-haul and local journeys, as well as various services in the area.
Fell Lapland, the Turku archipelago and the Kuusamo region all face the same challenge. Finnish nature is unique, but tourism mobility is challenging. For this reason, these are great areas in which to test new service concepts.
Consortium
The project is coordinated by VTT, which is one of Europe’s leading research institutes, owned by the Finnish state. FIT ME! project is part of VTT’s broader strategic research, which aims at low-carbon and smart mobility solutions as part of a carbon-neutral economy.
The University of Lapland is the research partner in the project. The University of Lapland creates new knowledge, skills and expertise on behalf of the north, for the world. The Multidimensional Tourism Institute (MTI) is a special unit of the university having a remarkable role in promoting one of the strategic choices – sustainable tourism.
The business partners involved in the project are:
- Beyond Arctic Oy, a photography tour and small-group adventure operator in Rovaniemi.
- Bout Oy Ab, the platform for finding and providing boat rides.
- KovaKoodarit Oy, a software development company providing tailored solutions, also for tourism.
- Oy Matkahuolto Ab, a Finnish service and marketing company for bus transport offering multimodal travel chains on a one-stop-shop principle.
- iQ Payments Oy, a smart multimodal Ticketing as a Service platform that integrates different services.
- Sitowise Oy, a Nordic expert in the built environment with a strong focus on digitality designing smart cities, smooth travelling and spaces for living.
The project is seeking for new business partners as well.
Other partners in the project are:
- Business Finland finances the FIT ME! ecosystem project. Business Finland is the Finnish government organization for innovation funding and promoting trade, travel and investment in Finland.
- Traffic Management Company Fintraffic Oy, a state-owned company that controls and manages traffic on the land, in the air and at sea. The traffic information provided by the company helps business to create new mobility solutions for people and goods.
- Northeast Finland Development Company Naturpolis Oy, a business development company owned by the city of Kuusamo and the municipality of Taivalkoski. Tourism industry is very important in the area.
- Fell Lapland Development Association, a regional organization that develops the entire region and promotes cooperation between national and international stakeholders. The future growth potential of the region relies heavily on tourism.
- Visit Naantali, develops and markets tourism in the region, and its main goal is to secure and improve the accessibility of businesses in the region.
- Turku Science Park Oy, a joint development company of the Turku region cooperating closely regionally, nationally and internationally with all business stakeholders.
- the City of Parainen, is an island city covering a large area of the Archipelago. Visit Parainen is the tourism unit of the city of Parainen developing and marketing tourism in the region together with the industry.
- Kemiönsaari Municipality, is a bilingual archipelago municipality located in Southwest Finland. Visit Kemiönsaari is the organization of the municipality that develops the region’s tourism industry and markets the destination.
