The first International Lake Tourism Conference (held in Savonlinna, Finland, from the 2nd to the 5th of July 2003) was arranged to better understand the implications of lake water as a resource for tourism development, as well as to further the research, planning, management and marketing of lake tourism.

The conference had the following objectives:

1. To gather representatives from both the public and the private sectors interested in the development of sustainable lake tourism;

2. To open new insights into lake tourism from the perspective of a wide range of academic disciplines and tourism businesses alike;

3. To exchange information on and experiences in the best practises in the sustainable planning, development, management and marketing of lake tourism;

4. To enhance international co-operation in lake tourism research and development.

The organizers invited a wide range of actors from the international tourism scene to discuss the value of lakes as a special resource in tourism. The Conference programme also included an exciting social programme to provide the delegates with a taste of nature and cultural delights at the heart of the largest lake district in Europe.

Moreover an integral part of the conference programme was the Business Exhibition, presenting cases on successful lake tourism projects, products and networks.

The Business Exhibition, arranged in conjunction with the Conference at the university campus, served as a bridge between academic tourism research and the tourism industry presenting innovative projects, new products and networks related to lake tourism.

The companies involved were:

• Metsähallitus / Finnish Forest and Park Service
• Saimaan Sydän
• Iloista lomaa Itä-Suomessa / Savonlinnan Matkailupalvelu
• Etelä-Karjalan retkeilyreittiprojekti
• Karttaikkuna
• Savonlinnan ammatti-instituutti / Varpala, natural resources

See also:
| Programme | Picture Gallery | Organisers| Abstracts (registered users only) |