UEF Ruunaa Hiking Area Project Course with Metsähallitus
The University of Eastern Finland's Ruunaa Hiking Area Project Course is a being offered in Fall 2024 in partnership between the UEF Master's Degree Programme in Tourism Marketing and Management and Metsähallitus, or Parks & Wildlife Finland, the Finnish state-owned enterprise that manages and protects state-owned land and water areas in Finland sustainably while reconciling the different goals of owners, customers and other stakeholders under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Project Summary
The Project Work in Tourism - Metsähallitus: Ruunaa Hiking Area Course will run from October to December 2024 and will be delivered using a combination of on-site learning, field trips, and remote instruction via MS Teams. The course will provide students with an opportunity to work in small peer groups to explore the strategies and considerations involved in enhancing the attractiveness of the Ruunaa Hiking Area, a small nature-based tourism destination, for potential investors.
By examining the unique challenges and opportunities faced by such destinations, students will gain insights into the factors that contribute to successful investment in the context of sustainable nature-based tourism.Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
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Understand and explain the procedures of a project, from planning to final reporting,
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Utilize basic project management tools, plan, schedule, implement, report, and monitor a business-related project,
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Adjust to challenges of strict schedules while engaging in collaborative problem solving with peers, and
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Take and share responsibilities.
The Project Work in Tourism - Metsähallitus: Ruunaa Hiking Area Course will be comprised of four main content areas:
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Planning and organizing the project work to achieve specific project goals,
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Communicating within the project group as well as to the external stakeholders (Metsähallitus,local Economic Development and Destination Marketing Organizations, tourism SMEs and entrepreneurs, etc.),
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Research and knowledge synthesis, and
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Contributing to the end reporting of the project in a profession manner (producing a high-quality final report, and final presentations to external stakeholders.
The Project Work in Tourism - Metsähallitus: Ruunaa Hiking Area Course will be executed using the following methods: active participation in a real-life research or development project, in which the student has a defined role with defined responsibilities, project documentation, and is evalutioned pass / fail based on the course plan.
Students will be supported in completing the Project Work in Tourism - Metsähallitus: Ruunaa Hiking Area Course with a collection of literature on project management, case project specific academic and industry literature, a course Moodle website, and course MS Teams Platform for peer collaboration.
Ruunaa Hiking Area
The Ruunaa Hiking Area is located east of the Joensuu-Lieksa-Nurmes highway (National Road 73). It is 30 km from Lieksa, 84 km from Nurmes and 120 km from Joensuu to Ruunaa.
Ruunaa Hiking Area Trails
There are about 50 km of marked trails in Ruunaa Hiking Area, ranging from 3 to 31 kilometers in length, and from accessible (easy and demanding) to easy, intermediate and demanding (non-accessible) trails. For hikers looking for a long-distance through hike, the Karhunpolku Trail (133 km), which runs from Kuhmo to Patvinsuo National Park through Ruunaa Hiking Area, is ideal.
The accessible Neitikoski trail (600 m) starts from the Neitikoski parking area and runs on a stone ash covered trail for the first 200 m and then on a plank trail. The first section of the trail is rated as difficult and the plank trail is easy. Along the trail, there are rest stops, two campfire sites and two scenic lookout platforms next to the Neitikoski rapids. An accessible dry toilet is located at the starting point of the trail in the Neitikoski parking area.
Additional hiking structures and services are provided on non-accessible trails, including 5 lean-to shelters and campfire sites. Their locations are marked on the map below. There are also recycling points and dry toilets provided at parking sites, and close to all lean-to-shelters and campfire sites.
Project Work and Course Design
Designed in conjunction with staff from Metsähallitus, students will be briefed on the course learning outcomes and possible projects, and will be introduced to industry and community stakeholders in Week 1. Consultation groups will be formed based on 3 Minute Pitches in which students will explain why they are best suited to contribute to a specific project based on prior learning, skills, knowledge, and work history. Groups will then join breakout rooms to assign roles and responsibilities, and create a project specific Group Work Contract.
This course schedule includes:
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Week 1: Project Kick Off Meetings & Formation of Consultation Groups
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Week 2: Project Stand Up Meeting & Site Visit
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Week 3: Project Stand Up Meeting & Guest Lecture
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Week 4: Project Stand Up Meeting
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Week 5: Project Stand Up Meeting
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Week 6: Project Stand Up Meeting
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Week 7: Project Stand Up Meeting
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Week 8: Project Stand Up Meeting
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Week 9: Project Stand Up Meeting & Presentations to Stakeholders
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Week 10: Project Reports Due
The Project Work in Tourism - Metsähallitus: Ruunaa Hiking Area Course will be executed using the following methods: weekly projectmeetings, a site visit, active participation in a real-life research and development project, in which the student has defined roles andresponsibilities, project documentation, and evalutions.
Ruunaa Hiking Area Project Description
Project Description
The Attracting Investors and Project Developers to Protected Areas Project will explore the delicate balance between sustainable tourism development and investor attraction in the context of a small nature-based destination, the Ruunaa Hiking Area, and its gateway communities. Students will work in a small consultancy group and will utilize a mixture of a site visit and on-site informational interviews, academic sources, industry reports, and relevant case studies, to support their research, and to achieve key deliverables.
Assignment Objectives
Utilizing a sustainable and regenerative tourism lens, and considering environmental, socio-cultural, and economic sustainability in the recommendations it puts forward, the student consultancy group will choose two or more case studies of successful small nature-based tourism destinations that have attracted significant investor interest, and compare and contrast these cases with the Ruunaa Hiking Area and its gateway communities, drawing lessons and insights from best practice examples to make actionable recommendations to representatives from Metsähallitus and other external stakeholders, including regional developers from the area.
The objectives of the Attracting Investors and Project Developers to Protected Areas Project are to:
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Provide a concise overview of the Ruunaa Hiking Area, including details such as location, geographical features, existing tourism infrastructure, existing visitation levels, and the current state of tourism development;
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Analyze the existing infrastructure of the destination and gateway communities, including transportation, accommodation, and amenities and identify assets for infrastructure preservation, renewal and redevelopment.
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Identify and describe industry best practices for sustainable infrastructure development in parks and protected areas, from economic, socio-cultural, and environmental perspectives;
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Identify potential threats to the intrinsic character and amenity value of small nature-based tourism destinations, and gateway communities, presented by unsustainable development approaches, including socio-cultural and environmental concerns, economic risks, and adverse impacts on community cohesion and the quality of life of local residents; and,
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Examine the role of the local community in driving tourism development and attracting investors.
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Identify and describe the investment opportunities available in the Ruunaa Hiking Area, including accommodation, adventure activities, guided tours, sustainable infrastructure, conservation projects, and more;
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Assess how improvements in accessibility and infrastructure can contribute to making the destination more attractive to investors; and,
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Identify potential challenges that investors might face when considering the destination, including environmental concerns, regulatory hurdles, and economic risks.
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Determine who the optimal potential investors for Ruunaa Hiking Area, and its gateway communities, are and why they should invest in tourism development in the destination;
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Explore any incentives, grants, or policies put forth by local governments or relevant organizations to encourage investment in sustainable nature-based tourism; and,
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Propose mitigation strategies for identified challenges and obstacles to investment, including identifying actionable recommendations, designing an appropriate implementation plan, and outlining next step.
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The Attracting Investors and Project Developers to Protected Areas Project deliverables include a high-quality final report, and professional final presentation to representatives from Metsähallitus and other external stakeholders (see Final Presentation Assignment Description).
