Since the beginning the tourism in Salla started from traditions and daily life of Salla. Our activities are based on things people tended to do. We marked the trails and tracks for our visitors not to get lost. The ski slopes were started by locals to have a place where to ski down hill and now they are also for our visitors to enjoy.
We have allready seen changes on the weather and the climate. And to slow down the changes we have put up the speed and increased the actions on behalf of our nature and invironment.
For us in Salla, it is important for us to take care of our main attraction and our partner; nature. Work for saving the environment and nature has been
done for a long time and for the locals who have lived with and from the nature the enviromentally friendly thinking is already deep in their genes. During the past
few years, we have invested really heavily in environmental issues, and as results we have got new recycling points in the area eg. a plastic collection point. Today,
the Salla Ski Resort runs entirely on eco-electric and also rents out e-fatbikes and an electric car refueled with eco-electric. Many of our companies are applying for
their own environmental certifications, and the first ones have already been achieved when Sallatunturi Tuvat, Salla Reindeer Park and Keloravintola received their own
Green Key certificates at the end of 2019. Keloravintola was first Green Key-certified restaurant in Finland! Salla has also been a pilot in the Finnish Sustainable Travel Destination Finland -program, and Salla Reindeer Park and Sallatunturi Tuvat are already marked on the STF lists. We have also made our own customer and environmental promises, according to which we will work in the future. The promises can be read below, and more detailed information can be found on our website under responsible tourism.
The Salla customer promise
The people working in tourism in Salla have prepared a ten-point customer promise which determines the values of Salla and guides the actions of the locals.
1. Purity
- We preserve our pure nature so that you can continue to breathe the cleanest air in the world and enjoy fresh water
- We inform you about the purity of the air and the quality of the water in Salla and how we define this
- We inform you about how to behave in nature and take it into consideration
2. Local
- We prefer local products and offer local food and expertise
- Our employees know how to tell you about all things local
- We prefer local products and producers
3. Climate
- We take care of our common climate
- We operate using energy and water efficiently
- We get around and offer the possibility of getting around with low emissions:
- We sort and recycle efficiently. We work to start bio-waste sorting in Salla.
- We are working to make railways available in the future for freight and passenger transport
- We manage our forests sustainably and maintain our carbon sinks
4. Local nature
- We offer experiences in the local nature
- We offer local berries, mushrooms, wild game, fish, and herbs
- The drinking water is primarily Salla’s fresh tap water
- We will guide you to visit the local nature and our nearby trails are within easy reach
- Excursions are led by a guide who tells about the nature and how to visit it, as well as the history and traditions
- We develop our accessibility
- We develop tourism that respects nature
5. Animals
- For us it is a matter of honour to take good care of our animals
- We monitor the well-being of our animals and treat them appropriately
- We welcome our guests to meet our flourishing animals in an authentic environment
6. Food
- We offer clean, traditional, and local food
- We offer food from the local area and products from small producers
- With food we respect local traditions and ingredients
- We also offer vegetarian food
- We reduce food waste
7. Security and trust
- The people from Salla are as good as their word — we take care of you!
- We guide guests to get to local destinations easily and safely
- Every company informs how to get around safely and how, for example, to prepare for excursions. Our guides also receive continuous training on safety issues
8. Responsible choices
- Salla tourism operators commit to responsible procurement and practices
- We procure responsibly and require responsible activities from our partners
We stop using plastic bags and disposable plastic containers
9. Cultural heritage and stories
- We promise to live with pride in Salla like our mothers and grandfathers, with respect for nature and history, and we will welcome you as a part of this
10. Communication
- We communicate actively, openly, and truthfully
