Scientific Tourism (SCITOUR) is a development project aiming at creating a new tourism concept combining science and tourism. The products created through the project are promoted using the brand name “Wonder Seekers”. 

The website was launched in an Arctic Café discussion event in Rovaniemi, as part of the Arctic Design Week program. The panelists were project manager Ari Laakso from Arctic Centre, Antti Kurola from his own tourism company and university teacher Anna-Emilia Haapakoski from Multidimensional Tourism Institute.

– Companies always have their communication, marketing and investment strategies. In SCITOUR, we aim to help tourism companies to develop their content strategies, Laakso says.

According to Antti Kurola, the travel business now needs to know which direction to choose after pandemic. The customer segments are now on the move. Anna-Emilia Haapakoski pointed out that there is not always a need to travel far. Also closer to home one can go deeper and learn new things. Ari Laakso stressed the importance of research-based knowledge for travel companies.

The new Wonder Seekers brand is targeted for customers and companies: www.wonderseekers.com. The project is funded by EU Northern Periphery and Arctic program with basic project information in website scitour.interreg-npa.eu.

Together with the Arctic Centre, the main partners are the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, the University of Iceland and Greenland National Museum. The duration of the project is two years and it runs until September 2022.

Project presentation video in YouTube

More information:
Project Manager Ari Laakso
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
ari.laakso(at)ulapland.fi
+358 (0) 404844293