The European Union's Interreg program, The Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA), recently funded a project labeled Regenerative Economic Transfers for Universal Resilience in the North – RETURN.

The project is funded with €1.6 million and will run for three years. By focusing on regenerative tourism practices, the project aims to strengthen community resilience and create sustainable models for the future of tourism in northern Europe.

Rethinking Tourism for the Future

Tourism has become a key driver of economic development in northern regions, but its growth brings significant challenges. A critical issue is the disconnect between tourism revenues and their reinvestment in the destination communities and ecosystems that attract visitors. Often, maintaining infrastructure, services, and environmental protection falls to residents, many of whom are not directly involved in the tourism sector.

“Tourism has incredible potential to be a long-term livelihood for northern communities,” said Ari Laakso, science communicator at Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, and the initiator of the RETURN project. “However, to make this vision a reality, we need systems that ensure tourism supports local communities and protects the natural environment. RETURN is about shaping tourism into a sustainable, mutually beneficial partnership between visitors and host destinations.”

A key goal of the project is to assist local governments and authorities in creating transparent, effective mechanisms that allow tourism revenue to fund essential services, infrastructure, and conservation efforts. This not only ensures that the benefits of tourism are shared equitably but also fosters a sense of participation and accountability among tourists.

The RETURN project aims to pioneer new models of tourism revenue transfers—including different tourism taxes, visitor contributions, and voluntary payments—to ensure that the financial benefits of tourism contribute directly to the common good of the host communities. These models will enable tourists to play an active role in funding the sustainability and resilience of the destinations they visit. “With RETURN, we’re not just talking about how to sustain tourism—we’re ensuring it becomes a driver for positive change in communities and ecosystems,” Laakso added.

The RETURN project consortium brings together leading academic tourism research institutes across the NPA region. The consortium consists of leading tourism experts from Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, and Finland. 


More information: RETURN Project Manager Mr. Ari Laakso, ari.laakso@ulapland.fi, +358(0)40-4844293

Additional material: National Perspectives on the RETURN Project