Background for the Nordic tourism co-operation 

In 2017 the Nordic Business Ministers (MR-N) decided to prioritise tourism as one of the focus areas for Nordic cooperation. To facilitate increased and a more strategic cooperation at the Nordic level, the ministers decided that a Nordic Tourism Plan should be developed. The Plan for Nordic tourism cooperation 2019-2023 was published in 2019 (The Nordic Tourism Plan). The plan was intended to support national tourism strategies and policies and to address national and regional challenges, while also supporting sustainable growth in the tourism industry in the region.  

In 2016 Nordic tourism policy officials initiated an informal group to strengthen their cooperation on strategic issues in relation to tourism in the region. The group developed the first Nordic Tourism Plan decided on by Nordic Business Ministers (MR-N) in 2017.   

The Nordic Tourism Working Group (NTWG) was formally established in 2019 to oversee implementation of the Nordic Tourism Plan. NTWG was also given a mandate to operationalise the plan and oversee Nordic tourism cooperation in relation to the plan. This includes proposing projects and activities for funding to implement the plan. The group also has a role in developing and proposing policy recommen­dations regarding tourism in the context of The Nordic Council of Ministers. The group reports to the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for the Business Sector (EK-N). Projects and actions proposed by the group are primarily funded through the annual budget of EK-N.  

In 2021, under the Finnish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Business Ministers committed to financing at least 20 MDKK to tourism activities during the period 2021-2024. This commitment has been instrumental in securing financing for the implementation of the plan. 

The Nordic region will be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. This is the ambition of Vision 2030, adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Prime Ministers in August 2019. As the Nordic Council of Ministers renews its strategy for the period 2025-2030, the key strategic goals for Vision 2030 remain unchanged: A green Nordic Region, A Competitive Nordic Region and A Socially Sustainable Nordic Region.  

As part of the renewal of the overall strategic plan for the implemen­tation of Vision 2030, the Nordic Business Ministers have also renewed the strategic priorities for the business sector. The new strategy, or collaboration program, which is aligned with Vision 2030, and endorsed by the Nordic Business Ministers on 4th October 2024, describes the political priorities and objectives for the business sector for the period 2025 – 2030.  The foundation of the new strategy rests on three key strategic objectives; 

The Nordic Tourism Plan is intended to strengthen Nordic tourism cooperation under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Business (MR-N), and thereby enable and ensure sustainable growth in the tourism industry in the region.  

The Nordic Ministers for Business (MR-N) form a part of Nordic Council of Ministers for Sustainable Growth (MR-Growth) and are the highest decision-making body for Nordic co-operation on business policy.  Under the auspices of MR-N, the Nordic co-operation on business policy is facilitated by the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Business Policies (EK-N). In addition, Nordic Innovation, an organisation under the Nordic Council of Ministers, which initiates and funds activities that support MR-N/EK-Ns policy objectives.  

The formal responsibility for implementation of the Nordic Tourism Plan 2025-2030 lies with   MR-N/EK-N. The Nordic Tourism Working Group (NTWG) is established by EK-N and receives its mandate from the committee. NTWG will continue to have the mandate to oversee the implemen­tation of the tourism plan and to co-ordinate activities under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Business (MR-N). Furthermore, the group will facilitate co-ordination between the Nordic countries on issues regarding Nordic tourism and serve as a voluntary advisory group for Nordic commit­tees and organisations on tourism matters. The group will report to MR/EK-N on the implementation of the plan and on achieved results. This includes identifying and proposing necessary analytical work and identifying and proposing projects to be financed.  

The Nordic Tourism Plan 2025-2030 will primarily be put into practice through the annual budget of the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Business Policies (EK-N) and through Nordic Innovation.   

Activities undertaken to implement the plan should complement policies and programmes on tourism, in the countries and create Nordic added value. Initiatives to implement the plan must have clear ownership as well as a clear assignment of responsibility. National ministries responsible for tourism and national tourism institutions/agencies are expected to contribute to the implementation of the plan. Individual countries, i.e., ministries, institutions, and the like, can take a leading role in relation to individual activities and projects.  

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ policy program for Vision 2030 puts particular emphasis on cross sectoral cooperation to achieve synergies and a stronger impact in the implemen­tation of its activities and program­mes. The tourism industry encompasses particularly many inter-sectoral touching points and cross cutting interests, including environmental, cultural, social, and technological considerations. Cross-sectoral co-operation is also crucial to leverage the potential of scaling existing solutions throughout the Nordic tourism industry. The benefits to be gained from cross-sectoral cooperation involving the tourism sector are therefore particularly relevant and important and it is expected that the implementation of the Nordic Tourism Plan will involve significant cross-sectoral initiatives.   

The primary target group for the Nordic Tourism Plan are national authorities, policy makers and government institutions, while keeping a strong focus on tourism enterprises and the industry as the end beneficiary of the plan and its recommendations for actions. A primary objective of the plan is to increase collaboration between public organisations that work within tourism for the benefit of the tourism industry 

Communicating on the role, impact and possibilities of tourism is an important part of increasing public knowledge and raising the political profile of the sector.  Communicating on results achieved through Nordic tourism cooperation and the results of projects and programs set in motion to effect positive change is therefore an important part of operationalising the Nordic Tourism Plan. Communication on the Nordic tourism cooperation communication should take place in collaboration between NTWG and NCM, using the official channels of the Nordic Council of Ministers.   

To support communication on the Nordic tourism collaboration, NTWG has initiated Nordic Tourism Seminars, involving representatives from the industry from all the Nordics. There is also continuous need for increased cooperation and dialogue between the tourism sector, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen knowledge of the meaning and role of tourism in the Nordics and facilitate better policy coordination between different economic sectors, ministries, and other public authorities.  

In 2023, NTWG proposed that Nordic tourism cooperation should be evaluated with the objective of gathering learnings and providing input for improving the cooperation and to give direction for a new Nordic Tourism Plan. The external evaluation was conducted in the fall of 2023 by the Danish consultancy firm Norion Consult. 

Key takeaways from the evaluation are that the Nordic tourism cooperation has been successful in implementing projects in alignment with the Nordic Tourism Plan. According to the findings of the evaluation, the cooperation has yielded significant national and Nordic value, particularly through increased networking and coope­ration, and through contributing to placing the tourism industry on the Nordic political agenda. The evaluation calls for strengthened co-operation on sustainable tourism and encourages NTWG to put more focus on issues related to circular economy and the strategic use of statistics, data, and analysis. The Nordic Tourism Plan for the period 2025 – 2030 draws on valuable insights from the evaluation and builds further on the experience and knowledge exchange developed by NTWG since the start of the Nordic Tourism Collaboration in 2019.