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The tourism industry is well developed with
potential for growth, as the accommodation
occupation rate is low. Air, rail and road transport
infrastructure is extensive. Modern convention
facilities have contributed to Finland's position as
the thirteenth largest convention destination in
the world. However, the geographical position of
Finland, at a considerable distance from the large
population centres of Europe, means that good
transport connections are crucial for the development
of tourism. The accessibility of the country
could be weakened by the abolition of tax-free sales
in the European Union in 1999, as ferry traffic is
very dependent on these sales. Finland's membership
in the European Union has however opened
up the possibility of using EUfunds for investments
in tourism. The enlargement of the EU
and the political will to integrate Russia into
European cooperation are giving the Baltic Sea
region a higher profile. The increasing tourism
cooperation in the region will benefit Finland.
BENGT PIHLSTRO È M, FINLAND
Finnish University Network for
Tourism Studies
The Finnish University Network for Tourism
Studies �FUNTS) is an operational cooperative
structure among the Finnish universities formed for
the advancement of tourism research and education.
The structure was developed in order to
upgrade the academic standing of tourism studies
and to gain synergetic advantages �best expertise,
innovativeness, cost efficiency, wider spatial
scope) ± or a dynamic multidisciplinary tourism
programme ± for the whole country. This Finnish
network represents a unique education model
which can be implemented elsewhere, especially in
small and/or developing countries.
Institutionalisation of academic tourism studies
emerged in Finland in the late 1980s. Because
limited human resources are available for an
academic thrust committed to tourism, eight
Finnish universities joined force to create the
network located in Savo province but serving the
whole country. The number of participating
universities increased to fourteen in 1997. The
coordination unit of FUNTS is located in Savonlinna
campus of the University of Joensuu.
Annual enrolment is fifty students, who come
from all the fourteen member universities. Every
student stays with her/his own major �e.g.. business
management, anthropology, sociology, economics,
German literature, geography, visual
arts and design ) at her/his own university. The
network programme covers a variety of themes and
methodologies of tourism studies organised into
discipline-oriented and problem-oriented courses.
Students can take up to sixty credits �`study weeks')
arranged at three levels of requirements. The
programme is modular and includes distance
learning �mainly telematic) through intensive
courses and fieldwork. In the classroom and
fieldwork settings the students ± again from
different academic backgrounds and coming from
different regions throughout the country ± meet in
educational situations where advantages of creative
group dynamics are gained. Since the professors
also have different academic backgrounds and
skills, the multidisciplinary scope and nature of the
programme is reinforced.
At present, some thirty Finnish and five to ten
international professors are contributing to this
nationwide tourism education network. The programme
was funded by the Ministry of Education
from the European sources for `less favoured
regions' up to 1999, after which the sixteen
participating universities have jointly supported
and financed the network.
FIU Hospitality Review
FIU Hospitality Review 231
ARVO PELTONEN, FINLAND
FIU Hospitality Review publishes essays on a broad
range of views dealing with all facets of hospitality
and tourism. In general, the journal pays
special attention to those operational issues and
management topics which more closely relate to
hotel and restaurant businesses. First appearing
in 1983, it is published twice yearly by Florida
International University School of Hotel Management
�ISSN 0739±7011).
RENE BARETJE, FRANCE