Novia strengthens its commitment to regenerative tourism with four new projects
Novia University of Applied Sciences is taking the next step in its work toward more sustainable and resilient tourism in the Baltic Sea region. Through four new projects in regenerative tourism, Novia aims to create positive impacts for nature, culture, and local communities while also offering new opportunities for small businesses and destinations to grow.
Regenerative tourism is a key approach for building vibrant local communities and promoting sustainable regional development. By going beyond traditional sustainability and focusing on positive, restorative outcomes, tourism can help strengthen nature, culture, and the economy, while opening new possibilities for small enterprises and destinations.
Novia is the lead organisation in the projects Interreg BSR Light in the Dark, Interreg BSR RegenT, and Regenerative Rural Tourism in Ostrobothnia, and a partner in the project Carbon Neutral Experience 3.0. The four new projects are being implemented in Ostrobothnia, Uusimaa, the Turku archipelago, and in nine other European countries.
The projects follow the quintuple helix model, which brings together rural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), destination organisations, municipalities, civil society, and sustainability perspectives. The Quintuple Helix forms the core of the research methodology at Novia’s Buiness Administration. This innovation model—linking higher education, industry, and the public sector (Triple Helix), complemented by civil society (Quadruple Helix) and sustainability dimensions (Quintuple Helix)—creates a platform for innovation and knowledge exchange that is particularly valuable for the development of our coastal and rural regions.
“We make use of the innovation emerging from the projects in nine countries and apply practical tools and methods locally in all the regions where we operate. Regenerative tourism starts with the local community and aims to address its challenges. It is more than sustainable tourism—rather than merely reducing negative impacts, we focus on positive and regenerative outcomes,” explains James Simpson, Team Leader for Regenerative Tourism at Novia.
Upcoming activities – let’s extend the season together!
The regional projects will host workshops and seminars in spring 2026, and registration is already open for the international webinars:
1) Turning the Off-Season into New Opportunities
When: 27 January 2026, 15:00–16:30
For: Destination organisations and development companies
Content: Practical marketing tools, campaign results, SME examples, and insights from pilots
Organiser: Light in the Dark project
Register here: https://network.novia.fi/Events/353/Apply
2) Embrace Off-Season and Grow Your Sales
When: 5 February 2026, 14:00–16:00
For: Entrepreneurs
Organizer: Light in the Dark project
Content: Inspiration from entrepreneurs, concrete tools from the project, and hands-on sales tips for the low season
Register here: https://network.novia.fi/Events/357/Apply
For more information, contact
- Novia University of Applied Sciences, Team Leader James Simpson james.simpson@novia.fi, +358 50 466 12 30