Regenerative tourism rooted in the local

Benjamin Donner

Archipelago National Park, Finland

Architect of Regenerative Archipelago Tourism

Benjamin Donner has spent his entire career shaping sustainable tourism in Finland’s vast and fragile archipelago. From his roles as Tourism Director in the Finnish Archipelago, leading his company Aavameri Sea Kayaking, and helping other companies locally, nationally and internationally, he has become a recognized voice in sustainable product development that supports local growth. Benjamin lectures internationally and is widely awarded — both nationally and across the Baltic Sea region — for his innovative, authentic, and sustainability-driven tourism concepts. Through his “Tourism with a Purpose” philosophy, he has shown that tourism can do more than sustain — it can regenerate. His approach attracts a growing community of travellers who seek deep, meaningful experiences and actively contribute to the places they visit—culturally, ecologically, and economically.

In this presentation, Benjamin explores the complex interplay between opportunity and risk in the Finnish Archipelago Sea—a globally unique landscape of over 20,000 islands, home to the Archipelago National Park and the UNESCO Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve. With only about 150 islands inhabited year-round, the region’s future depends heavily on tourism, which is at once its largest employer and most visible risk factor. How can tourism avoid draining life from the places it claims to support? Benjamin shares lessons from decades of experience, demonstrating how inviting visitors into authentic encounters with people, landscapes, and local realities can help reshape tourism into a force that strengthens—not threatens—fragile communities.  His presentation offers practical insights and real-world examples of how to turn tourism into a place-positive force — a source of belonging, continuity, and hope for coastal and island communities.

Salik Parbst Frederiksen

Local Greenland, Greenland

Tourism Shaped by Local Voices

At Local Greenland, we believe the future of tourism should be locally driven. Real experiences come from the people who know the culture, the traditions, and the everyday life of our communities.

That’s why we hire locally. Each individual brings knowledge and perspective that can’t be taught elsewhere. They shape how visitors experience Greenland, making it more authentic and meaningful.

Over time, this has become part of our identity. In Local Greenland we’re amplifying local voices and showing that the most sustainable future in tourism is one built by the people who live here.