Developing Senior Tourism in Remote Regions (TOURAGE)

The Regional Council of North Karelia is regional, politically guided, municipal coalition which supervises the regional interest as well as guides the regional development and planning. It is owned by 14 municipalities and it employs around 45 persons. The highest decision-making body of region is the Assembly of the Regional Council whose members are elective members of the municipal councils. Executive functions are carried out by the Board which is elected by the Assembly.

The work of the Regional Council is intersectoral; it cooperates between different administrative sectors, organizations, business life and inhabitants. It outlines regional development targets, key projects and measures through the regional planning system which consists of

• regional development plan
• regional strategic programme and
• regional land use plan.

Regional Council of North Karelia is responsible for general coordination of regional development programmes related to national and EU structural funds. In the EU funding period of 2007-2013 Council is in charge of the implementing the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Programme of Eastern Finland in North Karelia and the European Social Fund (ESF) Operational Programme of mainland Finland, regional section of Eastern Finland in North Karelia. The Council is also implementing the ENPI Karelia CBC Programme in cooperation with other programme regions.

The main strategies are Regional Strategic Programme 2030 and Regional Development Programme POKAT 2014 which also guides the tourism development of the region. More detailed tourism development strategy is “North Karelia Tourism Strategy 2007-2013” which is thematic sub-programme of the POKAT 2014. Regional Council of North Karelia compiles the strategy with other regional stakeholders and it has been approved by the Board of the Regional Council. The implementation is guided by the Regional Council and Karelia Expert Tourism Service Ltd.