D.O.Saimaa ja Saimaa Academy of Gastronomy – Network development and learning

Food tourism in the South Savo region has been nationally recognized as pioneering, high-quality and innovative. One prominent factor has been Finland's first mark of origin, D.O. Saimaa (D.O. The Saimaa Designation of Origin), which has gained a strong foothold in the food tourism of the entire Saimaa region. However, remaining a leading area in food tourism requires continuous investment in the development of experiential and sustainable food tourism products, utilizing research data and bringing them to the market.
The goal of the project is to sustainably raise food tourism to the most important attraction factor for tourism in the Saimaa region. The goal is achieved by developing the D.O. Saimaa network and connecting it to tourism, by productizing food tourism, by increasing the skills that come through the Saimaa Academy of Gastronomy learning network, and by means of research information that supports food tourism.
The measures of the project are divided into three work packages, which together form the whole of research, learning and development & innovation:
WORK PACKAGE 1 DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION: Productization, marketing and sales promotion of Saimaa's sustainable food tourism experiences - Development by learning (btoc)
WORK PACKAGE 2 LEARNING: Building, piloting, branding and promotion of a business-oriented, international-level learning environment - Saimaa Academy of Gastronomy
WORK PACKAGE 3 RESEARCH: Producing research data to support the development of sustainable food tourism in Saimaa.
As a result of the project, companies in the food tourism industry have strengthened with the development and introduction of new sustainable, customer-oriented and experiential food tourism products. The tangible results are sustainable, experiential food tourism products, expansion of the D.O. Saimaa network, growth in product demand and top food tourism know-how. The project is a joint project of the University of Helsinki's Ruralia Institute and the National Library and the Mikkeli Region Tourism Association, which is financed by the South Savo Regional Council / Just Transition Fund (JTF), the municipalities of the Mikkeli region and the implementing organizations of the project with self-financing.