and loss of the competitive resources Finnish tourism is dependent on.
STD must be carried out within the framework of a more general sustainable development.
This means that the heterogeneity of the tourism industry must be managed, partnership
models created and common sustainability goals set up, although the industry consists of actors
from different industries, actors of different types, and the planning is on different levels
(Middleton & Hawkins, 1998). Although the actors in our study found the environmental aspects
important, it was not enough to compel the STD process forward. The environmental
legislation of today is not too demanding from a company perspective and tourists do not seem
to put much pressure on companies either. What can then facilitate (or guide) the development?
The results presented in this article give us one solution. It seems obvious that the project
leaders, who work in daily contact with the tourism companies can influence and support the
companies in their development processes. What is now needed is a training session directed
at the project leaders. The basic principles of STD should be well known among the project
leaders who should get further support from other actors involved in tourism, or actors who
find an interest in a blooming tourism industry.
Widespread and comprehensive changes in society and companies require that all central
building blocks are in order. The suggestion presented must therefore be interpreted in a
broader context. Active project leaders is only one building block in a success formula. Brown
and Essex (1997) demonstrate in their paper that the success of sustainable tourism strategies
is dependent on political support, appropriate organizational structures, and adequate funding.
Especially the last building block seems to be a critical one when STD in Finland is studied.
Small tourism companies have limited capital assets, which inevitably means that the pace
at which STD is carried out is longer, or in the worst case not at all initiated. Limited funding
is nothing unique to Finland, but is a fact in most Nordic countries (Nyberg, 1995; Wanhill,
1997). It is therefore not surprising that tourism companies are especially interested in environmental
practice which will produce immediate benefits (Stabler & Goodal, 1997). Tactical
operations which can help tourism companies to survive are therefore of course important,
but the long-term planning and strategic issues must not be forgotten.