FINLAND | MIKKO LAAKSO 149 1.2. Tourism law as a subject and the national institutions There is no specific act on tourism in Finland. While tourism as a business sector is employing 154,000 people and worth 5,4 billion euros, the main exports are still technology and industry related3. Even though the importance of tourism to the national economy is not to be underestimated and until COVID-19 was growing rapidly, there has been no need to comprise all the possible subsectors of tourism under one act. All the businesses and actors operating in the tourism business must however adhere to several specific national acts, most of which in this case are based on the EU directives protecting consumers. There is no separate ministry dedicated to tourism in Finland. Currently the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment oversees hospitality industry except for the transportation overseen by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication. To this end, the Government has founded Business Finland Oy as a company to work with and assist Finnish companies to grow and establish businesses of all sectors. One of company’s sections is called Visit Finland and it is fully concentrated on marketing Finland as a travel destination in association with travel agencies, tour operators and other members of the hospitality industry in Finland. There are 19 counties in Finland, including autonomous and Swedishspeaking island of Åland situated between Finland and Sweden. Regional State Administrative Agencies (Aluehallintovirastot in Finnish) located around the country are responsible for overseeing businesses operating in their area and controlling among other things alcohol licensing and health and safety procedures in the restaurants. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) is currently responsible for supervision of Finnish tour operators and travel agencies who are obliged to comply with the regulations set forth in the Act on combinations of travel services (901/2017) and the Act on providers of combinations of travel services (921/2017). To this end the FCCA continuously monitors the adequacy of securities lodged by travel agencies as well as the quality of the operations and invoicing practice of registered traders and the scope of their activities. 3 Source: https://www.mara.fi/toimiala/alan-merkitys-kansantaloudelle.html (26.11.2021).
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