Baltic Sea Tourism Forum 2024

The 16th Baltic Sea Tourism Forum will take place in Oulu, Finland on 4-5 June 2024.

Baltic Sea Tourism Forum (BSTF) is the annual forum for EUSBSR Policy Area Tourism since 2008. This forum aims to promote dialogue, consensus building and a shared vision of the key challenges of tourism development around the Baltic Sea. BSTF is closely linked to the implementation process of Policy Area Tourism. It contributes strongly to the aims of the macro-regional strategy, the revised action plan and the defined actions adopted by the European Commission like EU Pathway to Tourism. BSTF attracts key tourism stakeholders from BSR, like DMO representatives, regional authorities, local municipalities and pan-Baltic organisations.

Baltic Sea Tourism Forum 2024 – Biking through Culinary & Culture!

The themes of this year’s forum include cultural and culinary tourism, cycling, and coastal tourism. Attendees can expect inspiring keynotes, interesting case examples from the Baltic Sea Region, great networking opportunities, and the chance to explore the beautiful city of Oulu, which is the European Capital of Culture 2026!

EUSBSR Policy Area Tourism is hosting the #BSTF2024 with support from: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, City of Oulu, Visit Finland, Visit Oulu and Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

GENERAL INFORMATION AND VENUES

Please note that participation in the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum is for free, but the participants must organise their travel and accommodation. Registration must be confirmed by the 20 May 2024.

Pre- and post-tours are self-paid for the participants.
For special prices for the accommodation, scroll below.
Please note, that the Forum organizers do not issue VISA support letters to the participants.

BSTF2024 venue

Nordic Art Hotel Lasaretti
Kasarmintie 13b, 90130 Oulu

Get-Together venue 3 June 18:00

Design Center PROTO
Pikisaarentie 17, 90100 OULU

Starting point of the guided walking tour through Oulu City center
4 June 17:00

Franzén Park
Next to the Oulu Cathedral

Evening reception venue 4 June 19:00

Oulun lyseon lukio
Kajaaninkatu 3, 90100 Oulu

TRAVEL INFORMATION AND ACCOMMODATION

Arrival & transport

Oulu is easy to access with different types of transport. Oulu airport is easy to access with a direct Finnair flight from Helsinki and Lufthansa flight from Munich. Trains and buses take you to Oulu from all around Finland many times a day.

Flight connections:
Finnair
Lufthansa

Train connections: VR

Bus connections: Matkahuolto

From Oulu airport you can easily travel to the city center by public transport or taxi. In the center of Oulu, the best way to get around is by walking, cycling or public transport.

Route planner for public transport

Accommodation

BSTF participants have special rates at the following hotels. Please note that there are limited amount of rooms with the special rates.

Hotel Lasaretti (BSTF venue)
Special rate for BSTF2024 participants during 3.-5.6.2024
135€/night/single room
145€/night/twin room
To get the special rate, reservations must be made latest 6.5.2024, by email: lasaretti@lasaretti.com or by phone: +358 20 7574 700

Sokos Hotel Arina
Special rate for BSTF2024 participants during 3.-5.6.2024
125€/night/single room
145€/night/twin room
To get the special rate, reservations must be made latest 4.5.2024, from website www.sokoshotels.fi with promocode BSTF2024, by email: sales.oulu@sokoshotels.fi or by phone: +358 8 312 3111

Lapland Hotels Oulu
Special rate for BSTF2024 participants during 3.-5.6.2024
148€/night/single room
168€/night/twin room
To get the special rate, reservations must be made latest 10.5.2024 from website Lapland Hotels Oulu with promocode ALLBSTF2024, by email: sales.oulu@laplandhotels.com or by phone: +358 8 880 100

Radisson Blu Hotel Oulu
Special rate for BSTF2024 participants during 3.-5.6.2024
143€/night/single room
163€/night/twin room
To get the special rate, reservations must be made latest 27.5.2024 from website Radisson Blu Hotel Oulu with promocode BSTF24, by email: sales.oulu@radissonblu.com or by phone: +358 20 1234 730

Nallikarin Aalto
Special rate for BSTF2024 participants during 2.-7.6.2024
Hiekka standard 132€/night/single room
Hiekka standard 144€/night/twin room
Kuura superior 153 €//night/single room
Kuura superior 164 €/night/twin room
To get the special rate, reservations must be made latest 17.5.2024 from website Nallikarin Aalto – Nallikari with promocode BSTF2024.

OULU

Meet Oulu, that quirky northern city by the sea.

This is a home of people who like to choose their own path and do things differently. We are the ones who created the modern mobile technology and are forerunners in 6G. The ones who made up the peculiar Air Guitar World Championship to promote the message of world peace, and are now nominated as the European Capital of Culture 2026. In Oulu, life is an adventure, filled with rich tones of creativity and the magic of pure northern nature. We welcome everyone like an old friend, so please come and enjoy the laid-back, creative atmosphere of our beautiful seaside city. More information: Visit Oulu

Weather in Oulu

In June the weather is mostly sunny, and the daytime temperature is usually about +15°C. As we are located by the Bothnian Bay, the weather in early summer can also be cool and rainy. For this reason, we recommend you pack warm clothing and an umbrella. At night it does not get dark, so you have a special opportunity to enjoy the bright nights.

More information on weather in Oulu