Protecting the environment, people and the local community
The north is our home, and we nurture it in all our operations. Sustainable operations are close to our heart. We value the fragile nature of Lapland and our local communities. In addition to the environment, it is important to us to look after people – our staff and customers alike. We develop our corporate responsibility continuously and seek new ways to improve our operations
Looking after our staff
To us, skilled, engaged, motivated, goal-oriented and satisfied personnel are the key. We invest in good management and measures designed to promote commitment to our operating culture. Our HR management is based on compliance with laws and regulations, and we determine our wages on the basis of the applicable collective agreements.
It is important to us that our personnel enjoy a sense of well-being at work and in their free time. We promote our employees’ professional skills through extensive workplace induction and training. We invest in our staff’s well-being by supporting sport and other leisure activities.
Looking after our customers
To us, responsibility for the safety of our customers is the cornerstone of our operations. We also believe it is important to enable our customers to act in a responsible manner and to make sustainable choices when they use our services.
We continuously develop safety in our operations and implement new services to improve it. In our accommodation services, we use the PRO24.fi safety management system. We take great care to arrange annual safety training courses and inspections by authorities. In addition to internal checks, our restaurants are part of the public Oiva reporting system for inspections by health inspectors.
In terms of slope services, the safety of our customers is safeguarded by our employees, who attend annual safety training. We develop our snow and slope safety continuously. On the slopes, our customers’ safety is ensured by safety instructions and signs.
BALANCED RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE
We look after our natural surroundings and strive to foster a balanced relationship with nature by protecting the Arctic environment. We continuously develop new, environmentally friendly ways of operating.
We closely monitor our energy consumption in our accommodation services and we have adopted several practices that help us reduce energy consumption. Some of our hotels have installed a pellet heating system and we avoid using single-use packaging whenever possible. All of our hotels have charging stations for electric cars for our guests to use.
At our hotels and in all of our other operations, we use green electricity that is generated using 100% water, wind or bioenergy. The use of green energy instead of standard electricity at our hotels alone reduces our CO2e emissions by 4,000 tonnes a year.
Minimising food wastage at our restaurants is an important part of our sustainability work. Naturally, we recycle bottles and kitchens fats.
As our ski slope services operate in extremely sensitive natural surroundings, the significance of sustainable operations is emphasised. The fuels and lubricants we use are the most environmentally friendly options available. We use oil separation equipment and oil-free air compressors in our snowmaking operations. We optimise the runs using our snow groomers and minimise the use of lights on the slopes. In addition, we participate in the Green DMN and Motiva’s Energy-Efficient ski centre projects.
We support the circular economy by recycling all machines and snowmobiles, textiles used at our hotels, furniture and work clothes.
Appreciating local heritage
We have been in operation since 1965 – and have always operated locally. We value the local culture and communities. We are one of many operators in the area. Promoting year-round operations creates the foundations for sustainable development – it enables us to create permanent jobs in the long term, thereby contributing to the region’s tax revenue and well-being.
We show our appreciation for the region by paying our taxes in the area where we operate, by hiring locally and by using local service providers and raw materials. We belong to several local organisations and protect our cultural environment by maintaining and repairing old, existing buildings.
Our environmental efforts have been granted the Ecocompass certificate
The Ecocompass certificate awarded to Lapland Hotels and its sister companies in May 2022 is proof of comprehensive development of environmental responsibility and commitment to it. The certificate has been granted to all branches of the company, which includes comprehensive hotel and restaurant operations, five Lapland ski centers and the largest program service company in the Nordic countries, Lapland Safaris.
Certificate requires a commitment to saving natural resources, increasing positive environmental effects, and their accurate annual monitoring and reporting. The certificate is issued for three years at a time. Ecocompass is an industry-independent environmental organization based on the international ISO 14001 standard. The system is owned by Finland's oldest and most influential environmental organization, the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation.
For example, all of the group's locations switched to using 100 % green electricity two years ago. The most visible measure for customers has been the improvement of waste management in hotels and ski resorts. For example, Lapland Hotels has acted as a trendsetter in Lapland, where comprehensive recycling points in sparsely populated areas are not a given.
Towards responsible travel industry
Sustainable Travel Finland is a sustainable tourism program developed by Visit Finland. Companies that have completed the program and meet the demanding criteria are recognized with the Sustainable Travel Finland label. The label takes into account the economic, ecological, social and cultural sustainability of tourism companies and destinations.
Our destinations with a Sustainable Travel Finland label:
Lapland Hotels Arena
Lapland Hotels Bulevardi
Lapland Hotels Bears Lodge
Lapland Hotels Hetta
Lapland hotels Kuopio
Lapland Hotels Luostotunturi
Lapland Hotels Olos
Lapland Hotels Oulu
Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets
Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna
Lapland Hotels Saaga
Lapland Hotels Sirkantähti
Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage
Lapland Hotels Tampere
Lapland Hotels Ylläskaltio
Lapland Hotels Äkäshotelli
Lapland Ski Resort Ounasvaara
Lapland Ski Resort Luosto
Ylläs Ski Resort, Äkäslompolo
Lapland Safaris Levi
Lapland Safaris Rovaniemi
Lapland Safaris Saariselkä
Lapland Safaris Luosto
Lapland Safaris Ylläs
Santa Claus Office
Lapland Husky Safaris Oy