We develop: The readiness of tourism companies in the Satakunta region for internationalisation
The tourism sector in the Satakunta region holds significant potential for international growth, but its prerequisites still need strengthening. This is the focus of the Next Level - Satakunta tourism growth internationalisation project. In the initial phase, the region’s readiness for internationalisation was mapped out in order to obtain an overall picture of the starting point.

Up-to-date information is needed to support internationalisation
The main goal of the Next Level project is to strengthen the preconditions for international tourism growth in Satakunta. This involves, for example: strengthening the regional tourism network and cooperation, increasing the expertise of tourism operators in productisation for international markets, creating a comprehensive regional product manual, and piloting a virtual familiarisation trip for tour operators in a selected target market.
The Satakunta Goes Global – Keys to International Tourism workshop brought together tourism stakeholders and experts to explore opportunities for internationalisation in the region. To support the preparation of the workshop, a mapping was carried out to assess the readiness of tourism companies’ websites in the Satakunta region for international markets. The analysis focused on multilingual web presence, online booking availability, and visibility in Visit Finland’s DataHub database.
Germany was selected as the target market
A project working group was established to play a key role in planning the project’s activities. The group also took part in selecting the target market to which Satakunta would be promoted. To ensure the effectiveness of internationalisation efforts, a specific target market was identified. The team evaluated five potential markets: The Benelux countries, the UK, France, Sweden, and Germany. Germany was selected as the target market.
Tourism businesses are also encouraged to add their services and products—at minimum in English—to the Visit Finland DataHub, which helps improve their visibility among international visitors.
Scope and implementation of the mapping
The mapping aimed to identify:
- How many operators have multilingual websites,
- Whether services are available for online booking
- And how many operators are listed in the Visit Finland DataHub database.
The scope was limited to businesses with active websites. For example, single-room or cabin rentals and restaurants offering only lunch without a website were excluded.
The mapping was conducted between 1 and 27 April 2025 based on the tourism websites of the municipalities and regional tourism organisations in the region. Each company’s own website was reviewed individually.
Key findings
A total of 161 tourism operators were identified across the 16 municipalities of Satakunta.
Language Versions and the Visit Finland DataHub visibility:
- 59% of operators had multilingual websites (in English or other languages).
- 36.6% of operators were listed in the Visit Finland DataHub database (covering 9 municipalities and 50 companies).
Online Booking:
- 49% of operators offered some form of online booking.
- The most popular platform was Johku (15 operators).
- Booking.com was used by five operators, although the platform features a greater number of accommodation options from the region.
- 25 websites had a contact form, 38 directed visitors to contact them by email or phone.

Operators by group
Restaurant Services – 48 operators:
- 75% were restaurants; 25% cafés or lunch restaurants.
- 43.8% had websites in English.
- 4% offered online booking.
Accommodation Services – 76 operators:
- 32% hotels/hostels, 34% cottages, 10% campsites.
- 60.5% had English-language websites.
- 47% offered online booking.
Activities and experiences – 97 operators:
- Services ranged from fishing and cycling to skydiving and museum visits.
- 22.6% had websites in English.
- 22.6% offered online booking (most commonly using Johku and Hopoti).
- 30% offered guided tours or transport; 14% offered equipment rental.

Readiness exists, but development is still needed
The mapping indicates that tourism operators in the Satakunta region are moderately well-prepared for online bookings, and more than half have websites at least in English. Still, development is needed. International websites and online booking options are most common among accommodation providers, while restaurants and activity operators still need to invest more in their international accessibility. Visit Finland's DataHub visibility is still limited, but positive progress has been noted since the mapping.
The mapping results will also be used to support product development for regional tourism, especially in creating round-trip travel packages for international—particularly German—visitors. These products will be compiled into the Satakunta product manual.
Did you know?
- Foreign tourists search for information online in their own language and want to book activities quickly—yet many tourism operators in the Satakunta region lack English-language websites or booking options. How likely is it that they will choose a service from another region instead?
- Already nearly 60% of tourism operators in Satakunta have websites in English—this is a great start! The next step? Greater visibility through Visit Finland's DataHub and improved online booking—this way international visitors can more easily find the region's hidden gems.
- Only 23% of activity and experience providers offered websites in English. This means international customers often cannot find information in their own language.