Tourism operators from Lohja gathered at Kettukallio Experience Venue on 14 September 2026 for a day of planning and co-creation. During the event, 21 participants explored the future of tourism in Lohja, practiced using artificial intelligence in marketing, and developed ideas for tourism collaboration and trade fairs in 2027. The workshop was organized as part of the Digi+Hiiletön 2.0: Carbon-Neutral Tourism Businesses – Smart Tourism Destinations project, which aims to strengthen tourism ecosystems and co-development among SMEs.
The day was built around the goal of fostering closer collaboration among tourism operators in Lohja and jointly shaping the tourism year of 2027. The program combined current topics from Visit Lohja, discussions on the future of tourism, a practical AI marketing workshop, and the co-creation of concepts for tourism trade fairs planned for 2027.
Mira Kuusela, Tourism Manager of Lohja, introduced participants to Visit Lohja’s strategy and key priorities for the coming year. Discussions highlighted the importance of identifying Lohja’s unique strengths and building tourism offerings through stronger collaboration. Creating a shared annual planning calendar was seen as an important practical step toward deeper cooperation.
Making Artificial Intelligence a Practical Tool for Tourism Businesses
The day’s AI training sessions were led by Johanna Mäkeläinen from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. The objective was to make the use of artificial intelligence as practical as possible and help businesses apply it specifically in marketing planning.
Participants practiced creating effective prompts for tourism marketing and explored the use of AI in planning for the Christmas season. The workshop examined how visitor experiences could be built around the “Christmas Markets of Times Past” concept, encouraging visitors to also explore Lohja’s accommodation providers, restaurants, cafés, shops, and other local services.
AI was used to support the planning of a Christmas tourism annual calendar, content ideas for Visit Lohja’s Christmas calendar, customer-segment-specific excursions, and joint marketing campaigns.
Participants especially appreciated the practical nature of the workshop. Feedback highlighted the “realistic approach to AI usage and clear guidance for professional use of AI” as well as the way the training made “using AI feel easy and accessible.”
Co-Creating the 2027 Tourism Trade Fair
In the afternoon, Päivi Penttilä and Meri Vehkaperä from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences facilitated an ideation session for a joint tourism trade fair planned by Lohja tourism operators for 2027. The goal was to identify distinctive and surprising themes that reflect Lohja’s identity and develop them into concrete fair concepts.
Discussions focused on how Lohja’s strategy, local experiences, and the shared “spirit of Lohja” could be reflected in the fair’s name, messaging, program, and visitor experience. The aim was to create a distinctive and immersive event that would encourage visitors to return to Lohja long after the fair itself.
The collaborative planning of the trade fair emerged as the most popular topic for future development. Twelve participants expressed interest in continuing the planning process together. Sustainable tourism development received ten mentions, while the use of AI in tourism and marketing received nine.
Practical Ideas and Collaborative Action
Feedback collected after the workshop repeatedly emphasized themes such as community, practical outcomes, ideation, artificial intelligence, and opportunities to connect with fellow tourism operators. Participants described the atmosphere as open and welcoming, with collaboration taking place in a relaxed and positive spirit. One participant summarized the day with the words: “Not alone, but together. Opportunities. Lohja rocks!”
The natural surroundings of Kettukallio provided a unique setting for autumn co-creation, where conversations continued over meals and traditional campfire stick buns. The venue, nature, and sense of togetherness featured prominently in participant feedback.
The key takeaway from the successful day was clear: a thriving tourism year in 2027 will be built through foresight, collaboration among businesses, and creating a compelling visitor experience in which travelers see not just individual services, but the attractiveness of Lohja as a whole destination.
This workshop was organized as part of the Digi+Hiiletön 2.0: Carbon-Neutral Tourism Businesses – Smart Tourism Destinations project, which is co-funded by the European Union.
The English translation of this article was prepared with the assistance of AI tool (Copilot).