Foreign Ministry encourages event industry to showcase Finnish food culture to international visitors

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has launched a pilot cooperation project with the hotel and event industry to increase the visibility of Finnish food culture in international meetings and events. At the same time, the Ministry encourages the entire event industry to give Finnish cuisine a more prominent role in the culinary experiences offered to international guests.

Three Finnish hotel chains participated in the project: Sokos Hotels, Scandic Hotels and Strawberry. As an outcome, the hotels compiled conference catering options highlighting Finnish food culture to make the work of their sales organisations and customers easier.  They also ensured that the information is easily available on their websites. The wider hotel and event industry can make use of this model. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs hopes that this will encourage other hotels, restaurants, event providers and conference service professionals to highlight Finnish food culture in their catering and meal services.

Food is much more than mere nutrition

The pilot aims to ensure that international conference and meeting guests do not leave Finland without experiencing Finnish cuisine. It also supports the Government's objective of doubling food exports by 2031. When international guests experience Finnish products and flavours while in Finland, they may be encouraged to explore more Finnish food products after they have returned home.

“We at the Foreign Ministry have long seen food as an important way for guests to experience Finnish culture. Food is so much more than mere nutrition: it is a part of the Finnish identity and hospitality and a way to promote our country image,” says Annariina Kukkonen, Head of Conference Services, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Not just croissants and panna cotta

In Finland, conference catering and meal selections have traditionally placed greater emphasis on international than Finnish options. Catering that features Finnish cuisine may have been absent from the selection, or available only upon request, making it more difficult to order Finnish food. Conference and event organisers have an excellent opportunity to shape both the catering provided to their guests and their guests' perception of Finland. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has encouraged pilot partners to provide clear lists of products that represent Finnish food culture.

“We used to spend a great deal of time working with meeting venues to ensure that conference catering included more Finnish options. However, making things easier for the Foreign Ministry event organisers was not the project’s main goal; above all, we wanted to ensure that all customers ordering catering services could easily find Finnish options. It would be wonderful if international guests left Finland with the flavours of e.g. a Finnish cinnamon bun, korvapuusti, or reindeer pie lingering in their memory, rather than those of panna cotta or a croissant,” Kukkonen says.

Food as part of Finland’s national image and an opportunity for exports

Finnish food is part of our national image. Every Finnish meal served to an international guest is an opportunity to highlight Finnish expertise, pure ingredients, the changing seasons and our sustainable approach to food. By sharing the stories behind the food, we can create lasting memories that leave guests with a positive impression of Finland.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs encourages all public and private organisations that receive international guests to make use of this opportunity. Choosing Finnish options for catering may seem like a small thing, but such choices help increase awareness of Finnish food culture.

“For Finnish food to achieve international success, people first need the opportunity to taste it. Meetings and conferences in Finland attended by international guests offer a unique setting to do just that. When guests hear the story behind the food, their experience of Finnish flavours is more likely to stay with them after their visit. We hope that an increasing number of hotels, restaurants, businesses and public sector actors will make Finnish food culture a visible part of the experience they offer to their international guests,” Kukkonen says.