The services of the Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum are created in cooperation with entrepreneurs

According to the current plan, the national wilderness and nature culture museum will start operating in the current Imatra town hall in the spring of 2026. The museum benefits from the natural sites of the Vuoksi watershed and Imatrankoski. Thanks to the location, the tourist can do more than visit the museum.

In addition to the exhibition and collections, the museum is a set of interconnected services. The Eräpöhinää project brings together actors from different fields to create this service package.

Project manager of the project Mona Taipale and a local wilderness and nature tourism entrepreneur Taru Kaljunen consider the content of the services linked to the museum and the opportunities the museum brings to the area's businesses and vitality.

What is the significance of the museum for Imatra?

- The museum will be a vital force for Imatra and the whole of South Karelia. The museum's operations are planned to be functional and sustainable through cooperation between actors from different fields, Taipale answers.

- The Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum has a big impact on employment. As an entrepreneur, I hope that the museum's operations support sustainable tourism and make use of, among other things, local food and local experts. There are good and high-quality producers and service providers, thinks Discover Saimaan Kaljunen.

What kind of cooperation network is the Eräpöhinää project looking for around the museum?

- In addition to companies offering tourism and wellness services, opportunities for cooperation with, for example, daycare centers, schools and various organizations are explored, Taipale answers.

- Functionality is interesting and enlivens museum activities, so a year-round service offering is needed. With the museum and the services that support its operation, the tourist's stay in the region can be made longer and the visitor can return even at different times of the year, Taipale continues.

- It is difficult for an entrepreneur to offer versatile services alone, but now that we are well on the way to planning the operation of the museum, there is time to look for suitable partners and plan the contents and functionality of the services, thinks Kaljunen.

- Museum visitors can take advantage of the services offered by the entrepreneur, who guide them in the practical skills of moving around and camping in nature with the help of field and nature courses. There are so many opportunities for year-round service provision, Kaljunen continues.

Once a month, Imatra opens the background of current affairs on this page. You can influence what topics are discussed. Answer the survey: imatra.fi/taustaslakymä