Photographer: Linda Sohlin & Håkan Stenlund
Camp Ripan nominated for Stora Turismpriset 2024
This year’s nominations for Stora Turismpriset (the Grand Tourism Prize) are now public and it is Camp Ripan that will represent Norrbotten. The prize is awarded to an organization that works with its business in an innovative and sustainable way and shares knowledge to develop a sustainable tourism industry. Each county nominates a candidate; in Norrbotten, the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board selects the nominees.
“Camp Ripan runs an innovative business with a focus on sustainability and local collaboration. With genuine experiences based on Sami, Tornedalian and Swedish culture, long-term partnerships and a strong focus on climate awareness and social responsibility, they are a role model for sustainable tourism in the Arctic.” reads the motivation.
“Camp Ripan’s responsible, solid and long-term sustainability work together with their commitment to the local community makes them an excellent candidate to represent Norrbotten. It is always fun to see the nominations from all over the country and take part in visitor entrepreneurs who, through innovative work, contribute to positive development in our various counties. But we are of course keeping our fingers crossed for our county’s nominees”, says Annika Fredriksson, CEO of Swedish Lapland Visitors Board.
“We are both happy and grateful to be nominated for Stora turismpriset. At Camp Ripan, we strive every day to create genuine, sustainable experiences that reflect our love for Kiruna and the amazing nature around us. This nomination is a testament to our commitment to creating experiences that not only benefit our guests but also our place and the environment we love,” says Frida Lind-Oja, owner of Camp Ripan.
“It’s fantastic to be recognized for our sustainability work. We want to make sure that we do what we can to preserve nature, which attracts so many people here, for future generations,” says Dennis Lind, owner of Camp Ripan.
The Grand Tourism Prize is awarded according to three criteria:
Main criterion: The winner contributes to new thinking and innovative development of the tourism industry.
Sustainability criterion: The winner methodically and purposefully develops a sustainable business.
Knowledge criterion: The winner develops, disseminates and shares new skills and knowledge to strengthen the tourism industry.
“It is gratifying to see that the nominees are not only committed to developing their own business but feel responsible for contributing to the development of both the place, the community and the region in which they operate. Most of them work to inspire and educate visitors for a greater commitment to sustainability and we see examples of how visitors can and want to contribute to local projects,” says Katrien Vanhaverbeke, Chair of the Foundation for the Promotion of Knowledge in Tourism.
Stora Turismpriset 2024 will be awarded on December 3 in connection with the conference Visitor Industry on the Agenda. Last year, the prize went to Aurora Safari, which was Norrbotten’s nominee. The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, which is the principal of the Foundation for Knowledge Promotion in Tourism, awards the prize.