Companies in Hämeenlinna competed with their new business ideas in Linna Business Tournament on December 16th. The GROWTHseries, which is targeted at travel and tourism operators, was won by Iloranta Oy, which brought home the EUR 20,000 price money with the Forest Villas luxury product. The GROWTHseries assessed the business ideas’ novelty value, impact on regional tourism revenue and potential on the international market.

Iloranta has provided full board treatment for travellers in the countryside for 80 years. At Iloranta, you can experience the authentic Finnish countryside, the calming effect of nature, tasty and clean locally produced food and a relaxing lakeside sauna. You can also participate in activities at Iloranta, such as trips to the forest or lakeside, or baking stick buns on a campfire. Iloranta’s services also include tours where you can face the complete quiet and darkness in a safe environment. This is an unforgettable experience for sure!

Iloranta’s planned high-quality Forest Villas offer travellers a new kind of luxury in the middle of nature and country scenery. The walls of the villas are going to be largely covered by sizeable windows through which the nature is present indoors as well. The sauna offers a view to the forest. In Forest Villas, travellers can spend time in nature in their own privacy, but they can also choose to participate in Iloranta’s joint activities. Iloranta has received Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland label, and Iloranta is also committed to building the Forest villas in a sustainable manner; domestic raw materials and Finnish constructors will be used in the building process.

Linna Business Tournament is a business competition conceptualised and organised by Linna Business Development, the business development agency of the City of Hämeenlinna. The tournament showcases business ideas in the Hämeenlinna region and provides the businesses a gateway to the global markets. The businesses worked on their ideas through the entire autumn with the help of professional coaches in workshops while establishing networks with each other. Iloranta reveals that it is planning a collaboration with some of the businesses that took part in the tournament: Medieval Combat Sport Finland ry, which will arrange the medieval martial art Buhurt world championships in the summer of 2022 in Hämeenlinna, Hämeenlinnan Uusi Kesäteatteri HUK and Hopealinjat. In addition, the previously started cooperation with Iittala Glass Factory and Design Museum Iittala continues and strengthens.

The City of Hämeenlinna works together with businesses in developing its travel services to become even more internationally competitive and to better meet the customers’ expectations. The City of Hämeenlinna wants to be strongly present in international growth without forgetting the importance of domestic markets. The most well-known travel destinations of the City of Hämeenlinna are Häme Castle and the surrounding areas, Aulanko and Ahvenisto as well as Iittala and the area with up to five different golf courses. The countryside villages and the lush nature destinations are only a short distance away, and the first Finnish National Urban Park brings the nature to the Hämeenlinna city centre as well.