“There are so many undiscovered gems here” – local entrepreneurs want to boost tourism in Rautjärvi
In July 2025, a French couple arrived by motorcycle at Hugo’s Vicarage in Rautjärvi. Foreign visitors are not unusual at the summer café, but this couple had travelled deliberately to Finland’s eastern border because of the Simo Häyhä Museum. Their interest was sparked by a bestselling novel by French author Olivier Norek about the legendary Finnish sniper, a book that repeatedly mentions Rautjärvi and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
The visit made Hugo’s Vicarage entrepreneur Heikki Penttilä reflect on the unexpected international attention.
“The book has given Rautjärvi visibility no marketing budget could ever buy. Now the key is to get visitors to stay longer in the area,” Penttilä says.
Tourism is central to Penttilä’s business. In addition to Hugo’s Vicarage, he runs rental log villas, traditional smoke saunas, and a guesthouse in nearby Ruokolahti. His motivation goes beyond his own company: he wants to strengthen the vitality of South Karelia as a whole.
Together with two other local entrepreneurs — taxi operator Heikki Partinen and Katri Einovaara, who runs the Kaskivaara animal welfare farm — Penttilä launched a tourism development project. The initiative, New Rise of Tourism, Part 2, is managed and funded by the Imatra Region Development Company KEHY.
KEHY offers crucial support
KEHY’s role has been crucial. The organisation handles administration and funding, allowing the entrepreneurs to focus on developing real services.
“This project simply wouldn’t exist without KEHY. None of us small businesses would have had the time or expertise to manage it alone,” Penttilä says.
According to KEHY’s business advisor Miia Ruohio, the project works precisely because it is rooted in the entrepreneurs’ real needs:
“This is a practical tool for strengthening tourism and entrepreneurship in the region. When entrepreneurs design the content based on their own everyday reality, the results are tangible and lasting.”
The core idea is cooperation: building joint service packages and a local network that makes it easier for visitors to experience the region.
“There are so many undiscovered diamonds here. We just need to bring them to the surface,” Penttilä sums up.
From transport to animal encounters and smoke saunas
Transport services are a key part of the experience. Partinen’s company, Taxikko Oy, provides flexible transport solutions, from airport pickups to tailored local routes.
“The idea is that visitors can get everything from one place — including transport,” Partinen explains.
One destination is Einovaara’s Kaskivaara farm, which offers green care experiences centred on animals and nature. The farm’s tame sheep, goats, pigs, horses, chickens, and dogs are used to human interaction, making the visits especially appealing. Facilities are fully accessible, reflecting Einovaara’s background in care work.
After animal encounters, visitors can relax in Penttilä’s traditional smoke saunas — an experience that remains exotic for many international guests.
Cooperation that lasts
The entrepreneurs believe that clean nature, cultural heritage, and high-quality local services form a powerful combination. The project also connects with other regional actors, enabling activities such as fishing trips, wildlife observation, and guided tours related to local history.
Although the project officially runs until the end of 2027, the partners see it as more than a temporary initiative.
“This is about turning everyday entrepreneurial work into something that grows and lasts,” Penttilä says.
The shared hope is that their collaboration will inspire others and help tourism in South Karelia genuinely take off — revealing the region’s hidden gems at last.