Janne-Juhani Haarma has been appointed as the new CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association.

The leadership of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association has changed as the previous CEO moved on to new opportunities at the end of April. This fall, Janne-Juhani Haarma, with 20 years of experience in the tourism sector, will take over as the new CEO of the tourism area. Haarma has studied tourism research at the University of Lapland and is currently completing an Executive MBA at Henley Business School. 

"We are very pleased to welcome Janne-Juhani to the Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association team. He has extensive expertise in the tourism industry and has been a key figure in raising Ylläs's profile in the travel market over the past 8 years in various roles. International tourism is growing rapidly in the north, and with this recruitment, we ensure that we remain part of this growth," says Marko Säkkinen, Chairman of the Board of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association. 

The new CEO will move to Kuusamo in the fall, and as a passionate cyclist, he can already be spotted on the region's new gravel routes and in Ruka Bike Park this summer. 

Homecoming 

Janne-Juhani Haarma has a long history with Ruka and Kuusamo. He started his career in tourism at the Ruka Ski School at the beginning of the millennium. 

"I am very grateful to the board of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association for this trust and am truly excited about this opportunity. I began my career in tourism here at Ruka, at the Ruka Ski School, and lived here for three years. In my youth, I spent many holidays in Törmäsenvaar, Kuusamo, at my then-girlfriend's cottage. This feels like a real homecoming," Haarma says. "I have been following the development of Ruka-Kuusamo's summer offerings with interest and it has been great to see the investments in year-round tourism."