New Managing Director in VisitOulu, Yrjötapio “Y.t.” Kivisaari

Since the beginning of August 2021 VisitOulu has a new Managing Director, Yrjötapio “Y.t.” Kivisaari.

Y.t. Kivisaari returned to Oulu from Levi where he worked as Managing Director at Visit Levi. Oulu is not a new destination for Y.t.: before the years spent in Lapland he worked in fitness center business in Oulu as well as in Lapland Hotel Oulu as a Hotel Opening General Manager.

Y.t. has a long history in the hospitality and tourism industry. Regarding why he originally came to work in travel business he says: “Traveling makes people happy. I get inspired about developing the infrastructure and services to make travelers and visitors happy. I see a lot of unrealized potential in the Oulu region. We have all the prerequisites to be an internationally known year-round travel destination.”

“We have multiple unique elements in one region; urban city life, history and culture, lots of varied nature including forest, river and sea areas, and the southernmost fell area of Finland. What’s more, in June 2021 Oulu was chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2026. All this means that we have wonderful development opportunities in our hands”,  Y.t. says.

When it comes to development, Y.t. says that the immediate next steps are in developing digital services further: travelers will be able to find and purchase online the services they need more easily. Another key development area is sustainability, which is a topic very close to Y.t.’s heart. He has just finished his MBA studies in Leadership and Sustainability. Y.t. walks the talk: he has organized his own daily life according to the principles of sustainability. “I have no car, the shorter journeys I travel by foot, by e-bike or by e-scooter. On longer journeys, I favor bus and train. If I need to fly I compensate my flight kilometers yearly”, he says.

For more information about VisitOulu travel region, please contact:
Yrjötapio ”Y.t.” Kivisaari, Managing Director, VisitOulu
yt@visitoulu.fi, tel. +358 40 546 6283