Customer insight and safety experience of international people for nature-based services in Northern Ostrobothnia: Case Luota-project
Mäkelä, Katri (2021)
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021121990045
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021121990045
Tiivistelmä
The thesis was commissioned by the Luota-project, which the Oulu University of Applied Sciences carried out. Their objective was to develop safe nature-based services and experiences with rural service providers in Northern Ostrobothnia. The topic of the thesis was to acquire customer insight and form a customer profile of one of the project's target groups: international people.
The empirical data was collected by using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were done with international people about their experiences and perspectives on the topic of nature-based services and experiences in Northern Ostrobothnia. The focus was solely on interviewing people who currently live in Northern Ostrobothnia but have origins from another country. The information from these interviews was then studied and formed into a customer profile.
The research showed that the person's international background does not affect them as a user of nature-based services in the sense that they have either lived in Finland for so long or have experience of living in multiple other countries that they are used to the cultural differences and the ways Finnish people behave. However, problems arise when it comes to language. Finnish service providers have the ability to speak English, but more often than not, the company's website and/or Facebook page, advertisements, safety instructions, and safety signs at the place where the service is being held are only in Finnish. This affects the international person's safety concerns, expectations, and ability to get information about the company and its services.
The empirical data was collected by using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were done with international people about their experiences and perspectives on the topic of nature-based services and experiences in Northern Ostrobothnia. The focus was solely on interviewing people who currently live in Northern Ostrobothnia but have origins from another country. The information from these interviews was then studied and formed into a customer profile.
The research showed that the person's international background does not affect them as a user of nature-based services in the sense that they have either lived in Finland for so long or have experience of living in multiple other countries that they are used to the cultural differences and the ways Finnish people behave. However, problems arise when it comes to language. Finnish service providers have the ability to speak English, but more often than not, the company's website and/or Facebook page, advertisements, safety instructions, and safety signs at the place where the service is being held are only in Finnish. This affects the international person's safety concerns, expectations, and ability to get information about the company and its services.