Miikka Valo, the director of the travel sector in Espoo, believes in the power of cooperation and draws energy from music

Miikka’s journey with Visit Espoo has been long: after graduating as a Bachelor of Hospitality Management, Miikka applied for a job at Visit Espoo Tourist Information in 2010, and he has kept on following the same path ever since.

- Visit Espoo is the first and only workplace I have ever had on my travel sector career, says Miikka, who has later progressed to management positions.

Before becoming the Director of Conventions & Tourism, Miikka held the position of congress manager for a while. Visit Espoo operates as part of the broader Enter Espoo(external link, opens in a new window) entity, which has 20 employees.

Miikka’s working days include internal meetings, operational development, reporting and appointments, meetings and cooperation with tourism enterprises in the region.

- In a way, there is no standard day for me. Cooperation characterises everything I do. I’m responsible for international congress marketing and cooperation with Aalto University as well as for the Visit Espoo Ambassador programme(external link, opens in a new window).

According to Miikka, the accommodation statistics for Espoo show that about one third of those staying in Espoo are international passengers, most of them coming from Sweden, Estonia, Germany and China, and some even from the United States. Within Finland, people come to Espoo from the largest cities in the neighbouring areas. Despite its big size, Espoo is quite unknown. Visit Espoo is making efforts to change the thinking by highlighting that Espoo has magnificent things worth experiencing.

- Typically, travellers come to Espoo for work and to participate in congresses, events or some nature-related activities. Espoo is not necessarily the most natural choice when thinking where to go without any special plan. In other words, travellers have a certain reason for coming to Espoo, Miikka specifies.

The challenges related to tourism have also become familiar to Miikka.

- A lot has happened in the operating environment of tourism, and not everything has been positive. Overall, Espoo is evolving enormously as an operating environment. However, the times have been so turbulent for the travel sector that it has also burdened me personally when travel businesses in Espoo have not been doing so well.

Miikka has always felt at home in the British culture. He has visited London dozens of times, and, during his studies, Miikka spent six months working at the tourism marketing company of the City of Manchester. In addition to learning about the tourism sector in the UK, Miikka also learned a lot about different minority groups. In its operations, Visit Espoo has been making efforts to take issues related to, for example, LGBTQI+ tourism into account.  

- LGBTQI+ tourism means encountering people in a correct manner and respecting them in all our activities. Indifference is a major problem both in Finnish society and elsewhere. Everyone should be accepted as they are. In Manchester, I met a lot of people representing different minorities. All people matter is a lesson I was already taught at home, Miikka says. 

Miikka strives to take social responsibility into account in his supervisory work both in his encounters with people and when making everyday choices. Responsibility is also a matter people at Visit Espoo reflect on in issues related to the environmental.

- In the big picture, we’re doing our best, but unfortunately, air traffic causes emissions. However, our aim is to provide as sustainable experience as possible in Espoo and to make responsible choices when organising events. We also assist companies in this respect, Miikka says.  

In the field of culture, Miikka particularly enjoys visiting museums.

- I like the whole Exhibition Centre WeeGee complex, and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA located there. Espoo has world-class museums! Akseli Gallen-Kallela Museum and Pentala Archipelago Museum are also very interesting places.

The Mauri Kunnas exhibition at Exhibition Centre WeeGee brings back childhood memories.

- In my childhood, Mauri Kunnas’ books were very popular. Now, I visit the exhibition with my own kids. The opening of Mauri Kunnas’ exhibition was a great event as I had the opportunity to meet Mauri live, Miikka recalls.

In 2026, Miikka is looking forward to visiting some interesting events both out of personal interest and for work.

- Espoo Day is a great thing for Espoo, providing a great range of events. April Jazz and Espoo Ciné are among the top in their field, and we will have the new Alvar Summer Festival in Otaniemi in July, Miikka says.

As the tips for the beginning of 2026, Miikka chose events held at the cultural centres of Espoo. 

• Drink Floyd plays Pink Floyd | City of Espoo (Fri 16 January, Sello Hall)
  - I just read an article about how popular cover bands are. I’m not a fan, but I know Pink Floyd’s music. The thing that attracts me about this is the British culture.
• Meijerin iltapalaklubi: Ida Elina | City of Espoo (Sat 24 January, Children’s Cultural Centre Aurora)
  Finnish singer-songwriter and pop-kantele virtuoso who has revolutionized the traditional national instrument, the kantele, turning it into a modern, globally recognized phenomenon.
  - Ida Elina is an incredibly skilled performer. I’ve heard her a couple of times at events and always liked the way she makes her own arrangements of famous hits.
• Afternoon movie: Conclave | City of Espoo (Tue 27 January, Sello Hall)
  - Oh, how I hope I’ll have time on a weekday afternoon to go and see this film about the Vatican!
• After Work: Joie de vivre! – Tapiola Sinfonietta(external link, opens in a new window) (Fri 30 January, Espoo Cultural Centre)
  - At work, we’ve talked about going to see this. This sounds like a really nice concept, and I haven’t attended it yet.

See what else is going on in Espoo: Cultural events in Espoo.

Find previous cultural tips compiled on the same web page at: espoo.fi/fi/kulttuuritarpit