Current and future tourism industry met during Tourism Day 2025

On 17 October, actors from all over Jämtland and Härjedalen gathered to draw attention to the importance of the tourism industry during Tourism Day 2025. This year the day was extra special: Jämtland Härjedalen Tourism (JHT) celebrated its 30th anniversary and the celebration took place in Östersund with a packed program of lectures, talks and mingle.

But Tourism Day was not just about looking back over three decades of destination development. It was also aimed at the future employees in the industry across generations. Students from Mid Sweden University's Tourism and Destination Development Program participated during the day, thanks to funding from Samverkanspeng Östersund.

Samverkanspeng Östersund creates opportunities

Samverkanpeng Östersund is a collaboration between Mid Sweden University and Östersund Municipality, with the aim of creating meeting places between students and employers in the region. By applying for and being granted funding, students från the Tourism and Destination Development Program were able to participate in the Tourism Day.

The application was formulated in collaboration with JHT and the idea was clear: to give students the opportunity to meet the industry's players, deepen their understanding of the tourism industry and create contacts for future career choices. 

Students: A valuable opportunity

Felicia Persson, a third-year student in the tourism programme, was one of those who participated in the Tourism Day.

"For me, this is very valuable. I take the opportunity to mingle and learn more about what I could work with after my studies."

Felicia highlights the Tourism Day, but also previous initiatives such as JHT's Möteslänken, as important for creating contact with employers during her studies. Elin Sveningsson, who is also in the third year of the programme, participated in the Tourism Day for the second year in a row:

"For me, the opportunity to participate in the Tourism Day, together with the networking within Möteslänken, has given a broader perspective on what I can work with after graduation. We knew that there are destination companies before, but here we see that there are more employers and professional roles in the industry than those you first think of."

JHT: Our future colleagues and interns

Jonas Herjeby, project manager for the Collaboration for the Tourism Industry in Jämtland Härjedalen at JHT, says that the students' participation is also appreciated by the tourism industry. 

 "It's great that so many students take the opportunity to participate. It gives the students a broader picture of the industry, but also us the opportunity to meet future interns and colleagues who come with new perspectives and important skills after their studies," says Jonas. 

From theory to practice, academia meets working life

Jack Shepherd, tourism lecturer and researcher at ETOUR, Mid Sweden University, participated together with the tourism students:

"The fact that the students are involved today connects theory with reality. Many who are here today from the destination organisations and other parts of the tourism industry, are former students. I am happy to help introduce them to each other.

Creating meetings between students and employers is an investment in the future of individuals, but also in the region's skills supply. JHT's survey of what tourism alumni do after graduation shows that contacts during their studies play a major role in where students end up afterwards.

Initiative for more meeting places between students and industry

Jonas Herjeby says that JHT today has several employees who have graduated from the tourism and destination development program in recent years. 

"We know the breadth of the programme and the skills you gain after graduation. We sometimes lacked meeting places for students and industry during our own studies, and this was the background for us implementing Möteslänken in 2025. Now we are planning to do it again. We are happy that the students are here at the Tourism Day, so that we have more opportunities to meet," says Jonas Herjeby. 

Tourism Day 2025 was a tribute to the tourism industry, but also a concrete effort to build bridges between students and working life. A day that shows that the tourism of the future in Jämtland and Härjedalen is already starting to take shape.

Are you an employee or student at Campus Östersund and want to create similar opportunities for meetings between students and employers?

Collaboration money Östersund can be applied for until the end of the year and there are funds left to apply. You can also apply for funding for 2026. Take the opportunity to create exciting meetings between students and employers – and contribute to strengthening the region's skills supply. Read more and apply by clicking here.