Mikko Saarinen

Hello Mikko

Who am I and why ALLEGRA?

I originally come from a small rural village in central Finland. I grew up surrounded by nature, which made me love spending my time outdoors with friends and, above all, being active. After various detours, I ended up in Levi, Lapland for ten years, where the world of international tourism development opened up to me. From there, I made the leap to Lahti and onto the path of entrepreneurship.

I have had the opportunity to explore many different places and meet different people and cultures. I am very interested in individuals and the idea that each of us has the opportunity to experience nature and adventure on trails and routes. Allegra embodies exactly that for me and at the heart of our philosophy is people and their different expectations. By taking these into account, we create experiences that make a difference and that people want to share.

My favorite product at ALLEGRA? 

In Finland and the Nordic countries in general, the supply of high-quality, sustainable and accessible trails and route networks, especially for mountain bikers, is currently quite limited. This represents an exciting opportunity, as we have already started implementing such projects in places like Ylläs and more recently Levi. I believe that in the long term, these developments will play a big role in transforming Lapland into an internationally recognized year-round destination, complementing the already booming winter season.

In addition, there is a strong growing interest in gravel biking, a trend that is also gaining momentum. In this area, Finland and the Nordic countries have significant potential for expanding their international tourism business.

What do I most like to talk to you about? 

I often talk about experiences, expectations and quality of cycling. Often these conversations revolve around the prediction that in the future, significantly more people will cycle than today and that their expectations of the routes and destinations will change. Children and exercise in urban areas are also a daily topic. These are crucial issues that ultimately influence the growth of tourism. I like to chat - let's talk, OK?