The main goal of the project was to increase winter tourism both in Finnish North Karelia and in the Republic of Karelia by improving the technical level of the snowmobile tracks and by increasing the connections from North Karelia to the neighbouring regions. The intention of the project was to construct main tracks in the North Karelia region for national snowmobile traffic in the direction of the Niirala border crossing. The project was connected with the development work completed on snowmobile routes in Russian Karelia during the period 1997–1999 in connection with the Tacis programme. A signposted snowmobile route from the border at Värtsilä to Sortavala already existed in Russian Karelia. Improving the snowmobile connections from the regions of Eastern Finland to Russian Karelia was seen as improving the operational prerequisites for tourism companies in the economic area of Eastern Finland and Sortavala by creating demand for tourism during the winter months as well. The national main snowmobile routes would also create the opportunity for travellers arriving in North Karelia from outside of the region to visit Russian Karelia via snowmobile. Achievements: The technical level of the snowmobile route network was improved using an excavator to improve approximately 75 kilometres of the main routes that were lacking a machine-built foundation. Drums and bridges were also installed on the routes. In addition to improving the old route, a new 270-kilometre-long route was constructed in order to eliminate the lack of trans-regional connections and northsouth main route connections within the region. In addition to constructing the routes, the route network signage in North Karelia was improved considerably: various types of warning, notification and route signs were created and installed in different parts of the region. In addition, 70 informational signs were created as a result of the project; these were installed at the route networks various starting and connecting points. In addition, a few rest areas with Lappish hut structures were built along the snowmobile route to serve snowmobile riders. Right from the initial planning phase, environmental and social effects were well considered in all project construction work. Extensive environmental impact assessments were completed in the area affected by the route foundation work and extensive nature mapping was completed by a biologist from the Environment Centre at some locations. Expanding the snowmobile route network to cover the entire region and enabling route connections outside of the region and through Niirala to Russia considerably increased tourism during the winter season in North Karelia and Russian Karelia. The contributing factors to this increase in winter-season tourism in North Karelia included various snowmobiling events and organised snowmobile races. A sufficiently extensive and networked snowmobile route structure had been created in the region, which was needed as a prerequisite for organising the events and races and for attracting snowmobile enthusiasts from outside of the region. The safari activity from Finland to Russian Karelia was showing a slight upward trend at the conclusion of the project. The marketing of the North Karelia snowmobile routes was further intensified during the autumn of 2003 when the new website and region-specific snowmobile route maps were completed.