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.