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It hasn’t been an easy start to the winter season for Lapland’s tourism industry, which has grappled with recession, swine flu, striking pilots and ski slope workers. They’re hoping for a white Christmas.
The number of overseas tourists travelling to Finnish Lapland for Christmas and New Year has been increasing steadily during the past ten years. In December 2007, a record 110,000 tourists on 612 charter flights landed at airports in Lapland. Last year saw a 20 per cent decline in visitor numbers.
What are the expectations for this season? Some entrepreneurs are expecting as many Christmas tourists as last year, while others are predicting a further decline of ten per cent. As far as the charter flights are concerned, numbers look set to be down by as much as a quarter less compared with last year.
“Records will not be broken this season, but expectations are more on the positive side. Christmas still remains a bit of a question mark, but there are already signs that demand will pick up at the beginning of next year,” says Sanna Kortelainen, marketing director at Rovaniemi Tourism and Marketing Ltd.
“The smaller number of the British – who make by far the largest share of Christmas tourism in Lapland – will be compensated by an increased demand from Spain, Italy, France and Japan,” she adds.
One positive note is that incentive travel appears to be picking up again – and 90 per cent of the incentive tourists to Finland head for Lapland. Businesses are also expecting for a fair amount of so-called “walk-in customers”, who arrive without reservations.
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Ski resorts offer something for everybody
Ylläs
This is Finland’s largest ski resort, with 61 slopes and around 20,000 beds. The surrounding national park is a haven for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. www.yllas.fi
Levi
With 22,000 beds and dozens of restaurants and bars, Levi is a holiday town that offers the wildest nightlife. It also has many other services that one can expect. www.levi.fi
Saariselkä
This is cross-country skiers’ paradise, with 230 kilometres of well maintained skiing tracks at the heart of Finland’s largest national park and Sami culture. www.saariselka.fi
Pyhä-Luosto
This winter resort offers great possibilities for off-piste skiing and features the only amethyst mine still operating in Europe. www.pyha.fi
Rovaniemi
The capital of Lapland and the home town of Santa Claus. It features the Ounasvaara recreational area, which is within stone’s throw away from the centre. www.visitrovaniemi.fi
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Activities abound
Lapland offers a range of activities to get the visitor to make the most out his or her stay. Meeting Santa Claus, who considers Rova-
niemi as his hometown, is the highlight for many visitors. In addition, other winter activities involving snow and ice are often rated by visitors as being their most memorable experiences.
“Constructions made of snow and ice, such as snow and ice hotels, appeal to people. It's been great to see how businesses have met this demand,” says Kortelainen.
Another hit, especially among the Japanese, are the glass-roofed igloos where one can see the Northern Lights while tucked up in bed. Soft adventures, such as snowshoeing, dog-sledding and reindeer rides are gaining in popularity alongside the traditional favourite, snowmobiling.
“Finland cannot compete against the Alps or the Norwegian mountains for downhill skiing. The British and the Russians, however, prefer our gentle slopes,” adds Kortelainen.
Challenging future
In terms of turnover and the number of employees, tourism plays a greater central role in Lapland compared with other regions in Finland, so it is no surprise that the tourism sector in Lapland is worried in these difficult times.
“Looking back 5-10 years, things have changed. The customer doesn’t come as easily as before and the same products do not necessarily work anymore. Why come to Finland if you can buy a similar kind of product cheaper some place else? In order to keep up with the competition we need to develop not only our products but also our expertise – not to mention marketing,” says Kortelainen. Following recent budget cuts at the Finnish Tourist Board, the tourism industry in Lapland is concerned about what the impact will be.
TUIJA KAUPPINEN - HT
LEHTIKUVA - AFP PHOTO - OLIVIER MORIN
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