Luxury tourism is moving into a new era, where instead of luxury suites, people are looking to Lapland for tailor-made experiences of wellbeing and experiences of living.
On the shores of Lake Inari is a unique log cabin that has been the dream come true for many who have travelled to Lapland. It is telling that all the visitors have been foreigners, very well-off, wealthy people who have seen almost everything.
– For the comfort and privacy of our clients, we want to keep the property hidden from others and this is not a public sale.
In Lapland luxury tourism, the destinations are far from busy and the services are tailored to the wishes of the guests.- This kind of holiday is especially suitable for a busy business person who just needs to arrive with family and friends. Everything is thought out down to the last detail.
A hidden inn where few Finnish customers have ever been
Finns have also been interested in the destination, but for Finns, price is a much more significant factor when planning a vacation than for many others. As a result, the contacts are usually cut off at the price of the service.
In this destination, you won’t get by with hundreds, but the price of the services is upwards of one and a half thousand euros per person per day.\n – This object will never be sold out, but its availability is very marginal. The intention is not to get a lot of people here. The price already has an effect on the fact that not just anyone can get here, and the aim is to keep the place known to a small circle.
Preparing for the weeks
Marika Portti says that lapxurylomat are not ready-made vacation packages that can be bought online, but their planning can take weeks.
– Hundreds of emails are not uncommon. Usually things are handled through the client’s secretary, assistant or travel agency, which means that I may not even know the client arriving here until he is there. All the details are implemented according to the customer’s wishes, we know his preferences and other essentials.\n Preparations also require weeks of work before the customer’s arrival.
Caviar as a fast-flying bird
When all the customer’s wishes are fulfilled, taking care of them requires, in addition to good partners, the 24/7 presence and accessibility of one person. The customers’ needs and wishes may change during the holiday and not all wishes have necessarily been communicated in advance.
– Once the lady of a party had a birthday during the vacation and the man wanted to buy forty white roses. They were quickly ordered through a local flower shop from over 500 kilometers away. The second time, a shipment of caviar was flown from Varkaus to Inari as express cargo.\n Santa Claus has also come to the cottage several times along the ice of the lake, pulled by a reindeer, carrying exactly the gifts that the little people in the group have wished for.\n – The mother and children of a family went on a private plane for a day trip to Rovaniemi to see Santa Claus. In between, father took his own time, ice skating on the ice of the lake and thoroughly enjoyed the clean and fresh outdoor air, says Portti.
Growth is faster than in other tourism sectors
The development and marketing of high-level individual tourism services is one of the future trends in Lapland tourism. It is predicted to grow steadily, around five percent per year over the next ten years.
– The definition of luxury tourism is quite broad. There is traditional luxury, then there is this new luxury, which is more self-guided tourism. We are in the ultra luxury business, where customers have experienced everything in the world. All of these have a way of thinking that we live a bit in jees-land, we always have to say yes and the operation is based on the customer’s wishes. I think that is the basis of luxury travel.
According to Siiviko, this kind of tourism suits Lapland very well. There are many small companies in Lapland that are able to tailor services and experiences just for the small families that come here. Especially in Northern Lapland, the situation is promising.
Inari’s hidden inn under a facelift
The villa located on the shore of Inarijärvi is currently undergoing major changes. With the renovation and expansions, it is supposed to better meet the needs of customers, so that you can spend your vacation in the villa without leaving. All services and activities can be carried out under the same roof or in the surrounding area. The companies that are already ready in the locality will help with that.
The newest is a master suite, a staff cabin and a small spa with exercise equipment.
– This makes it possible to produce beauty and wellness services here on site, nowadays when people want to take care of their health also on vacation, says Marika Portti.