Discussion heated up on tourism at a city event in Rovaniemi

Emotions were running high as more than a hundred people talked about tourism in Rovaniemi. The most passionate opinions were about short term rentals.

The debate heated up when the City of Rovaniemi organised a discussion forum on tourism and published the results of the survey on Tuesday. A total of around 65 people attended the event at Arktikum, with a further 40 people participating remotely.

The biggest concern in Rovaniemi tourism is short term rentals.

The terms can confuse and take the debate on short-term rentals in the wrong direction. Some people talk about illegal accommodation, and others take offence when they are accused of being criminals.

The law and the rules regarding short rental are still underway. However, the residential formula does not allow hotel activities or regular accommodation.

Entrepreneur is cranky, does not feel he is a criminal

Autioniemi says he is short renting two detached houses in Lapland. He gets income from it to start the publishing company. Tourism benefits the sale of the books he published.

Autioniemi calls for the responsibility of large investors in short leasing. He says that big investors can buy up to hundreds of apartments and practice short rent, but is not registered as accommodation.

– If Rovaniemi has 2,200 short rentals, how many of them are owned by large housing investment companies in Southern Finland? All defending this activity has now been left to the locals, now they are said to the shoulders of small people, he says.

The city receives criticism of the defense of the penalty payment he experiences as unfair.

– Entrepreneurship and accomplishment should be rewarded. Doing things should be a encouragement, says Autioniemi.

Ritva Anttila emphasizes that it does not oppose tourism as such.

– Short rental where your own home is rented for a holiday season, for example 30 days, it’s okay.

Antti Autioniemi understands the residents’ concerns, but does not see the growth of waste charges as a problem in apartment buildings. According to him, these apartments are empty in the summer, that is, outside the peak season.

There are many different views on short rentals: ordinary residents, rental home for travelers and entrepreneurs with an investment apartment or a couple for short rental. There are also large investors with several apartments. Local hotel and accommodation entrepreneurs, whose bread is eaten, especially in the summer, outside the peak season, also add to the debate.

In winter, the top season, the capacity of the hotels would not be enough for the current number of tourists without short rental.