Foreign tourist arrivals to Finland are slowly recovering from the collapse caused by the pandemic.
He expects Europeans to be in the black by 2025.
– Non-European tourists will have to wait years to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Tourism in Häme needs international tourists
– There were really two reasons. The rise in costs and the fact that now you can also go abroad. It is a phenomenon throughout Finland.
According to Forsman, when Finns head abroad in the Lahti region, mutual investment is made in the return of foreign tourists.
– It has now been three years since the homeland. It’s time to wake up the service culture for international guests again, says Forsman.
Travellers are not interested in municipal boundaries
According to Ninni Mannen, nature, hiking trails, culture and well-being are Häme’s tourist assets. Ready-made tourism products are currently being built, says Ninni Manninen.
\\- In the eyes of a tourist, it doesn’t matter which municipality you are in.
Riihimäki Glass Museum, Lopen Reindeer Trail, Räyskälä Aviation Center’s events and even Mommila’s Village Shop are destinations that interest tourists. Local life from different angles, says Manninen.
Taking into account the different needs of tourists
Ninni Manninen hopes for more high-quality accommodation in Hämesee.
Lahti Region’s Raija Forsman also reminds us of basic everyday life, such as menus in English.
At the same time, he mentions an example of consideration of different target groups related to the Iron Man Games to be held in Lahti next summer:
– Sports enthusiasts have different special needs. For example, triathletes want their bikes in their hotel room. Hotels in the Lahti region accept it, says Forsman.