Metsähallitus has also noted the significant economic impact of the Punkaharju nature reserve.
The Punkaharju nature reserve and research forests bring significant jobs and money to the region.
According to Metsähallitus statistics, the Punkaharju nature reserve and research forests provide around 200 man-years of work for the area. The total revenue impact of the nature reserve is estimated at EUR 24 million per year.
National parks and other recreational areas generate local income through the use of services such as accommodation, restaurants and programmes by hikers.
Punkaharju had almost 140,000 visits last year. For the sake of comparison, the employment effect of Repovede National Park, which has the same size and number of visits, is only almost 40 person-years. It produces a total revenue effect of 4.5 million euros locally for the region.
– It is due to two factors. The number of visits to Punkaharju, one of the most popular destinations in Eastern Finland, and on the other hand, the fact that Punkaharju has services for tourists to use.
The visitors to Punkaharju are often tourists who come from a long distance to spend time in the Savonlinna region.
Metsähallitus conducts visitor surveys, in which questions are asked every 5–7 years about visitors’ spending of money during the trip.
Nationwide, the state’s conservation and recreation areas provide local jobs for more than three thousand person-years each year.
National parks alone brought more than 275 million euros and more than two thousand person-years to local economies in different parts of Finland.