The most profitable accommodation businesses in Finland are located in Lapland. A large proportion of international tourists also buy programme services through the accommodation destination.
The skis were spraying on the slopes of Ylläs, even though the season is almost over after Easter in Lapland.
The season has been good, if not record-breaking, in the northern fells.
According to Vuorentaustausta, growth has come from all over Europe, and domestic demand is also at a better level than it was before the koruna.
– Lapland is perceived as interesting. Swedish Lapland, for example, doesn’t have nearly the same kind of infrastructure as we do.
From the point of view of European tourists, Lapland’s worst competitors are, according to Vuorentausta, exotic destinations such as the Caribbean and the United Arab Emirates.
– Lapland is perceived as a safe and relatively nearby destination in that competition, says Vuorentausta.
“If the growth continues, Lapland will be quite full”
International tourists usually come to Lapland for a package trip, which includes not only flights and accommodation but also a possible program.
It’s not always about expensive luxury trips. For example, Aikamatkat Oy offers package trips to Lapland aimed at young people and especially international students.
The company sells students, among other things, inexpensive one-week bus trips from Helsinki to the north with various side programs.
– The margin must then also come from the programs.
For this reason, according to Koistinen, the most profitable accommodation companies in Finland are located specifically in Lapland.
– None of the hotels in Southern Finland offer such great hospitality. In Lapland, accommodation companies also produce program services, and in that way are like tour operators.
Finnish tourists bring less money to businesses because they use less other services.
– Even in Arab countries, locals don’t buy camel safaris, says Koistinen.
Aikamatkat has also made a top result this winter.
– You can say that there has been more than 30 percent growth. Our profitability comes from filling the buses.
According to Koistinen, the company has already taken more than 11,000 young people to Lapland this season.
– If the growth continues at the same level and Chinese tourists also come back, then you can say that Lapland is starting to get quite full, says Koistinen.
Finnish tourists are not really interested in package tours.
For example, Aurinkomatkat is marketing domestic package trips to Lapland during the corona period, but no package trips to the north have been made in the current winter season.
There is no demand.
15000 tourists in Ylläs at Easter
The feeling of the peak season is similar almost everywhere in Lapland.
– Easter was the worst ever in ski resorts, says Vehmas.
In terms of domestic tourists, no records were broken yet from the beginning of the season, but according to Vehmas, there were more international tourists than before.
– The amounts were bigger than before the previous record, i.e. 2019 and the time before the corona.
Growth has been unprecedentedly strong since the pandemic. March of last year in Ylläki was already the best of the measurements up to that point.
– We still haven’t received the number of visitors from March of this year, but if we are behind last year, then very little, says Vehmas.
Self-drive tourists on direct flights from Europe
According to Vehmas, there are also international self-employed tourists in increasing numbers in the northern fell destinations.
According to Vehmas, this is thanks to the direct scheduled flights arriving in Kittilä from France and Germany.
– We have even had a few individual travelers from Spain come from Paris flights.
– Our snow security attracts people, he says.
The number of international customers on the slopes has grown in Levi even during ski holiday weeks, which have traditionally been the golden age for domestic tourists.
– This spring’s March was probably the best ever, says Pesonen.
Tourism in Saariselkä, for example, has also enjoyed a busy season.
– Several operators in our region, both in terms of accommodation, program services and restaurants, have said that the season was \”the best ever\” and the best thing is that the next winter season is also expected to be strong, Summanen states.
*The matter was corrected on 24.4. at 9:30, name Kolehmainen corrected to Koistis.*