Norway’s cheap krona is both a good thing and a bad thing. At the moment, from Utsjoki, it is worth going to the grocery store on the Norwegian side, but going to work across the border is not worth it.
Yle previously reported that a rush of tourists is expected in Norway due to the cheap krone. For travelers, the krona’s exchange rate is beneficial, but those who work in Norway from the Finnish side suffer from the weak currency, for example.
In Utsjoki, many people work on the Norwegian side and receive their salary in kroner to a Norwegian bank.
The exchange rate invoice bites when the salary paid in kroner is transferred from a Norwegian bank account to a bank in Finland.
– My husband and I both work on the Norwegian side. We lose hundreds of euros every month.
According to Kynkänniemi, living on the border has its advantages in the current situation. Gasoline is now clearly cheaper in Norway than in Finland.
– On the Finnish side, 95-octane gasoline costs roughly 2.11 euros per liter and in Norway 1.75 when the price is translated into euros.
At the moment, according to Kynkänniemi, it is worth going to the grocery store on the Norwegian side from Utsjoki, thanks to the weak krone.
– The weakest krone is for those of us who go to work in Norway and live in Finland and pay our bills in Finland.
In Kilpisjärvi, the drop in the krona exchange rate can be seen in the average purchases
– The average purchase has decreased a bit and now we buy slightly cheaper products than what Norwegians normally buy here.
80–90 percent of Kilpishalli’s clientele consists of Norwegians.
During the Corona period, Kilpishall’s turnover dropped by 80-90 percent in some places, but Rousu no longer believes in such declines.
– There may be a small decline, but there is no major collapse in sight here, Rousu mentions.
On the island of Senja in Torsken, we are waiting for the beginning of the tourist season
Laine thinks that the drop in the kroon’s exchange rate will slightly increase Finns’ desire to travel, but it is impossible to say anything about the numbers.
According to Laine’s observations, tourists’ interest in Senja Island has increased all the time.
– Yes, this village of Torsken was really quiet at one point and there was only this Wilsgård fish farming facility here. In general, villages and services have been developed on the island of Senja for both locals and tourists.
Laine graduated as a batch guide last year from the Lappian Pello unit. His purpose is to guide Finns, among others, in Senja and Torsken.
– Finns especially travel here in the summer, when there are a lot of them, although I can’t say the exact numbers. In winter, you hardly see Finns.