Travelling to Lapland has never been cheap for Europeans. The programme services industry believes that the plans of those who want to visit Lapland will not be ruined by higher electricity bills.
The plight of the tourism and hospitality sector seems so deep that the trade union is calling for state support for businesses. But there is at least one bright spot in the sector. Safari operators in Lapland report that bookings are now at peak levels.
– On the positive side, Lapland is one of the more expensive destinations. So tourists coming here may not be so sensitive to cost effects. But time will tell.
– If you put into perspective how much a Brit pays for a package holiday to Lapland, then yes, they have built up the wealth to do it and decided to come. I don’t think that decision will be reversed for a small amount of money.
Levi’s husky park received customers from six flights of the British travel agency TUI last winter. This winter, British customers are coming from 16 flights. Own dogs and sled drivers are no longer enough, and Jääskeläinen has agreed to cooperate with another entrepreneur.
Reservations are falling earlier than ever
The increase in the price of electricity also affects safari companies, but not as much as hotels. Snowmobiles eat expensive fuel, but reindeer and huskies don’t.
– The accommodation is warm with geothermal heat, and at the turn of the year a long-term electricity contract was concluded, which is affordable compared to current prices.
Reservations have come from many different parts of Europe and the United States.
– Last season was already quite good, but now the bookings have come much earlier. Last year, they started arriving at the end of October and in November.
Happy Fox’s reservations must also be paid very quickly, so they are money earned from the entrepreneur’s point of view.
Airport baggage frenzy boosts popularity of direct flights
The positive economic prospects of Lapland’s program service companies emerged in the business barometer published in September by Finnish entrepreneurs, Finnvera and the Ministry of Labor and Economy. Overall, the situation in the restaurant and tourism industry is such that 15 percent of the companies do not think they will survive until spring at these energy and food prices.
By the beginning of December, it will be clear whether the optimism of the safari companies has been justified. Travel agencies that bring tourists from other parts of Europe have received their money, or the energy effects of the Russian war have made those planning a vacation to save their travel money.
As far as individual travelers are concerned, the sales season hasn’t even started at Lapland Safaris yet.
– They make reservations with very short notice, so it will become clear over the course of the winter how the business is doing, says Rami Korhonen.
According to Korhonen, the realization of the trips ultimately depends on the durability of the wallet. Lapland is interesting as a destination, and nature experiences in open landscapes fit well with current tourism trends.
The new, direct flight routes from Europe to Lapland are also an even stronger asset in a situation where bags are lost and flights are delayed at crowded crossings.
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