European tourists now targeting Saimaa – charter planes wanted in Lappeenranta in 2024

Hiekaranta shoreline on Savitaipale's Lepänkanno beach.  The water is almost calm, the sun is shining but there are dark clouds in the sky.
The aim is to make Saimaa an attractive destination for Europeans. Illustration.

The aim is to fly European tourists to Saimaa in electric aircraft.

The project to attract European tourists to Saimaa has received €131 000 in EU funding.

The Saimaa Accessible project is exploring the launch of direct charter flights and other connections from Europe to South Karelia. Charter planes would be wanted in Lappeenranta as early as 2024.

The project links air, rail and road transport, with the aim of creating travel chains that allow tourists to reach Lake Saimaa easily.

The project aims to extend the tourist season to Saimaa’s nature and tourist destinations and to create tourism products for the area. At the same time, networks are being built with international tour operators.

Rising fuel costs and travel expenses affect the choice of travel destination. The goal would be to fly tourists to Saimaa with electric planes.

For the Russian tourists lost to Saimaa tourism, replacement tourists are now being sought specifically from Europe. We want to maintain the image and image of Finland as a peaceful and safe country.

The funding comes from React-EU money, which supports repairing the damage caused by the corona pandemic in the EU. The funding was granted by the regional government of South Karelia.

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