Jobless huskies in Arctic Finland travelling south for work
The collapse of the tourism industry in Lapland has meant thousands of sledding dogs are out of work.
The pandemic has hit the tourism industry hard in northern Finland, and the collapse in Lapland in particular has meant thousands of sled dogs have been out of work for the past year.
According to a survey by the Finnish Lapland Tourist Board (LME), more than 60 percent of Christmas season reservations for trips to the region were cancelled last year.
There are usually an estimated 5,000–7,000 sled dogs in Lapland during the winter season. Some holiday operators have publicly said that if the survival of their companies is at stake, and they can no longer afford to keep their dogs, and they may have to be put down.
Kennel facilities offered free of charge
Among those to feel the effects of the economic downturn and coronavirus restrictions are 100 huskies from Husky Park, located in Rovaniemi, Lapland.
Mari Nenonen, a dog kennel entrepreneur from Kotka had the idea to offer her kennel facilities to be used free of charge by a struggling husky safari company. As a result, 30 Siberian Huskies will now travel from the Arctic Circle to the city of Kotka on the southern coast of Finland.
The dog kennel owner has been taken aback by the level of interest for husky sled rides in the south of the country. The phone lines have not stopped ringing, and the kennel’s booking system has been flooded with reservations, she said.
“The demand has been amazing. Within a day, we had over 100 reservations,” said Nenonen.
The dogs will arrive in Kotka in mid-February – which coincides with the winter holidays – and they are expected to be busy after a long, idle winter.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: “It’s a scary situation we’re living in today” – Arctic Tourism & the Pandemic Podcast: Ep 2, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: How not to promote Arctic tourism, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland’s ‘COVID-19 passport’ offers preview of debate over post-vaccine travel, CBC News
Norway: Norwegian Arctic wilderness tourism hit particularly hard by coronavirus, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: All Russia’s North Pole cruises rescheduled to 2021, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Summer tourism recovery is slow going in Sweden, Yle News
United States: Airline shutdown creates new challenges for rural Alaska, The Associated Press
