Finnish Lapland saw biggest 2024 tourism increase
Tourism revenue in Finland decreased last year compared to the previous year, according to a study by Visitory, a travel data consultancy.
Direct tourism revenue in the key areas of Finland it studied amounted to some 5.81 billion euros in 2024, a decline of 4.4 percent from the previous year.
The results are based on 47 municipalities and sub-districts. Of these, Helsinki raked in the largest tourism revenue, 1.4 billion euros.
Tampere, some 200km north of the capital, was a distant second, earning 504 million euros last year, down by 13 percent from the year before. Helsinki’s revenue also fell compared to 2023.
The biggest rise in direct tourism revenue was in Finnish Lapland. Revenues grew the most in the northern regional capital, Rovaniemi, which saw an increase of almost 15 percent.
Direct tourism revenue refers to the money spent by visitors in a specific region or municipality, minus VAT.
Finns scrimp, international visitors spend more
Spending by Finnish tourists decreased in most of the municipalities included in the study.
That explains why many municipalities’ tourism revenue decreased last year from 2023, even though there was a slight increase in overnight stays in some places, the company said.
Across the country, the number of registered overnight stays by Finnish tourists decreased by approximately five percent, while unregistered overnight stays increased by 19 percent.
Foreign tourists’ spending, on the other hand, increased from the previous year.
The number of overnight stays by foreign tourists in hotels increased by just over 10 percent. However, Airbnb flats and other lodgings saw growth of as much as one-third compared to 2023.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Indigenous tourism in Canada gets $35M a year in push to rebuild the industry, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Not-so snowy start to winter casts a gloomy shadow over Lapland tourisms, Yle News
Greenland: New Copenhagen-Kangerlussuaq flight aims to boost Greenland tourism, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland moving ahead on better ways to manage tourism & safeguard protected areas, Eye on the Arctic
Sweden: Reindeer herding affected by increased tourism in Swedish mountains, Radio Sweden
