Economic crisis hits Santa Claus
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi is experiencing a downfall in the number of visitors. The number of Christmas charters to airports in Northern Finland is falling to the level where it was in 2004.
Airports in the north of Finland expect to get 132 fewer charter flights of Christmas tourists than last season. The decline is the largest in the history of Christmas tourism in the north of Finland, Yle.fi wrote in the beginning of December.
Rovaniemi, the Finnish Santa Claus capital, is losing its position as the centre of Christmas tourism. This season, 132 charters will land at the Rovaniemi airport. A year ago the number was 187, indicating a decline of nearly 30 percent.
Kittilä, host of the successful Levi ski resort, is gaining at Rovaniemi’s Expense. Kittilä airport is expected to receive 141 planes this season. This is still less than one year ago.
Some 600,000 people visits Levi ski resort annually and the construction boom continues. As BarentsObserver reported, some €450 million is invested in new hotels, restaurants and apartments over the last three years. This year, a €20 million new spa-complex is under construction and 17 new pools will soon be opened.
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