Lapland tourism turns to Eastern Europe

British holidaymakers have long dominated Lapland’s international tourism market but the region is now looking towards Russia and central Europe to bolster its visitor numbers.

The global economic downturn has hit tourism to the Arctic region particularly hard, with experts not predicting a recovery until late 2010. While Lapland is undergoing a slow but steady resurgence in incentive travel, the customary Christmas peak season outlook remains grim.

Tourism operators in the United Kingdom, the traditional mainstay of Lapland travel, have confirmed that flight bookings will continue to show effects of the recession until December next year reports Helsinki Times. “Internationally, Lapland’s most important source of tourism is the United Kingdom. During the Christmas season in particular, tourists have traditionally come from there,” says Finavia sales manager Thomas Kingelin.

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