The recent terrorist attacks in Europe may actually boost Finland's tourism industry, travel experts believe. Even in the absence of tangible data, the specialists argue, that tourists may choose Finland on account of the country's reputation for safety.
According to her, vacationers from Germany and France, two of Europe's largest countries on the demand end of tourism, in general prefer Turkey and Greece. This summer, however, millions of travelers are expected to be on the lookout for other places for recreation on account of growing security concerns in Turkey and the raging immigration crisis in Greece, which functions as the primary site of entry for hundreds of thousands of refugees from across the Mediterranean Sea.
Going to traditional Finnish cabins —"mökki" is the key to Finnish lifestyle https://t.co/IfTeS255kV pic.twitter.com/kP3kzu7oEE via @OurFinland
— thisisFINLAND (@thisisFINLAND) 25 марта 2016 г.
Last year, Finland's hotels and guesthouses recorded a total of 5.5 million overnight stays, which marked a significant 4-percent-drop in comparison with the year before. Finland turned out to be one of the EU countries which were hardest hit by the EU-imposed sanctions against Russia, a long-standing partner in tourism, with numerous regions adjacent to the Finnish border enjoying considerable visa privileges.
Among tourists, Finland is primarily recognized for its nature, boasting robust pleasures such as lake kayaking, mushrooming and sauna.
Susanna Saastamoinen of the sales department of Karelia Expert, says tourists take a lively interest in traditional Finnish culture, booking workshops in playing the kantele and baking Karelian pies.
