Number of Russian Tourists to Finland decreased by 50 per cent

The Russians lost leadership by number of overnights in Finnish hotels to the tourists from Great Britain, as Yle says. According to data from Statistical Centre, the number of nights spent by Russian tourists at Finnish hotels in December 2014 dropped down by 52.1 per cent till 75.5 thousand.

In December 2014, the number of nights spent by international tourists at accommodation establishments in Finland totaled 500 thousand (among them 136 thousand were tourists from Great Britain) which was 10 per cent down of the year before.

The tourists’ flow from Russia to Finland continues to fall down even after New Year’s holidays. In January 2014 the traffic on the Russian-Finnish border decreased by more than 30 per cent. Mirka Rakhman, the Head of PR Department of Lappenranta municipality, associated it with current rate of ruble when good in services in euro became twice more expensive. She also noted that number of Russian tourists coming recently to Finland is equal to result of year 2012. The number of Russians is expected to grow again in fall.

In comparison to 2013, the number of Russian tourists to Finland dropped down by 11 per cent, according to data of Arto Asikainen, Director of Visit Finland, Representative Russia and CIS. The decrease was stated all months, in particular in May, July, and August. Currency fluctuation resulted in big drop of trips to Finland in May 2014. The decrease of tourists’ flow in July and August was determined by collapse of confident after series of tour operators’ bankrupts.