Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
interviewing Finnish tourism specialists repre-
senting transport operators, the Finnish Ski
Area Association, spas, the Association of the
Finnish Tourism Industry and persons responsi-
ble for tourism marketing in the cities of Helsinki
and Turku.
One important impact relates to changes in
air traffic and the EU 'open skies' policy. After
the Baltic countries' accession, air traffic
increased considerably. The price level for the
national airlines in the Baltic countries is now
generally lower than in other EU countries as a
response to the arrival of budget airlines.
Favourable air fares have clearly increased tra-
velling in general, not merely shifting passen-
gers from other modes of transport or from
other airlines.
It is believed that the Baltic countries attract
mid-European tourists for their history with
the Soviet Union. Moreover, accessibility from
mid-Europe to the Baltic countries is easier
than, for example, to Helsinki. Mid-European
tourists travelling to the Baltic countries by car
do not have to cross the sea, while by plane
they are an hour earlier at their destination. It is
believed that travel will increase considerably
when the Baltic countries join the Schengen
Treaty and the Euro zone, and as infrastructure
improves further. The accession of the Baltic
countries into the EU has strengthened Western
Europeans' feeling of security towards travelling
to the Baltic region.
Today, Finland, as well as Helsinki, is posi-
tioned as a part of Scandinavia, and the image
is Scandinavian. It will be interesting to see in
the future if, and how, the tour operator sector will
combine Helsinki with Baltic countries. Already
today one can find several tour operators which
have at least included Helsinki as a destination
in their Baltic brochure (e.g. Dertour, Mare
Balticum Reisen).
in the Baltic countries for many years. Initially,
the possible increase in the number of tourists
will be caused by business travel. Nevertheless,
the image of Finland in the Baltic States is positive
and Finland has received a lot of media publicity.
Finland is still the nearest destination, or at least
the most easily accessible European destination,
especially for the Estonians, and, for example,
Finnish amusement parks offer very attractive
family tourism destinations.
The Baltic countries' accession is believed
to have the biggest impact on Estonian tourists,
but the majority of these new tourists are likely
only to visit Helsinki and the surrounding area.
The tourist office of Helsinki estimated that even
in the longer-term the maximum growth in tour-
ist numbers would only be about 4%. Yet EU
membership has made it easier to travel from
Estonia to Finland and the demand for tourism
products has clearly diversified. In addition to
Helsinki, now more tourists are interested, for
example, in ski centres in southern Finland. Due
to high prices of fuel in Finland, typical Estonian
tourists travelling by car drive only as far as they
can get with the fuel they have bought in their
home country. Consequently, in winter the ski
centres in southern, and perhaps some in southern
mid-Finland benefit most. For example, the ski
centre of Himos is marketing heavily in Estonia.
Currently, the driving distance is too long and
plane tickets are far too expensive for a typical
Estonian tourist to travel to Lapland.
Because of easy travel between Tallinn and
Helsinki, Helsinki could serve as a starting and
return point for American and Japanese tourists
making a tour in the Baltic countries. This could,
however, also create a threat. At present, Tallinn
offers added value to Helsinki as a day-trip desti-
nation. In the future, the situation could reverse:
Tallinn might be the main destination, from
where tourists will visit Helsinki for a day-trip.
This can result from lower price levels and deve-
loping air connections. In the international mar-
kets Helsinki has until now promoted Tallinn at
its own expense. In the future, it will be important
to have a common marketing plan, as Tallinn
puts more effort into marketing.
Impacts of EU integration on the protection
of the Baltic Sea may be significant. With the
Baltic countries within the sphere of the
EU's environmental laws, there are better possi-
bilities for cooperation in the protection and
Opportunities for the Finnish tourism
industry following EU accession
of the Baltic countries
It is thought that integration into the EU will
not enhance travel from the Baltic countries to
Finland significantly. Considering the small
population and its weak economic situation, it
is unlikely that leisure travel will increase greatly
Search WWH ::




Custom Search