Jingle Hell: Overtourism Frustrates Some Locals At Finland’s Santa Claus Village | rssama.com

ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP) — Shuffling crossed icy crushed connected a acold December afternoon, tons of tourer groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement parkland perched connected nan separator of nan Arctic Circle.

They frolic successful nan snow, return a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail successful an crystal barroom aliases moreover meet Saint Nick himself successful nan superior of Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi, which happily calls itself nan “official hometown of Santa Claus.”

The Santa Claus Village taxable park, which attracts much than 600,000 group annually, is particularly celebrated during nan vacation season.

“This is for illustration my dream came true,” beamed Polish visitant Elzbieta Nazaruk. “I’m really excited to beryllium here.”

Tourists gathered astatine Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement parkland perched connected nan separator of nan Arctic Circle, successful Rovaniemi, Finland.

via Associated Press

Tourism is booming successful Rovaniemi — which has edifice and edifice owners, arsenic good arsenic metropolis officials, excited arsenic it brings tons of money to nan town.

However, not everyone is happy astir nan onslaught of visitors, 10 times nan town’s population, each twelvemonth astatine Christmas time.

“We are worried astir nan overgrowth of tourism. Tourism has grown truthful rapidly, it’s not anymore successful control,” said 43-year-old Antti Pakkanen, a photographer and personnel of a lodging web that successful September organized a rally done nan city’s streets.

It’s a emotion that has been echoed successful different celebrated European recreation destinations, including Barcelona, Amsterdam, Malaga and Florence.

Across nan continent, locals person protested against “over-tourism” — which mostly describes nan tipping constituent astatine which visitors and their rate extremity benefiting residents and alternatively origin harm by degrading historical sites, overwhelming infrastructure and making life markedly much difficult for those who unrecorded there.

Now, it seems to person dispersed north, each nan measurement to nan edges of nan Arctic Circle.

Rovaniemi counted a grounds 1.2 cardinal overnight visitors successful 2023, almost 30 percent maturation connected 2022, aft rebounding from pandemic recreation disruptions.

“Nordic is simply a trend,” Visit Rovaniemi CEO Sanna Karkkainen, said arsenic she stood successful an crystal restaurant, wherever snowfall carvers were moving nearby.

“People want to recreation to cool countries to spot nan snow, to spot nan Northern Lights, and, of course, to spot Santa Claus,” she added.

Thirteen caller formation routes to Rovaniemi Airport opened this year, bringing passengers from Geneva, Berlin, Bordeaux and more. Most visitors travel from European countries for illustration France, Germany and nan UK, but Rovaniemi’s entreaty has besides dispersed further.

Hotel readiness is scarce this winter, and Tiina Määttä, wide head of nan 159-room Original Sokos Hotel, expects 2024 to break much records.

Local critics of wide tourism opportunity galore flat buildings successful Rovaniemi’s metropolis halfway are besides utilized for accommodation services during highest play and are frankincense nary longer disposable for residential use. They opportunity nan proliferation of short-term rentals has driven up prices, squeezed retired semipermanent residents, and turned its metropolis halfway into a “transient abstraction for tourists.”

Finnish rule prohibits master accommodation services successful buildings intended for residential use, truthful campaigners are calling connected authorities to act.

“The rules must beryllium enforced better,” said Pakkanen.

Not everyone agrees. Mayor Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio notes immoderate make “good money” connected short-term rentals.

Either way, stricter regulations apt won’t beryllium successful spot to effect this wintertime season, and contempt nan unease expressed by locals, wide tourism to Rovaniemi is astir apt only going to turn successful 2025 — arsenic visitors want to acquisition nan unsocial ambiance up north, particularly during nan vacation season.

“It’s Christmas clip and we would emotion to spot nan Northern Lights,” says Joy, a visitant from Bangkok. “Rovaniemi seems to beryllium a bully place.”