No Christmas Cheer as Pandemic Batters Finland’s Rovaniemi Tourism

At tour company Safarctica, which offers snowmobile tours and ice-swimming, Sales Director Antti Antikainen reckons bookings are set to fall 50-80 percent this year, adding: "I think it's closer to 80 percent."

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Tourism-oriented firms, which employ around 8 percent of people in the region, have already started laying off workers and many have little hope that the festive season can be saved unless the government eases some of its travel restrictions soon.

"At this very moment my answer would be that Christmas is canceled," said Harri Mallinen, who runs the Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi.

(Writers: Attila Czer, Tarmo Virki | Editors: Simon Johnson, Gareth Jones)

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-santa/christmas-in-danger-as-santas-lapland-home-feels-pandemic-chill-idUSL8N2H71J8