Rapid growth in numbers of Chinese and Indian tourists in Finland

Indian tour operator hopes for more Vegetarian restaurants

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The number of citizens of major Asian countries visiting Finland is growing fast. Last year the number of nights spent in Finland by tourists and business travellers from India increased by 45 per cent over 2005.
      According to Statistics Finland, 8,300 Indians checked into Finnish hotels last year, spending a total of 40,000 nights. The latter figure is nearly double that of 2004.
     
Travel by Chinese citizens in Finland increased by 30 per cent last year, reaching a total of 94,000 nights spent by Chinese travellers.
      The growing flow of Asians is attributed to Helsinki's advantageous position on the eastern edge of Europe, as well as to the increase in Asian services of the Finnish national carrier Finnair, and the overall growth in travel between Europe and Asia.
     
Finnair began a direct service from Helsinki to Delhi in October, and flights to Mumbai are scheduled to begin in June.
      Prabodh Tipnis, CEO of Global Aviation, which represents Finnair in India, and which organises travel from India to Finland, says that many Indian travellers are interested in Finland because they have already been in other parts of Europe.
      "Finland is a new place for them", he says.
      With its more than one billion inhabitants, India has many well-to-do residents who can afford travel to the West.
      Tipnis says that in addition to sight-seeing, many Indians who travel to the West also like shopping, which puts Finland, with its relatively high consumer prices, at something of a disadvantage.
     
However, Lapland and Santa Claus interest Indians as well, Tipnis says.
      A typical Asian tourist spends two or three days in Helsinki, and a few also visit Rovaniemi.
      Tipnis predicts that this year's high season for Indians will be in March and April.
      "There will certainly be growth."
      Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland, remains off the beaten track for most Indian travellers.
      Last year they spent just 488 nights in Rovaniemi, which is one fifth of one percent of the total of nights spent by foreign visitors in the city. There was 65 per cent growth from the previous year.
     
Food is a big challenge in catering to the needs of Indian tourists. Prabodh Tipnis says that most of the Indians who travel are vegetarians.
      There are Indian restaurants in Helsinki, but in other parts of the country, getting the right kind of food can be problematic. "I would like to see more Indian restaurants - perhaps even in Rovaniemi", Tipnis says.
     
Cultural differences pose a challenge when dealing with Chinese visitors as well. Chinese often prefer Chinese food, and would also like to have tourist services in their own language.
      So far, there have been no special efforts to market Finnish Lapland to the growing numbers of Chinese international travellers. Minna Kurttila, CEO of Lapland Travel Ltd., says that caution is needed before entering a market the size of China's.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  COMMENTARY: Halonen sells Finland in India (30.1.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat