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13Ермакова Полина Андреевна
студент Факультета международного туризма, спорта и гостиничного бизнеса, Финансовый университет при Правительстве РФ, Россия, г. Москва, студент по обмену факультета туризма и гостеприимства, Сайменский университет прикладных наук, Финляндия, г. Иматра
po.ermakova@gmail.com
Финско-российский туризм: новая реальность
Аннотация
Финский туристический сектор нуждается в дополнительной информации о российских туристах, поскольку их значение в Финляндии возросло. В последние годы россияне стали самой большой группой иностранных туристов в финских гостиницах. Согласно статистике, в настоящее время в Финляндии большое количество российских туристов, но так как в 2016 году был большой шаг назад, у финского правительства все еще есть много возможностей для привлечения россиян в Финляндию.
Ключевые слова
туризм, туристический поток, российско-финский туризм, статистика
Polina A. Ermakova
student of Faculty of international tourism, sports and hotel business, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, exchange student of tourism and hospitality faculty, Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, Imatra, Finland po.ermakova@gmail.com
Finnish-Russian tourism: new reality
Abstract
The Finnish tourism sector needs more information about Russian tourists, because their importance has increased in Finland. In recent years, R u ssians have become the largest group of foreign tourists in Finnish hotels. According to statistics, there are currently a large number of Russian tourists in Finland, but since in 2016 there was a big step back, the Finnish government still has many opportunities to attract Russians to Finland.
Keywords
tourism, tourist flow, Russian-Finnish tourism, statistics
Introduction
Finland is one of the closest European neighbors with Russia, especially for St. Petersburg and its northwestern region. Finland, due to its good infrastructure, is also very easy and quick to reach by car, express, plane and bus. Finnish visa is quick and easy to get compared to some other European countries.
Russia has a fairly large impact on the tourism industry in Finland. To appreciate this, it is enough to recall the year 2015. Most of the decline in tourist traffic from Russia was felt in hotels. The number of nights spent by Russians in Finland from January to September has almost halved.
In order to attract tourists for the New Year and Christmas, Finnish property owners have cut prices by about 20%, bringing them closer to value before the ruble exchange rate
© П.А. Ермакова, 2019
falls.
At the same time, the Lappeenranta office reported that although the flow of tourists from Russia had significantly decreased, the total number of overnight stays in the city decreased by only 8%, since hotels began to attract more tourists from Finland and other countries.
In 2015, the Finns themselves really began to book more cottages for the New Year holidays. Firstly, because of the cost reduction, and secondly, because of the small number of Russian tourists. Simply put, before the Finns simply did not have time to book, as the Russians had organized their vacation in advance.
The absence of those who want to go to Finland also hit travel agencies and carriers who organized tours to the country. Tourists mainly choose day trips. And the demand is no longer on purchases, but on excursion routes. This, in turn, affects the business of Finnish
stores. Many shops went broke. Of the large ones, for example, the Orchid shop, which opened in 2013: it was designed mainly for Russians, and now there are almost no Russians. Border stores also suffer from the fact that there are no tourists. We are talking about small stores and big brands such as Seppala.
Earlier, the media wrote about several cases where shops in Finland were closed precisely because of the lack of tourists from Russia. It was reported that in the eastern part of the country, some clothing stores stopped working.
At the same time, the Lappeenranta representative office stated that there are no mass closures of Finnish stores: only those that are focused only on Russian buyers are closed, but these are isolated cases. In addition, the stores experienced difficulties not primarily because of the lack of Russian tourists, but because of the reduction in the number of Finnish buyers.
Finnish touristic destinations
Finland is considered safe, and the Finns offer friendly service. Another important attractive factor is that the price level in Finland is the most affordable compared to all other Scandinavian destinations. These are the most important common travel drivers. The capital of the state is Helsinki. Being a modern western megalopolis, it keeps the mood of a charming European province. This is a land of amazing landscapes: here, and the winding shores of the Gulf of Finland, and dense forests, and well-groomed streets with neoclassical architecture. Among the main attractions are the medieval fortress of Sveaborg, the temppeliaukio church carved into the rock, the Aleksanterinkatu shopping street. And there are many museums and one of the best in Linnanmaki in Scandinavia.
There are other major cities in Finland that are interesting for tourists. Kuopio, surrounded by Lake Kallavesi and almost half covered with forests, is an ideal place for outdoor recreation. Tampere is surrounded by
a chain of almost 200 lakes, rest on the beaches can be combined with excursions: what is worth only the cathedral, more like an ancient castle. It is better to go to Turku in the summer: during noisy festivals, you can listen to rock and jazz, wander around fairs - in general, feel the festive mood.
As for winter travel, comfortable Finnish cottages and pure nature with plenty of snow in Eastern Finland, Lakeland and Lapland are always attractive in combination with numerous SPA-hotels and city shopping trips. Helsinki is a very popular holiday destination in the winter. Another key driver of the winter is a variety of quality ski resorts in Finland, the most popular of which are Vuokatti, Ruka and Levi. Santa Claus and Rovaniemi are popular with families. In short, during the winter holidays in Finland, Russians tend to look for cottage holidays in combination with activities such as skiing, as well as for city walks and shopping.
A trip to Finnish lakes often begins in Lahti, which is geographically close to the famous Lake Paijanne. And the largest reservoir in the country - Lake Saimaa - is in Imatra. Imatra is one of the most popular shopping cities in Finland. In such a small town there are many shopping centers. At the weekend, a huge number of tourists come to this city to buy something for themselves.
Finnish-Russian tourism in numbers
Today, Russia with a population of 145 million provides a huge potential market for Finnish tourist trade. About 4.6 million people live in the St. Petersburg region alone, which is located near the Finnish border. This is almost equivalent to the entire Finnish population. Because of this, Russians today are an important part of the Finnish tourist trade. According to the Bank of Finland [1], in 2009 the share of Russian tourists who contributed two billion euros to the international tourism industry in Finland was 31%.
The previous year began to break the record for tourism in Finland and especially in its capital. One of the significant growth
factors was the increase in tourist services by Russians. As the border guard Suomi recently reported, in the past (2017), the Russian-Finnish land border crossed 9.07 million times. Compared to 2016, ground traffic grew by 3%, but still 30% lower than in 2013. Last year, growth was mainly due to Russian tourists: their share in the total number of land border crossings increased from 64% to 70% per year and reached 6,377 million (5,619 million crossings in 2016) in 2017. Especially noticeably increased traffic through checkpoints located near the Leningrad region - Vainikkala (rail link, an increase of 21%). [2]
As can be seen from Figure 1, most Russian travelers travel to Finland in 2017. Since the number of arrivals is growing, and as relations between Russia and Finland improve, it can be assumed that the number of arrivals will continue to grow. Good-neighborly Russian-Finnish relations are characterized by intense political dialogue, strong trade, and a direct connection with cooperation between the regions of North-West Russia [1].
There are more statistics on arriving in Finland. The new one, according to the data, shows us that most tourists in Finland in 2018 were Russians.
Foreigners Foreigners excluding Russians Russians % of Russians
2015 Arrivals 2 622 039,00 2 270 318,00 351 721,00 13,4%
Night spent 5 510 350,00 4 727 502,00 782 848,00 14,2%
2016 Arrivals 2 788 903,00 2 482 109,00 306 794,00 11,0%
Night spent 5 771 275,00 5 073 679,00 697 596,00 12,1%
2017 Arrivals 3 180 254,00 2 798 140,00 382 114,00 12,0%
Night spent 6 742 834,00 5 921 136,00 821 698,00 12,2%
Table 1 /Statistics of arrivals and night spent in Finland [8]
According to statistics provided by Visit Finland, we can notice something. Firstly, in Finland there is an increase in arrivals and overnight stays of Russian tourists. Secondly, we can see that the growth is not so great, and the increase in arrivals is greater than the increase in night-time. One of the main reasons for the growth of Russian-Finnish travel can be the 100th anniversary of the independence of Finland. During the celebration a large advertising campaign was organized. The second fact is the result of many different reasons: mainly due to the small Finnish advertising company in Russia, as well as due to sanctions and economic factors. The latter fact is the result of the location and many different preferences of the natives when traveling to Finland.
According to Figure 2 [4], these statistics reflect the number of arriving visitors to Finland in the period from January to September 2018 by countries of origin. Arrival of a visitor refers to arrival at all accommodation facilities in the relevant year. In the period from January to May 2018, the Finns accounted for the majority of arriving visitors, the number of which exceeded three million. Russian tourists during this period, there were almost 106 thousand.
Why Russian tourists choose Finland?
According to Russian tourists, Finland is a country quite like their homeland and at the same time quite unusual. The local climate and nature are already familiar, and therefore it is easy for tourists to come up with leisure. In
the menu, too, there are dishes for the soul. And the distance does not become an obstacle if you come from a large country.
In addition, there is still a lot that in the eyes of Russians is identified with Finland: quality, reliability, a well-functioning society. The road system is also pretty good, and the customer gets what he paid for.
The cost of oil and the ruble exchange rate are reflected in the amounts that tourists are willing to leave in the country. Shopping tourism has become a way of spending free time.
At the same time, Russian tourists firmly entered the Finnish weekdays. On the Finnish Internet pages there is information including in Russian. Proficiency in Russian is highly valued in the service industry. The menu of restaurants and programs of exhibitions of art museums suggest that their compilers and organizers consider the interests of travelers coming from Russia.
Arrivals in 2017
Russians
382 114,00 11%
■ Foreigners ■ Russians
Figure 1/ Arrivals in Finland in 2018 [8]
Many Russian tourists go to Finland to celebrate the most beloved family holiday - the New Year. In the snowy fabulous Lapland on the mountain Korvatunturi lives Finnish Santa Claus - Joulupukki. And at the foot of the mountain near the town of Rovaniemi is located the village of Santa Claus, and here
lives a fairy tale! All around imbued with Christmas spirit. In this fabulous place you can talk to Santa Claus, see the elves - Santa's helpers and ride reindeer sleigh. Most parents want to give such a fairy tale to their children, but many adults themselves fall into childhood in this snow kingdom: they make snowmen, make snow fortresses and play snowballs.
Do not forget that Finland is one of the countries with the best ecological environment. About 40 national parks are located on the territory of Finland, while the legislation states "the right of every person to nature", according to which national parks are always open to the public. If you are tired of the bustle of the city, then a small Finnish cottage on the lake among the forests is the best place to relax and unite with nature.
If you enjoy outdoor activities, you will surely fall in love with Finland. The national parks are equipped with many routes for jogging and walking. By the way, walking "with ski poles", which only recently gained popularity in Russia, is called Finnish walking. Also, in the country there are many mountain biking trails. In the warmer months, you can go rafting, and in the winter - tubing or skiing and snowboarding. And after physical activity, it is necessary to recover in the Finnish sauna, which is provided in almost every tourist cottage.
The Finnish land is a fishing paradise! The country of a thousand lakes - as often called Finland. For fishing enthusiasts, words are no longer necessary.
The program "South-Eastern Finland - Russia"
Separately, it is worth mentioning the cross-border cooperation program "European Neighborhood Instrument South-Eastern Finland-Russia", which is implemented from 2014 to 2020, was developed on the basis of previous similar programs of 2004-2006 and 2007-2013 and is their logical continuation. The border regions, which are the main ones for this program, include the regions of Finland Kymenlaakso, South Savo and South
Figure 2/Arrivals in Finland in first part of 2018 (from January to July)
Karelia, and on the part of Russia - the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg. The area of the main territory is 117 thousand km2, where 85 thousand km2 comprise the territory of Russia and 32 thousand km2 of the territory of Finland. The main cities of the main program area are Lappeenranta, Imatra, Kouvola, Hamina in Finland; St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Priozersk in Russia. The total population of the main territory is about 7 million people, of which 6.9 million people. citizens of Russia and 470 thousand people. citizens of Finland. Despite these differences in territorial coverage and population size, these regions of Russia and Finland have much
in common: similar geographical location, common border, similar historical development of territories, access to the Gulf of Finland, application of know-how in various areas of life.
The program is designed for the cooperation of these regions in various spheres of life - in the economy, in the social sphere, medicine, culture, as well as in the field of tourism and recreation. The development of a particular area has its priority. In total, the program has 4 development priorities. Tourism is included in the first priority of development in the field of development of entrepreneurship and SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
Thus, in the program, the priority is the mutual promotion of the brands of these regions in the domestic and foreign markets in order to increase the tourist attractiveness of these regions and attract investments. In addition, the development of ecological, historical and cultural tourism, the improvement of the quality of tourist services and infrastructure, the development of new tourist products and the attraction of innovative ideas are encouraged.
city has 221 museums, more than 80 theaters, 100 concert organizations, 45 galleries. In addition, more than 100 festivals are held annually in the city. The Leningrad Region also acts as a center for the development of historical and cultural tourism, as it has on its territory about 4,700 monuments of cultural heritage, including serfs and castle (Staraya Ladoga, Ivangorod, Vyborg, Shlisselburg, Kronstadt, Koporye), church and monastic complexes (Konevsky Christmas-Bogorodsky
Figure 3/Map of the program "South-Eastern Finland - Russia
For the successful implementation of projects in the field of tourism, the program considers the development prospects of a tourism in various regions of this program. For example, St. Petersburg is an important cultural and innovation center, where there is already a diversified range of tourist services and a rich cultural heritage. Thus, it is noted that the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and offers tourists a rich entertainment and educational program - the
Monastery, churches and monasteries of Staraya Ladoga), manors (Rozhdestveno, Priyutino, Thais), military monuments, etc. In addition, the Leningrad Region is a promising region for the development of eco-tourism, (the Vepsky Forest Natural Park, the Yastrebinoye Lake nature reserve, the Lindulovskaya Grove nature reserve).
The regions of Finland in this program are considered as territories for the further development of shopping tourism and, as a
result, the improvement of 28 local retail and entertainment facilities in them (the regions of Kymenlaakso and South Karelia). The region of South Savo has rich natural resources for the development of cottage recreation and fishing tourism. In addition, on the territory of the regions is located a number of historical and cultural attractions and museums (Olavinlinna fortress in Savonlinna, Lappeenranta fortress, Hamina fortress, Lappepranta and Hamina museums).
Ways to increase Russian-Finnish tourist flow
To make the number of arrivals growing faster there are some ways to improve the situation:
- Russian-speaking staff, special offers and tailored content, prolonged opening times - all these are proven to pay off the effort. Adjust and customize the products to the needs of Russian customers as much as possible. Russians are still willing, and again increasingly able, to pay for their trips and services. However, Russians (especially from Saint Petersburg and Moscow) are nowadays quite price-aware and demanding.
- Price does matter at the moment for Russians. In order to get Russians in growing numbers, tours and trips needs to be made more affordable. Middle class income is now lower than before, so in order to keep them loyal and returning - make them an offer they can't refuse.
- Finland is known in Russia of its pure nature and slow living, silence, peace of mind and eco food. These are the keys for success, if these products can be sold in a right package along with a right story. Russians prefer to visit Lapland, especially families. But also, there is a segment of adult ski-travelers. As for now there are a lot of preferences for families, but not for ski-travelers.
Problems of Russian-Finnish tourism
Even though there are several prospects for the development of cross-border tourism between the regions of the North-Western
Federal District, and Finland, there are several problems.
1) Visa mode. One of the problems of the development of cross-border tourism in the border regions of the North-West of Russia and Finland is the existing visa regime. If this process does not cause major problems for Russian citizens, especially residents of St. Petersburg, Leningrad, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk regions and the Republic of Karelia, since for these regions a simplified visa regime is provided, then for Finnish citizens it takes quite a long time and requires a full package of documents and mandatory visa invitations from Russia. In addition, if a citizen of Russia can immediately receive a multiple-entry visa to these countries, the citizens of Finland can receive only one-time visa (except for business trips). Moreover, on arriving in our country and staying in it for more than 3 days, foreign tourists must register with the Federal Migration Service.
2) Passing the border. The work of the border services at the Russian border posts is currently ineffective. If the passage of the Finnish frontier post usually does not take much time, then crossing the Russian border can take more than a few hours.
3) The current political and economic situation in the world. The fall of the ruble, low incomes of most of the Russian population. Economic sanctions from the EU countries have a very strong influence on the exit of Russian citizens abroad. According to statistics, the number of Russian citizens traveling to Finland decreases sharply every year. Another reason is the political situation in the world and propaganda against Europe. Many Russian citizens have become a negative attitude to citizens of European countries and therefore prefer to rest at home. This is a big problem for the development of cross-border tourism, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it can spur its development to establish good-neighborly relations between countries and people.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that today the tourist flow between Russia and Finland is noticeably lower than 5-7 years ago. However, good relations between countries benefit both parties. This is confirmed by the continuation of cross-border programs. I hope that at the end of the program new ones will be created, which will further increase trade between countries, as well as tourist flow.
Scientific director: Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, associate professor Averin Alexander Vladimirovich, Financial University under the Government of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
References
1. The site of the Russian Embassy in Finland URL : https://helsinki.mid.ru/rossijsko-finlandskie-otnosenia
2. Ministry of Labor and Economics of Finland URL: www.mek.fi
3. Official site of Finland URL: www.visitfinland.com
4. The Statistics Portal «Statista» URL: https://www.statista.com/statistics/43552 2/visitor-arrivals-in-finland/
5. «Russians helped Finland beat the tourist record» 17/01/2017 Official website of the news agency RBC URL: https://www.rbc.ru/spb_sz/17/01/2018/5 a5ef8399a7947d785503a5d
6. Bank of Finland - Institute for Economies in Transition. (2010), Venaj a, Viikkokatsaus, 38, pp. 1
7. Internet directory of practical information for tourists «Тонкости» URL: https://tonkosti.ru/Финляндия
8. Official web-site «VisitFinland.stati» URL: http://visitfinland.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en
/VisitFinland/VisitFinland_Majoitustilastot
/020_matk_tau_312.px/?rxid=227b43fd-2432-4e09-a10d-f55b329d4f58
