SANTA CLAUS IS GETTING NEW NEIGHBOURS – TOURISTS ARRIVE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland located in the Arctic Circle and known as the official hometown of Santa Claus, will build a tourist resort capable of accommodating 4,000 guests due to a steady increase in visitor numbers, reports Yle.

PHOTO: Ilustracija

This represents a major expansion of accommodation capacity, as the largest existing centres outside the city, Pajakila and Apukka, currently offer around 1,700 overnight places in total.

The tourist resort under construction will be situated deep in the forest at the end of a gravel road, and the first facilities with several hundred beds are expected to be completed in cabins in Oleronvaara for this winter season.

So far, the lack of tourist accommodation in Rovaniemi has been compensated by short-term room rentals offered by local residents.

During the construction of the new resort in Oleronvaara near Rovaniemi, the forested nature of the area is to be preserved, with buildings designed to blend into the surrounding landscape, and trees protected wherever possible.

Currently, work is underway at 20 construction sites, divided into smaller sections for different companies.

If the entire area is completed according to plan, the city will receive an annual rental income of approximately 150,000 euros.