An addition of a tourism fee is proposed in Finland, which is regarded as one of the happiest places on earth, not to discourage tourism but to take control of the effects caused by increased visitor numbers. Finland has a reputation for peaceful living and an abundance of natural beauty and is now considering the implementation of a tax for visitors as a method to assist with providing funds to expand on the condition of the municipality’s public spaces, simplified customer service and overall infrastructure due to the large influx of tourists each year.
The Finnish government is looking to develop an initial recommendation which would give municipalities the option to charge visitors accordingly for using their public spaces, municipalities that do receive large numbers of tourists are now finding they need additional funds to support the services that they provide to tourists.
Municipalities in Finland will have total local control over whether or not to charge visitors using the public spaces in their city with the option to implement a tourism tax being dependent on user numbers for each individual municipality making it possible for municipalities to determine how they collect funds for the large increase in visitor number per year.
This law will apply to all types of visitors to the country, not just those who are traveling internationally. As long as the person is pursuing an activity that supports tourism, it will be expected that they will pay the tourism fee as well as all other taxes associated with those activities.
If enacted as anticipated, the new tax would likely begin to be implemented in 2027. Depending on how the tax is set up in the budgeting process, it may be possible for municipalities to include the expenditures related to the new tax in their respective 2028 budget processes; thus, the actual implementation of the new city tax could happen some time around that point.
One reason that this move is not surprising is that Finland has looked to other major tourist destinations (Venice, Paris, Seville, etc.) to consider the possible tourism tax as a means of increasing funding to address issues related to overcrowding and increasing costs of maintaining and preserving the cultural heritage of those cities. Finland is less affected than most other locations throughout southern Europe by overtourism because of Finland’s location and location, and it appears to be taking proactive measures to prepare for expected continued growth in tourism.
The nation of Finland continues to rely on tourism as an essential factor that contributes to the economy. The variety of things to see in Finland range from historical locations such as the fortress of Suomenlinna, unique architectural structures such as the Temppeliaukio Church, and of course, the vast amount of lakes and national parks throughout the country.
Many people want to travel to Finland during the winter to see snow and enjoy activities in the Arctic; but visitors traveling to Finland in the fall or early spring will most likely come to witness the aurora, or Northern Lights. Each of these four seasons brings a distinct type of tourist to Finland, thus complicating how tourism is administrated.
Finland is not only concerned with simply adding a fee for travelers to enter into the country; it wants to create a balance between growth and sustainability. Finland wants to continue to be one of the happiest places in the world, while opening its borders and allowing visitors from around the world to access Finland’s great beauty and resources.
