Finnish amusement parks seek year-round visitors

Finnish amusement parks are closing their gates as schools reopen, but operators are looking for ways to extend their seasons, Yle reports. Moominworld in Naantali has already closed for the winter, while Linnanmäki and Särkänniemi are now open only at weekends.

Visitor numbers fell after the start of the school year. Many amusement park employees are students who have returned to school.

At Moominworld, the closure came at the end of the summer season, despite warm weather in late August. Marketing director Ann-Karin Koskinen said the park has a large number of student employees who leave for their autumn activities.

Linnanmäki remained fully open longer than the other amusement parks this year, operating until last week. Chief executive Satu Järvelä said the decision was based particularly on foreign tourists.

“There were tourists who had come to Helsinki, many Swedes and, pleasingly, many Estonians,” Järvelä said.

Linnanmäki attracts Estonian visitors because the Baltic countries do not have a permanent amusement park, according to the report. Ferry connections also make it possible to visit Helsinki on a day trip.

For Särkänniemi, an amusement park in Tampere, the journey from Estonia is longer. Chief executive Mikko Hautasaari said the number of foreign visitors was not yet sufficient to keep the park open every day after schools began.

“Although the holiday season continues in many countries until the end of August and foreign travellers are making a positive contribution in Tampere, their numbers alone are not yet enough to enable Särkänniemi to open daily once schools have started,” Hautasaari said.

Estonian visitors have also found their way to Moominworld, alongside Swedish and Norwegian tourists. The park has received many visitors from Poland over the past two years.

Warmer seasons could extend operations

Amusement park operators expect extreme weather events linked to climate change to affect their businesses in the future.

“Heatwaves, heavy rain and strong winds can affect individual days and the use of rides, but warmer springs and autumns could also make a longer operating season possible,” Hautasaari said.

Särkänniemi hopes to develop into an increasingly year-round attraction, with visitors coming outside Finland’s summer holiday season. Moominworld is also continually considering how its grounds could be used after the summer.

Järvelä said Linnanmäki would like to try holding a Christmas event, as Helsinki receives many tourists during the Christmas holidays.

Ministry reviews views on school holidays

The length and timing of Finnish pupils’ summer holidays have been debated for a long time. Moving the holidays later would aim to make Finland’s school and holiday periods more compatible with those in the rest of Europe.

The Ministry of Education and Culture requested views on the issue in the spring, with the deadline expiring in July. The submissions are being reviewed by Minna Bálint, a senior ministerial adviser at the ministry.

According to the ministry, 213 submissions were received. They included 158 from organisations and various communities and 73 from private individuals.

Bálint said the number of submissions from private individuals was exceptional.

“The holiday issue clearly interests people. The purpose of the memorandum was to start a discussion about school holiday periods; it was not a government proposal. Some respondents may have overlooked this,” Bálint said.

The ministry will next compile summaries of the submissions.

Tourists turn to food and history in Turku

Tourists continue to visit Finland even as some attractions close for the season. In Turku, many are turning to food and historical sights.

After lunchtime, Turku Market Hall had more tourists than local residents. Visitors were seeking Finnish experiences, including fish dishes.

Italian tourist Giacomo Fiorani ate a salmon dish baked in pastry with a friend. It was a compromise after he had hoped to try kalakukko, a traditional Finnish fish pastry.

Fiorani said he was not discouraged by the fact that some attractions, including Turku Cathedral, were closed or under renovation. He admired the cathedral’s architecture from outside.

During a week-long holiday, Thai tourist Sorravich Kingsuwankul visited Turku Castle, the Luostarinmäki museum quarter, natural areas and the Ruissalo Botanical Garden.