CHRISTMASIN DANGERASSANTA’S HOMEFEELSPANDEMICCHILL

ROVANIEMI, FINLAND— Christmas is coming, but in Santa’s home village in Finland, the COVID-19 pandemic means that tourists who usually start to make merry in Rovaniemi at this time of year are not.

Finland has adopted some of the strictest travel restrictions in Europe, despite its low level of infections, meaning most foreigners cannot enter the country and those that can face a two-week quarantine.

The northern part of Finland, where businesses rely on tourists flying in to meet Santa Claus, see the Northern Lights or take a snowmobile safari, has seen visitor numbers plummet.

Down 78 percent

In August 2020, foreign tourist numbers were down 78 percent from a year earlier, according to travel industry data from Business Finland.

“For local businesses, Christmas is in danger,” said Sanna Karkkainen of the village tourist board. “Christmas itself will come, but how merry it will be, that’s the question mark.”

Finland escaped the worst effects of the pandemic in spring, opting for a strict lockdown, which included isolating the capital, Helsinki.

Now, as in much of Europe, infections are on the rise again, hitting a daily record earlier this month, and the government is considering new measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Plexiglas Santa

The country of 5.5 million people has reported nearly 13,000 COVID-19 infections, including 346 deaths.

With Santa greeting kids from behind a Plexiglas screen and elves wearing masks, Christmas cheer is already in short supply.

Tour company Safarctica, which offers snowmobile tours and ice-swimming, reckons bookings are set to fall 50-80 percent this year.

Tourism-oriented firms, which employ around 8 percent of people in the region, have already started laying off workers and many have little hope that the festive season can be saved, unless travel restrictions are eased soon.