The new study provides comparable data on tourism receipts per municipality and on the employment effects of tourism in Finland as a whole. According to the study, Järvenpää's direct tourism revenue, i.e. the turnover generated by businesses from tourists, was around €45 million in 2022. Tourism revenue is growing across Finland, but the sector is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. This is the first time the survey has been carried out on such a large scale.
Tourism is one of Finland's most important industries, generating jobs and tax revenue across a wide area of Finland. Before the pandemic, tourism exports accounted for 5.4% of Finland's total export earnings. However, measuring the impact of tourism at the municipal level is a challenge, as precise data on individual tourists' travel routes and service purchases are not known. Thus, in order to obtain comparable data, the survey of different tourism areas needs to be carried out in the same way and on the same time cycle.
Over the years, tourism has consistently been overshadowed by other major Finnish industries, despite its growing importance. This is probably partly due to the fact that the majority of tourism enterprises are small and are spread across a number of different industries. Therefore, the overall effectiveness of the sector can be difficult to perceive. However, tourism has been growing strongly for years, with the exception of the pandemic years, and the potential for growth in the sector remains enormous. New research results will help to better highlight the sector's impact.
Järvenpää included in the study
Finland's major tourist destinations have now collaborated on a major research project. The only major tourist destinations missing from the survey are Sotkamo, Kuopio and Lappeenranta in Lapland. The study has calculated the income and employment effects of tourism in a total of 54 tourist areas for the year 2022. The study was carried out by TAK Oy, a research and analysis centre specialising in tourism research.
The study also included Järvenpää, whose direct tourism receipts, i.e. the turnover generated by businesses from tourists, was around EUR 45 million in 2022, which is just under 4% lower than in the previous study in 2021. Tourism receipts are higher than, for example, receipts from health services (€43 million). The total impact of tourism on Järvenpää is €78.30 million.
Vantaa has the highest tourism receipts of any city in Finland. This is explained in particular by Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which generated almost 90% of the city's tourism income. In 2022, Helsinki's tourism receipts were not yet at the same level as in 2018. After Vantaa, the largest tourism areas in Finland in terms of tourism receipts are Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu and Jyväskylä.
Focus also on the impact of tourism on employment
Heidi Torvinen, Customer Relations Manager at Business Järvenpää, considers it important that the city monitors the effects of tourism on the economy and employment annually and that the survey indicators are used to develop, among other things, the service offerings that will continue to attract tourists to Järvenpää.
- When talking about tourism, in addition to tourism receipts and visitor numbers, the employment generated by the sector must be taken into account. Having a wide range of services and events to offer to local residents and tourists alike brings more jobs to the city. A diverse offer will be developed together with, among others, companies operating in Järvenpää.
In Järvenpää, direct wage income from tourism has amounted to EUR 3.29 million for those employed. Municipal tax revenue from direct wage income amounts to EUR 490 160.
More information:
Power BI tool with results for all municipalities in the study