Finnish Lapland is becoming the Alps of the Barents Region. Not because of high-peaking mountains, but as a downhill ski-resort destination serving hundreds of thousands tourists in the season. Charter planes from all over Europe flies in tourists to the Alp-looking artificial villages in northern Finland.
Now, large-scale expansion plans are in the pipe.
With direct access to the slopes, the area around Levi Panorama is planned to be expanded with another 47.000 square meter hotel and apartments-buildings. Construction work could start next year and reach completion in 2018-2020 at a price tag of €200 million, reports the tourist publication The Levi Times.
The slopes in Levi attract tourists from all over Europe. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
In Ylläs, a new tourist village as well as an expansion of the existing village will provide for accommodation for 13.000 and 8.000 people. In the area, the village-to-be-built will include 350.000 floor square metres with hotels, holiday homes and all services tourists are believed to need. Investment in the new Ylläs village is estimated to cost some few hundred millions euro, while the Iso-Ylläs area has a project cost of €500 to 600 million.
