Lapland Loses Pristine Landscapes to Rapid Tourism Expansion

As of October 1st, 2025, Lapland, the largest and northernmost region of Finland, is experiencing a rapid expansion of tourism that is coming at a significant cost to its natural environment. Over the past 5 years, the region has seen the development of holiday homes, ski slopes, and other tourist facilities equivalent in size to London's Hyde Park, particularly around popular tourist hubs.

This tourism-driven development has consumed at least 430,000 square meters of natural landscape in the ski resorts of Levi, Ylläs, and Saariselkä since 2018. In the regional capital of Rovaniemi, holiday homes have been built on green spaces that were once parks or forests, and other tourism-related facilities like a water park and reindeer park have been added.

The impact of this rapid tourism growth extends beyond the cities, with the Utsjoki Arctic Resort being built in an area designated to have national significance. Additionally, the municipality of Inari recently approved 227 cottage plots along the shore of Lapland's Lake Inari, in one of the remotest corners of Europe, sparking concerns from the indigenous Sámi reindeer herders who have practiced their traditional way of life in the area for generations.

Environmentalists and cultural activists warn that this expansion of tourism in Lapland's fragile ecosystem is causing irreparable ecological damage, contributing to biodiversity loss, and posing a threat to the unique cultural heritage of the Sámi people. As the region continues to attract more visitors, the pressure on its natural resources is only expected to grow in the coming years.