New resort coming to Finland’s town of Levi

laplandThe sustained global economic recession isn’t deterring Finland from building more resorts to try and lure tourists to the remote Nordic countryside. A new four-star hotel is going to be built on top of the Levitunturi fell, a stunning site just minutes away from the centre of the Lapland resort town of Levi and accessible by gondola.

When completed, the hotel will provide the most luxurious and expensive accommodation in the region. It will target the winter skiing crowd, but is just as spectacular during the brief but beautiful summer months.

According to Helsingin Sanomat, the hotel is being built to complement the new Levi Summit Conference and Exhibition Centre. But the lingering question is whether tourists will bother to make the long trip to get there in the current economic situation.

Compared with March 2008, the number of overnight stays in Levi has dropped by 20 percent. But this isn’t deterring construction companies like YIT, who will begin work on a condominium project right next to The Summit once it completes the hotel. As vacant rooms now outnumber tourists, many question the logic of building more lodging in Lapland.

SIKUnews reports that restaurants and shops in Levi are also taking a hit as visitors spend less. Local supermarkets, however, are doing rather well as visitors are starting to cook more meals at their holiday residences instead of eating out.

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