Lapland’s next hotspot after Santa? Locals in Torne Valley want sustainable tourism, not overtourism

In Finland, Lapland’s tourism has grown so rapidly that Rovaniemi, the region’s capital and number‑one destination, where Santa Claus has his office, is already operating at full capacity. There is very little room left to welcome more tourists to the city located in the Arctic Circle. Attention has therefore turned to the next rising destinations in Lapland—one of which has been found along the Swedish border in Torne Valley, an area with a long and rich but largely forgotten tourism history.

The fastest‑growing tourism spot in the region is Aavasaksa Hill in Ylitornio. Aavasaksa lies less than a two‑hour drive southwest of Rovaniemi, at a distance of about 120 km. And with Lapland´s significant size, that is considered quite close. The hill features a scenic lookout over one off the National Landscapes, down on the river valley all the way to Sweden. It also has a protected hiking area, with a small ski center on its other side. Recently, 80 new accommodation cabins and a 1,000‑square‑meter main building were completed on the hill.

“Rapid tourism growth brings, in addition to regional vitality, various challenges. On top of sudden changes to land use and the local environment, uncontrolled tourism leads to congestion as well as rising housing and service prices,” says Jarkko Saarinen, Professor of Human Geography and Sustainable Tourism at the University of Oulu, Northern Finland.

This phenomenon has already been visible in Rovaniemi, for example, through rising housing prices and concerns about the capacity of healthcare and rescue services.

“Mass tourism generates income and new jobs, but these do not always primarily benefit local residents and businesses. The destination images tourism uses and creates can also differ significantly from the identity of the local population,” Saarinen continues.

Local voices must be heard from the earliest stages of tourism development

Professor Saarinen and the University of Oulu are currently coordinating a project on developing cultural and creative tourism in Torne river valley. The project is part of the larger EU‑funded international CROCUS initiative, which aims to develop tourism in a culturally sustainable way across nine countries. Torne Valley was selected as one of the locations due to its long tourism history and rich cross‑border local identity.

“Torne Valley residents do not want Christmas‑commercialized mass tourism like the one in Rovaniemi,” says Iida Pyykkö, project researcher at the University of Oulu, who has collected local opinions for the project.

During the summer and autumn, the project organized open workshops for local residents in the neighbouring villages of Ylitornio, Finland, and Övertorneå, Sweden, along with extensive surveys aimed at residents, cultural actors, associations, entrepreneurs, and visitors. The responses highlight both enthusiasm for tourism development and a strong desire to maintain local culture and environmental sustainability.

“Local residents and entrepreneurs should be involved in tourism development preferably from the very beginning so that the well‑known global phenomenon—where local culture is easily overshadowed by mass tourism—can be avoided. Sustainable tourism also more broadly benefits the region’s residents and vitality, not only tourists or a few operators,” Saarinen says.
 
Residents who participated in the project, both in Finland and Sweden, responded very positively to tourism development and the opportunities it offers.

“Torne Valley is not the same as sparsely populated Fell Lapland with its reindeer and huskies,” one local participant reminds

Locals stress that tourism development must reflect the region’s unique cross‑border culture—distinct from the exotic imagery often used to market Lapland. “Torne Valley is sold with the same wild and remote Lapland imagery—reindeer and huskies. Those images aren’t true. We have a unique cultural identity shaped by two nations, including a shared language and humor,” says local cultural historian, playwright, and local dialect “Meänkieli” expert Hannu Alatalo.

Locals also hope for year‑round tourism development, such as improved cross‑border transport connections and new recreational sites along the river. Key attractions like Kukkolankoski with white water, Luppio and Aavasaksa hills are seen as important but in need of further development. Preserving cultural heritage and nature is highlighted as essential so that both residents and visitors can benefit from tourism sustainably.

Recently, plans to build wind turbines in Torne Valley have caused significant concern. Residents fear these would conflict with the growing demand for “coolcation” destinations—quiet, peaceful places where nature is the main attraction.

Next, the development project will design new cross‑border cultural tourism routes and attractions. It will also map local cultural actors and bring together creative professionals from across the region, building on earlier collaboration projects. With its genuine tranquillity, midnight sun with surprisingly flourishing riverside nature in summer, and winter‑wonderland landscapes in the winter, Torne Valley offers the kind of authentic Lapland calm that many travelers now seek.

 As one local survey respondent put it:

 “Torne river valley is not just a travel destination—it is a beloved home to many. Overly commercial and intrusive tourism is also a threat.”

Facts:

•              Torne Valley (in Finnish Tornionlaakso) is located along the Tornio and Muonio rivers on the border of Finland and Sweden. The area belongs to the Lapland region in Finland and the Norrbotten region in Sweden.  Tornio River is the only major free‑flowing river in Europe and forms the border between the two countries.

•              The cross-border area of Torne Valley share not only culture, but even a common language, called “our language” (Meänkieli), that mixes Swedish influence with Finnish language. The language has its own vocabulary and even some grammatic that differ from Finnish. Meänkieli has a minority language status in Sweden and is spoken as the local dialect of the Torne Valley area in Finland.

•              Aavasaksa Hill in Ylitornio is a well‑known tourist destination in Torne Valley located about 120 km from Rovaniemi and 200 km from Oulu. Aavasaksa’s Crown Park is the oldest tourist attraction in Lapland and part of the UNESCO World Heritage‑listed Struve Geodetic Arc.

•              The CROCUS project is an international tourism development initiative coordinated by Aalborg University in Denmark, with partners including the University of Oulu and organizations from several European countries. It operates eight “living labs” to promote cross‑border tourism development in remote areas.