Tourist Disaster: Finland Faces Economic Crisis After Closing Borders with Russia

Experts report that daily losses from the reduction in tourist flow reach one million euros. The situation is especially severe in the eastern regions of the country, where Russian travelers made up to 95% of the total number of tourists.

The crisis is most acute in border cities. In Imatra, the unemployment rate reached 15%, and the local spa resort is on the brink of bankruptcy with a debt of €5.7 million. In 2022, the outlet village Zsar near the "Vaalimaa" checkpoint went bankrupt.

According to experts' estimates, each Russian tourist left about €2,000 in the country. In 2019, Finland was visited by 3.6 million Russians, making them key consumers of tourism services in border regions.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has already appealed to the EU for financial assistance for regions affected by the border closure. Experts warn that without restoring ties with Russia, the country may face a full-scale economic crisis.

Earlier, we wrote that according to the calculations of economist Lidiya Mazur, a comfortable pension size in Russia should be at least 93,000 rubles per month.