According to Visitory’s 2024 study on the income and employment impacts of tourism, Kuusamo is the leading tourism employer in Northern Ostrobothnia. Tourism generated 649 person-years of employment in Kuusamo, which is proportionally significantly more than in other municipalities in Northern Ostrobothnia included in the study. This further strengthens Kuusamo’s position as the hub of the region’s tourism industry.
Kuusamo is the driving force of tourism employment in Northern Ostrobothnia
Tourism employs more people in Kuusamo than in any other municipality in the region
Direct tourism income declined on average by 4.4 percent in 2024 in the studied regions across Finland, although there were exceptions. Especially spending by domestic overnight visitors decreased, likely due to weakened purchasing power and confidence in economic development. Spending by international visitors increased in most regions. While the general economic uncertainty affected tourism across the country, Kuusamo’s tourism sector maintained a strong position. In 2024, Kuusamo’s direct tourism income amounted to €149 million, a -2.4 percent change compared to the previous year, while the total employment impact of tourism rose to 779 person-years. Tourism accounted for 18 percent of the turnover of all industries and 17.1 percent of employment.
Tourism-generated wages amounted to €24.4 million, which contributed €1.8 million in municipal tax revenue. Tourism income per capita was €10,016, well above the national average. “Tourism is a significant industry in Kuusamo, and its importance is very well recognized also by the City of Kuusamo. Cooperation between tourism businesses, the region, and the city is seamless, which is directly reflected in the development of tourism. Significant investments are expected in the Ruka-Kuusamo area in the coming years, and the outlook for the future is very positive,” says Janne-Juhani Haarma, CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association.
Kuusamo’s tourism sector is strongly local and labor-intensive – tourism jobs cannot be outsourced. The region’s attractiveness, especially in terms of nature-based tourism and international visitors, continues to offer significant opportunities for business and employment.
Visitory Ltd carried out the 2024 study on the income and employment impacts of tourism in nearly 50 regions across Finland. Visitory Ltd is a company specialized in producing tourism data and research.
Further information:
Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association: Janne-Juhani Haarma, CEO
+358 400 411 577
janne-juhani.haarma@rukakuusamo.fi
Visitory Ltd: Mikko Manka, Research Director
+358 40 549 8557
mikko.manka@visitory.io