Finnish Tourists Research Articles

Sources of negative memorable experiences: Finnish Airbnb guest perspectives

PurposeThis study aims to bridge the gaps in the extant literature on memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) and Airbnb by exploring the sources of negative memorable Airbnb experiences among Finnish guests.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative approach and used data collected through semi-structured interviews. The sampling criteria for selecting participants were that they must be Finnish nationals who had booked and stayed in an Airbnb accommodation within the past 36 months. The participants were selected using a criteria-based snowball sampling technique. A qualitative empirical study was conducted using self-structured interviews that were completed by 18 Finnish tourists who had stayed at an Airbnb property in the past three years.FindingsThree main sources constitute the conceptual framework of a negative memorable Airbnb experience: unclean accommodations, unpleasant host behaviour and poor customer service.Practical implicationsAirbnb management should make efforts to reduce guests’ negative experiences. This goal can be achieved by developing service-quality-management policies and strategies that are standardised, clear and universally applicable to all hosts. In addition, Airbnb management should recruit qualified customer service personnel and equip them with service recovery skills through training and control mechanisms. Such training should focus on upgrading their ability to handle complaints.Originality/valueThis study responds to the need to examine negative incidents that are a part of MTEs and the sources of negative memories. The originality of this study includes the extension of the existing literature on MTEs and Airbnb, as a conceptual framework of negative memorable Airbnb experiences that comprises three main components: unclean rooms, unpleasant host behaviour and poor customer service has been proposed.

International organized tourism in the Republic of Karelia (2004–2021)

The Republic of Karelia, being a border region, is characterized by an advantageous economic and geographical position, unique natural, cultural and historical potential, preserved traditions and hospitality of the local population, which have made the region famous in the state and beyond. Along with the development of domestic tourism, the international tourist flow is of high importance for the border region. How attractive is the Karelian destination for foreign organized tourists? What is the role of the Republic of Karelia in the development of international tourism in the Northwest Russia and in the Russian Federation as a whole? Based on the analysis of open statistical data, the paper analyzes the trends in the development of international organized tourism in the Republic of Karelia. The study is based on an extensive data set for the period 2004–2021 according to seven calculated indicators. The advantageous position of the Republic of Karelia as a tourist destination in the Russian Federation and the Northwestern Federal District in receiving Finnish tourists is shown. The analysis revealed a high degree of dependence of the regional tourism business, focused on servicing the international organized tourist flow, on the preferences and interests of the citizens of neighboring Finland. The study used the analysis of statistical information, methods of generalization, comparison and analogy.

Travel preferences of Finnish cross-border tourists: Opportunities and limitations for Russian Karelia

The study aims to examine travel preferences of Finnish cross-border tourists with special reference to the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Data were collected using paper-based and online surveys from 300 respondents travelling from Finland to the Russian Karelia. Although cross-border tourists are a significant part in the inbound tourist flow to Russian Karelia, several obstacles for this type of tourism have been revealed. Measures to stimulate Finnish tourists to travel to Russian Karelia are suggested. The results of this study can be used to improve Karelian tourist products by providing services as expected by tourists. The findings are limited to visitors of Russian Karelia and should therefore be interpreted with caution.

Finnish tourists in Soviet Estonia: security considerations

ABSTRACT The death of Joseph Stalin resulted in the liberalization of formerly strict travel policies in the Soviet Union. The number of foreign tourists to the Soviet Union gradually increased, and soon Finnish visitors accounted for the majority of foreign visitors. One of the main travel destinations of Finns was Soviet Estonia. The aim of this paper is to analyze security considerations related to the growing number of Finnish tourists to Soviet Estonia from the mid-1950s until 1980.

Czynniki rozwoju turystyki przygranicznej na rosyjsko-fińskim pograniczu = Factors underpinning the development of tourism in Russian-Finnish borderland areas

In line with the observation that tourism is becoming a key element of economic development in border regions, the author describes an approach to a specific form characteristic of border regions alone, i.e. cross-border tourism and its role as a factor in the development of regional and local economies. Cross-border tourism gains presentation here in relation to the mobility of tourists (with differing purposes) between neighbouring border regions of the Russian Federation and Finland, with no account taken, however, of the development and functioning of the tourist system overall. The aim has thus been to seek to substantiate the importance of the development of cross-border tourism in the socio-economic development of the Russian-Finnish borderland. In its several parts, this article focuses first on theoretical and practical developments of Russian and foreign academic thinking as regards the development of cross-border tourism. A second part then reveals (and looks for structure among) factors influencing the nature and dynamics of cross-border tourism development in the Russian-Finnish borderland. The role of these factors in the phenomenon’s development is identified. Empirical data are then used in a third part identifying features and general trends, with the stimulation of cross-border tourism considered a direction of importance in the development of border regions either side of the state border under study. Given the positive effect of cross-border trade on the development of Finnish border regions, it would seem crucial that Finnish tourists should be attracted to the Russian border area. Finally, the significance of the development of cross-border tourism in the Russian-Finnish borderland is deliberated, where the area in question is taken to encompass Murmansk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in Russia, as well as Finnish Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, North Karelia, South Karelia and Kymenlaakso. Median indices are calculated. The outcomes of the research are regarded as of both academic and practical significance to the development of cross-border tourism, seen academically and from the point of view of both regional and municipal authorities and representatives of the tourist industry.

Tulus äri Moskvale: valuuta teenimine Soome välisturismilt Eesti NSV-s aastatel 1965–1980 [Lucrative business for Moscow: foreign currency revenues from Finnish tourism in the Estonian SSR 1965–1980

The aim of this article is to examine the economical aspects of Finnish foreign tourism in Soviet Estonia during the course of the Cold War, when the two neighboring states and nations were separated by the so-called Iron Curtain. Concentration on Finland is not a random choice; it was the Finnish tourists who made up the majority of all foreign tourists from the capitalist countries visiting Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The work covers the years from 1965 until 1980, because during this period the number of Finnish tourists grew rapidly which was accompanied by the expansion of foreign currency incomes. This article is based on hitherto little studied and known Estonian archival materials. Already after the end of WW II, Western European countries noticed that foreign tourism had become an important tool which enabled governments to acquire and expand the inflow of foreign currency. More foreign tourists visiting one’s country meant more foreign money flowing into the state budget. These positive developments did not go unnoticed by the Soviet Union (USSR), and soon it defined foreign tourism as an important tool for growing its own foreign exchange reserves. Moscow was keen on earning foreign money because the Soviet ruble was non-convertible currency that had no real value in the world market and could be used only for domestic transactions. One of the most important economical functions of foreign tourism was to obtain much needed foreign currency for the Soviet state budget. Until the mid-1960s, the number of Finnish tourists in Soviet Estonia remained low, and first and foremost among them were members of official delegations who, in contrast with ordinary, fun-seeking tourists, had to stick to timetables and participate in previously arranged meetings. As a result, Finnish delegations did not spend many Finnish marks in Tallinn, and the expected inflow of foreign currency remained modest. In 1965, a direct ferry connection was opened between Tallinn and Helsinki, which considerably increased the number of Finnish tourists in Soviet Estonia: from 9,000 people in 1965 to 53,400 in 1975. By the early 1970s, Tallinn had already become one of the most popular foreign turism destinations in the USSR and ranked third among the Soviet cities most visited by foreign tourists. Growing interest among Finnish tourists to visit Estonia provided Moscow with a good opportunity to earn foreign currency from them. Three organizations on the ground were responsible for fulfilling this important task: the local branch of Intourist (the monopolistic state travel agency), an Estonian shipping company working under the Ministry of Merchant Marine, and the network of currency shops under the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. Intourist was responsible for the accommodation and catering of foreign tourists and helped to organize excursions within and outside of Tallinn. In addition, Intourist offered foreign tourists a wide range of additional services – these were extras not included in the tour package and cost extra. The Estonian shipping company operated the Tallinn-Helsinki ferry line and sold ferry tickets via Intourist to the passengers. Similar to Intourist, the shipping company also offered tourists additional services, included snacks and alcoholic beverages in the ship’s restaurant and bar. The local Intourist office saw the Estonian shipping company as its major competitor threatening to minimize its annual foreign currency inflows. Currency shops offered tourists a wide variety of commodities, from clothing and souvenirs to alcohol and canned meat. As these chain stores were better equipped and prices there were a bit cheaper than in Intourist’s bars and restaurants, the Tallinn branch of Intourist must have seen them also as competitors in earning foreign currency. To summarize, the lion’s share of foreign currency revenue came from the Finnish tourists who made up the majority of foreign tourists in Soviet Estonia. Considering Soviet Estonia’s relative geographical and political smallness in comparison with bigger Soviet Republics, it earned a considerable amount of foreign currency for Moscow over the years. How and where this money was spent remains, however, an unsolved question. KEYWORDS: Cold War, foreign tourism, Soviet Estonia, Finland, currency.

Facing the Otherness: Crossing the Finnish-Soviet Estonian Border as Narrated by Finnish Tourists

This study examines Finnish travellers’ experiences of travelling across the sea frontier between Finland and Soviet Estonia during the period of 1965–1991. The article focuses on the narratives of Finnish tourists about border crossings and cultural encounters. The analysis concentrates on travellers’ relations and conceptions of the former Soviet Estonia and their descriptions of facing cultural otherness during their travels. The concept of otherness is used as an analytical tool to interpret the narratives.

The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands

The Orthodox island monastery of Valaam in Russian Karelia is today a popular destination for Finnish tourists visiting Russia’s western borderlands. Many of these tourists are descendants of the Karelians who had evacuated the area following World War II. The monastery’s institutionally sanctioned genealogies construct it as the civilizing force, which had brought Christian enlightenment to the local heathen population. This discursive template is played out in the way the place is presented to visitors, with each highlight telling a carefully constructed story that promotes the monastery’s significance for the Russian religious and national identity. Yet, drawing on lived experience, as well as on popular culture, family lore and meanings from collective memory, the Finnish visitors break the monolithic official discourse and produce a complex “thirdspace” in their own measure. This paper is based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted during a homeland visit to Ladogan Karelia in June 2010.

The Impact of Perceived Risk on Information Search: A Study of Finnish Tourists

The aim of the study was to examine the impact of perceived risk on travel behavior and information search, and explore the mediating effect of tourist type. The results based on a quantitative survey of Finnish travelers' show how risk-prudent and risk-aversive tourists use specific types of information sources, i.e. sources provided particularly for the purposes of tourists. The same pattern is repeated when Cohen's (1972) typologies of tourist behavior was used as a mediating variable. In addition, the findings add to the perceived risk research discourse by showing how an identified set of risks significantly alters travel behavior, and how perceived destination specific risks affect the perceived safety image of a whole country. Finally, the empirical evidence implies that the external information sources used by the respondents may be categorized into public sources, tourism sources, friends and relatives, and governmental information; findings with strong managerial implications.

Environmental Concern and Responsibility among Nature Tourists in Oulanka PAN Park, Finland

Following the growth of nature‐based tourism, “pristine” and remote areas, such as national parks, attract tourists in Scandinavia. Various international initiatives and certification programs, such as PAN Parks in Europe, have been introduced to promote sustainable nature‐based tourism. Often tourists are also given responsibility to prevent negative environmental impacts of their travel. This paper examines the role of nature tourists in developing sustainable tourism: what expectations do tourists have on nature and sustainability in national parks, how do they consider environmental aspects when travelling, and how do they respond to ecolabels and certifications? Thirty interviews of mainly Finnish tourists were conducted in Oulanka National Park, one of PAN Parks certified parks in Finland. The results show that these nature tourists do not form a homogenous group, yet they have various views on environmental issues, which differentiate them from other nature tourists and have an influence on their travelling behavior. Thus, four types of tourists were identified on the basis of their environmental concern and responsibility. The results emphasize the role of regulation, incentives and guidance in developing sustainability in tourist destinations and companies; tourists do not necessarily set high demands as long as negative impacts do not ruin their perception of pristine nature.

Willingness to Take Travel-Related Health Risks—A Study among Finnish Tourists in Asia during the Avian Influenza Outbreak

Health risk perception and behavior of tourists during epidemics is a challenge for behavioral medicine. The purpose was to analyze associations of psychosocial factors and willingness to take health risks on holiday and business trips. Subjects (survey n = 338) were Finnish tourists visiting South-East Asia during the avian influenza epidemic of 2004. On holidays, 13.8%, and on business trips, 6.3% would take (rather) high risks, 14.1% reported having tendency to take health risks. Willingness to take health risks on both kinds of trips was lower among those +40 years old than those <40. Comparatively high risk-taking tendency and high perceived HIV risk were related to the increased willingness to take health risks on both kinds of trips. On holidays, willingness to take health risks was related to trust in fate, and on business trips, this was also related to trust in God and less precautionary behavior of avoiding hand shaking, but also to higher estimation of other risks in life. Younger travelers and those on holidays are willing to take more health risks than those who are older or on business trips. Travel advice during epidemics could be differentially targeted to different age groups and to holiday and business travelers.

Cluster of imported malaria from Gambia in Finland – travellers do not listen to given advice

Twelve Finnish tourists contracted falciparum malaria from Gambia in the period between 3 and 27 November 2008. None of them had used adequate malaria chemoprophylaxis.

Burkholderia pseudomallei infections in Finnish tourists injured by the December 2004 tsunami in Thailand

Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated from three Finnish patients in January 2005. All three cases were in tourists who were visiting Khao Lak on the southwest coast of Thailand when the tsunami struck in December 2004

Applying Swedish Eco-labelling to Finnish Tourism Operation: Which Associations does it elicit amongst Customers

Eco-tourism labels convey promises and are effective when they are recognized by the markets, generate the desired associations, are trusted, used as decision tools, and direct behavior. Despite the fact that labels have been recognized as central marketing tools, few research projects have been devoted to this area. The associations that the recently launched Swedish eco-tourism label produces among Finnish tourists, one important customer segment, are analyzed in this article and compared to the value structure the launching organization wants to communicate. The respondents were of the opinion that the Swedish eco-tourism label only partially represented a high quality travel arrangement, local anchorage, protection of nature, environmentally friendly traveling, and a responsibility for nature and culture. A content analysis of the associations the eco-label generated resulted in the following four main knowledge categories, “parents playing with their children”, “poverty”, “Vikings”, and “environmentally friendly”, not all of which are relevant in eco-tourism. A large share of the respondents were also of the opinion that it is not suitable for Finnish eco-tourism firms to use the Swedish eco-tourism label without modifications, results which justify further discussion about the development of a comparative Finnish eco-tourism label.

SECULAR PILGRIMS ON THE QUEST FOR AUTHENTICITY?

In this paper I will explore the relation between the tourist and the place visited drawing on my own fieldwork among Finnish tourists in many Mediterranean tourist destinations, like Athens and Rhodes in Greece and Bodrum in Turkey, as well as Gran Canaria in Spain and Aqaba in Jordan. I will show that the tourists’ relations to the place visited varies very much. In some types of recreational mass tourism to beach resorts the local heritage or the spirit of place is of marginal importance. In other types of tourism, like cultural tourism to Athens, the importance of the place is central to the tourist experience and, thus, the journey can be described as a secular pilgrimage. In the paper I will from an emic perspective analyse the tourists’ experiences and compare cultural tourism to beach tourism in order to cast light on the tourists’ own experiences in both types. This analysis casts doubts on what could be called the “authenticity paradigm” in the anthropology and sociology of tourism. The aim of the paper is to enhance our understanding of different types of tourism, and especially to explore the tourists’ experiences in both site-oriented (heritage, cultural) tourism and image-oriented (beach, recreation) tourism. Tourism to the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands has become an integral part of modern Finnish culture, which is indicated by the adoption of special terms into the spoken language. Finns very often refer to their holiday destinations with the concept “etela” (=south) without clarifying more exactly what geographical place they are talking about. Common phrases are “kavimme etelassa lomalla” (we went to the south on our holiday), “lahden etelanmatkalle” (I will go to the south), etc. The concept “etela” is widely used also in tourism marketing, especially in newspaper advertisements, sometimes without any clear indications of where this “south” is. (SELANNIEMI 1994b; 1996). The difference between the destinations I studied as well as the tourists travelling to these destinations comes forth very clearly in the motives for choosing a certain destination. When I asked tourists in my field work destinations why they had chosen this one, only the tourists in Athens (67%) and Aqaba (46%) answered that

Risk Behavior for Travelers' Diarrhea Among Finnish Travelers

Background: Contaminated food and drink are the primary sources of traveler's diarrhea (TD). Identification of the characteristics that make a traveler more prone to TD is needed to improve prevention and therapy of this illness. Methods: We evaluated, by questionnaire, the association of dietary errors with TD among 933 adult Finnish tourists vacationing in Morocco. A stool specimen was obtained from patients in the group that developed TD at the onset of the diarrheal episode, and from all participants in the study on their return to Finland. Results: Only 5% of the 933 subjects who responded to the questionnaire, and who gave a stool sample, had adhered strictly to generally accepted recommendations. About 45% made five or more dietary errors during the trip; of these, 75% consumed raw vegetables, 65% salads, 33% puddings, 32% mayonnaise or other cold dressings, 31% consumed food bought from street vendors, 29% consumed cold meat, 18% cold sandwiches, 4% drank tap water, and 2% consumed raw meat. The age of the subjects did not correlate with the number of dietary errors. Subjects who had been abroad during the preceding 12 months committed more dietary errors than those who had not (mean 3.9 versus 4.5; p <.001). Also, subjects who spent 2 weeks in Morocco committed more dietary errors than those who spent only 1 week (mean 4.0 versus 4.8; p <.001). However, no association between TD and the number of dietary errors was observed. Differences with respect to eating habits were not observed between subjects, with or without TD or with or without an identified pathogen in stool specimens. There was no correlation between eating habits and the presence, or absence, of a specific pathogen in the stool sample; this is with the exception of Campylobacter spp: subjects with this pathogen consumed steak tartar or salad more often than did other subjects. Conclusions: Etiologic agents are so ubiquitous in this high-risk area that instructions to avoid certain foodstuffs commonly thought to be contaminated may be to some extent without value. Moreover, dietary self restraint proved to be impossible in the real situation. (J Travel Med 2:77-84, 1995)

Association of Aeromonas spp. with travellers' diarrhoea in Finland.

The association of Aeromonas spp. with travellers' diarrhoea was studied among 978 Finnish tourists travelling to Morocco in winter (n = 398) and autumn (n = 580) in 1989. Fifty-five isolates from diarrhoeal patients with (n = 16) or without (n = 39) a recent travelling history in a developing country were also included. In Morocco, Aeromonas spp. were isolated from 8.7% of patients with diarrhoea and from 1.4% of non-diarrhoeal tourists (p < 0.001). Aeromonas spp. were found as the sole pathogen in 5.5% of patients (p < 0.001). Diarrhoea with multiple pathogens, including Aeromonas spp., was found in 3.1% of patients. Species identification by phenotypic and genotypic methods indicated that A. veronii biotype sobria (hybridisation group HG 8/10) and A. caviae (HG 4) were the most common Aeromonas spp. associated with travellers' diarrhoea. A. hydrophila (HG 1) and A. caviae (HG 4) were common in patients acquiring diarrhoea in Finland. Ribotyping of strains within a species showed that all strains had different ribotypes although the tourists were infected during the same trip. This study suggested that only certain Aeromonas spp. were commonly found in travellers' diarrhoea. However, the causative role of those species is unclear.

Clinical features and duration of traveler's diarrhea in relation to its etiology.

Clinical features of traveler's diarrhea (TD) were studied among 126 adult Finnish tourists who developed this illness during or shortly after a visit to Morocco. Enteric pathogens were identified in 76 (60%) of cases, whereas the etiology remained unidentified in 50 cases (40%). Patients with an identified pathogen did not differ from those with TD of unknown etiology in terms of the time of onset of illness or the median frequency of unformed stools in the first 24 hours. In contrast, the median frequency of unformed stools between 24 and 48 hours (i.e., on the second day) was 1.0 among patients with no pathogen and 2.0 among those with enteric pathogens identified (P < .001). A similar difference was evident on the third day (1.0 vs. 2.5). Moreover, a lower proportion of patients with no pathogen identified had watery stools (28% vs. 55%). The durations of diarrhea and concomitant symptoms were significantly shorter and the recovery from TD was significantly quicker among the patients without an identified pathogen. Patients with one or more invasive pathogens had disease that was clearly more severe than that of patients with no pathogen identified; the difference in severity of disease was less marked for patients with invasive vs. noninvasive pathogens. Individuals with diarrhea due to Campylobacter species tended to have the most severe disease, whereas diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli seemed milder than that caused by other agents. Unfortunately, the clinician has only a limited opportunity to predict the etiology of TD and thus to assess the need for antimicrobial therapy at the onset of disease.

Seasonal Variation in Etiology of Travelers' Diarrhea

The etiology of travelers' diarrhea was studied in 579 adult Finnish tourists participating in two packaged tours to Morocco in the winter (n = 233) and fall (n = 346) of 1989. A research team accompanied the travelers, and a laboratory for enteric pathogens was established in Agadir. At least one pathogen was found in 62% of the 60 diarrhea cases in winter and in 58% of the 111 diarrhea cases in fall. Multiple pathogens were found less often in winter (8%) than in fall (21%, P less than .05). Campylobacter strains were the leading cause of travelers' diarrhea in winter, found alone or with other pathogens in 28% of the cases (but in only 7% in fall), whereas enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was the most common pathogen in fall, present in 32% of the cases (8% in winter). Both differences are highly significant (P less than .001). Salmonella enterica was almost as common as ETEC in fall (25% of diarrhea cases) but rare in winter (10%, P less than .05). Thus, the etiology of travelers' diarrhea varied according to the season in the same tourist destination. This finding has relevance to both antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis.