- The destination now includes the entire Lake Saimaa region.
The collaboration between Savonlinna Travel, Mikkeli Development Miksei, and goSaimaa in the development of international tourism in the Lake Saimaa area is further strengthened as today cooperation agreements for direct charter flights from Rotterdam and Frankfurt to Savonlinna were signed with Voigt Travel, the largest tour operator in the Netherlands, and the German tour operator Zonista. In addition, the tour operators have entered into separate marketing cooperation agreements with Business Finland and the city of Savonlinna.
The flights are a continuation of the first pilot flights from Central Europe in 2023 from Rotterdam and Frankfurt. Last year, cooperation agreements were signed between the city of Savonlinna, Business Finland, and tour operators, focusing on the Savonlinna region. In the newly signed agreements, the collaboration extends to the entire Lake Saimaa area (South Karelia, South Savo, Varkaus, Joroinen, and Kitee).
Voigt Travel start flights from Rotterdam on June 19 and continue weekly until September 11, totaling 13 flights. The airline is the Dutch company Transavia, and the flights are so-called triangle flights, with the plane continuing from Savonlinna to Rovaniemi. The aircraft has 149 passenger seats. Zonista's first flight will be on August 15, and the last one on September 5, with a total of 4 flights. The airline is Discover Airlines (Lufthansa Group), and the aircraft has 180 seats.
Originally, at the beginning of 2023, the plan was to gradually increase the number of flights from 3 in 2023 to 6 in 2024, and then to 9 in 2025, etc. Positive feedback from customers and stakeholders, the positive attitude and motivation of local partners, a range of quality products, and extensive activity options led Voigt to decide to start flights for the entire season in 2024, says Cees van den Bosch, Voigt's country manager.
- The labyrinth of Saimaa has enchanted our customers in an unprecedented way, and the feedback from customers confirms the belief in the growth of demand in the Saimaa area, says CEO of Zonista Alfred Becker. As a result, it is fantastic that all stakeholders are behind the project, and we have the entire Lake Saimaa area to offer.
- Visit Finland's CEO Kristiina Hietasaari is proud of the tripartite cooperation with Saimaa area operators that promotes international tourism in Eastern Finland. The Saimaa lake area is still an unknown gem in international markets, but we see a lot of potential for it to become a top destination for summer tourism in Finland.
Tour operator cooperation, as well as product development and marketing, are primarily carried out through the South Karelia and South Savo Lake Saimaa 2.0 projects, which are co-funded by the regional councils and the EU. In addition, significant additional contributions to marketing cooperation have been made separately by the municipalities of Puumala, Rantasalmi, Sulkava, and Enonkoski, as well as the cities of Kitee and Savonlinna.
Visit Finland's role and support for regional tourism organizations are significant in international cooperation and often the key factor that opens doors.
- Cooperation with Voigt Travel and Zonista is a significant step forward in strengthening tourism in the entire Saimaa region and improving accessibility from Central Europe. The best part is that the entire Lake Saimaa area is now involved. Since we are too small a destination alone, says Jaana Komi, CEO of Savonlinna Travel Ltd, adding that the collaboration is not only focused on charter flights but also on product development and packaging for other seasons. Expanded cooperation will also increase year-round tourism in the region.
- Together, we can offer a diverse and interesting package, from which different target groups can easily find experiences and activities of interest in the Saimaa region. Now it is important that services are available throughout the summer season, and arriving tourists are well served, says Maisa Häkkinen, Director of Tourism at Miksei, the development company of Mikkeli.
Mirka Rahman, Chair of the Board of goSaimaa Ltd, the development and marketing company for South Karelia tourism, agrees. The long-term cooperation in the Saimaa area materializes in openings from international tour operators that extend the tourism season excellently. The round trips of international passengers brought by charter flights continuing into early autumn increase overnight stays throughout the region.
For more information, please contact:
Jaana Komi; Savonlinna Travel Ltd, jaana(at)visitsavonlinna.fi
Maisa Häkkinen; Mikkeli development Miksei Ltd, maisa.hakkinen(at)mikseimikkeli.fi
Mirka Rahman; The City of Lappeenranta, mirka.rahman@lappeenranta.fi
