Despite the cold weather of December, many tourists still flock to Rovaniemi and visit "Santa Claus Village", a winter-themed amusement park.

"Finally, my dream has come true. I was able to set foot in this place," said Elzbieta Nazaruk, a Polish tourist.

Main Village Square Santa Claus Village Lapland9.jpg
Photo: Visit Finland

During the holiday season, Santa Claus Village attracts more than 600,000 visitors. In 2023, Rovaniemi recorded a record 1.2 million overnight stays, up nearly 30% year-on-year.

While many hotel and restaurant owners and authorities are excited about the bright future of Rovaniemi's tourism industry, many residents are uneasy about the current crowded situation.

“Tourism is growing so fast and out of control,” said photographer Antti Pakkanen, 43, a member of a housing network in Rovaniemi.

The boom in short-term rentals has also driven up house prices, pushing locals out of the city centre, turning Rovaniemi into a “tourist cesspool”.

Last September, Pakkanen's network organized a protest against the overtourism that is happening in the place known as the "homeland" of Santa Claus.

Locals said the scene here is no different from famous European destinations that are often overloaded with tourists such as Venice, Florence (Italy), Barcelona, ​​Malaga (Spain) or Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Tours to Santa Claus's 'homeland' canceled due to lack of snow FINLAND - Several travel companies have announced the cancellation of tours to Lapland, Santa Claus's "homeland", due to too little snowfall.