Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry
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Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Prospectus Kattilakoski & Luppio Övertorneå Municipality Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Övertorneå is strategically located in the centre of the North Calotte. There are over 831,000 inhabitants and more than 43,000 businesses/places of work within a radius of 300 km. “In order to be successful in business, it is essential to get others to see things the way you yourself see them.” John H Patterson. Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Övertorneå. Övertorneå Municipality lies on the shores of the Torne River, on the border with Finland and in the heart of the Torne Valley. Its strategic location in the centre of the North Calotte together with the natural and cultural values of the area and the existing infrastructure and market conditions mean that the Municipality offers exciting opportunities for setting up a business within it. Did you know that: *The primary market area within a radius of approx 300 km around Övertorneå has a population of approx 831,000 and more than 43,000 business/places of work. *The same area has an occupancy rate of 6,080,000 guest nights per year, of which approximately 1,737,000 guest nights are those spent by visitors from abroad (incoming). *There are eight airports in the primary market area. Three of these are easily reached by car in under 90 minutes. *Some of the chief reasons for travelling to Lapland and enjoying its attractions and natural environment are to be found in the primary market area. Seven of these are found within a one and a half hour journey or less. *Some of the biggest industrial investment taking place in the North Calotte in modern times is in the primary market area, thus giving its population and businesses strong purchasing power. Did you also know that: *Övertorneå Municipality boasts some of the best municipal elementary and secondary schools in Sweden. Utbildning Nord and Tornedalen Folk High School constitute a good base for recruitment. *The Municipality is in sound financial health and has low municipal taxes, and it offers the potential for good housing and high quality child care. *The Tornedalians, both men and women, constitute an innovative and stable, reliable and loyal workforce. *Approximately 90 rooms/cottages and 330 beds are available to visitors in the Municipality. Arctic Circle, Övertorneå Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Communications and infrastructure in Övertorneå: You can reach Övertorneå simply and quickly regardless of where in the world you set out. In the winter months, incoming tourists arrive for the most part by air in combination with car or bus. In the summer, most of them come in their own cars or by fly‐drive, or in a camper van or by bus. Guests from our primary market area travel here by bus or in their own car all year round, and those wishing to come by train do so best via Boden and Luleå. Passenger transport on the Haparanda Line is at the planning stage. We are also relatively close to all eight airports for our long‐distance visitors from southern Sweden and other incoming tourism. What is more, there are no queues or traffic jams at our airports or out on our roads! All in all, this means a time‐saving transport system without stress or rush. Distance and travel time to some of the areas we cover: TOWN OR AIRPORT DISTANCE IN KM APPROXIMATE TRAVEL TIME IN MINUTES Kemi/FI 100 60 Rovaniemi/FI 108 70 Pajala/SWE 109 70 Luleå/SWE 162 120 Kittilä/FI (Ylläs/Levi) 190 120 Uleåborg‐Oulu/FI 203 130 Gällivare/SWE 193 120 Kiruna/SWE 300 180 Kalix 77 50 Boden 156 105 Haparanda/Tornio 70 45 Stockholm ‐‐‐‐‐ 90 + 120 (Luleå Airport) Helsinki ‐‐‐‐‐ 90 + 60 (Kemi Airport) Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Exciting and unique reasons to travel to Övertorneå Thanks to our central geographic location and where we are in relation to both the communications network and the tourist infrastructure in the vicinity, we feel that Övertorneå has great potential to develop in the right direction when it comes to tourism. If we then add to that the local attractions we enjoy in the form of our human capital and food and drink at any of our facilities, hotels or holiday villages, and combine these with experiencing the real outdoors and cultural life of the area, we have a strong and competitive product to offer. Producing a programme designed, say, for one or more days on a year‐round basis including activities which are of interest and save time and money is not particularly hard. The trend towards visitors requesting time‐saving and shorter holidays and conferences which offer the above activities is a very clear one and applies toe both th private market, conference and business travel market. Distance and travel time to those places providing the main reasons to travel to Lapland: REASONS TO TRAVEL DISTANCE IN KM APPROXIMATE TRAVEL TIME IN MINUTES Sampo Icebreaker Safaris/FI 100 60 Lumin‐Linna SnowCastle/FI 100 60 Santa Claus/FI 108 70 Ylläs Ski Eldorado/FI 162 120 Levi Ski Eldorado/FI 190 150 Arctic Circle/SWE 25 15 Icehotel Jukkasjärvi/SWE 300 180 Torne River/SWE 0 (Flows outside the urban areas) 15 (Best seen from Kattilakoski) Salmon fishing/SWE 25 15 (Available at Kattilakoski) The midnight sun/SWE 8 10 (Best seen from Luppioberget) The Northern Lights/SWE 8 10 (Best seen from Luppioberget) Tajga/Coniferous forest 10 10 (Best seen from biome Luppioberget) Övertorneå 0 0 “I know nothing about reasons to travel! I only know that the more reasons to travel there are, the more interesting Övertorneå will be.” Unknown observer Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Distance and travel time to local places warranting a visit from Övertorneå town centre VISITOR ATTRACTIONS DISTANCE IN KM APPROXIMATE TRAVEL TIME IN MINUTES Kattilakoski 25 15 Experience eating out and enjoying a sauna in the natural beauty of the shores of the Torne River. Luppioberget 8 10 Experience eating out while enjoying the midnight sun, the Northern Lights and the natural environment. Hahnivittikko summer farm 10 10 Cultural reserve inviting you to experience its natural surroundings and local culture and life on the summer farm of the past. Dränglängan Svanstein 35 30 Centre of art & design and culture in a 19th century environment with an antique shop and café. Simu Nordic 0 (just outside the town centre) 5 Design and production of knitted garments. Merchant's house originating from the 18th century. Svanstein Ski 35 30 Ski resort with 16 ski slopes and cross‐ country trails plus snow park. Accommodation and restaurant. Aunesgården 0 (just outside the town centre) 5 Homestead museum from the 19th century. Art gallery Tornedalen 28 20 International exhibition and art production arena. Opening in 2015. Kukkola Rapids 56 40 Scenic rapids set in a unique cultural environment by the beautiful Torne River. Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Övertorneå and the market: We have chosen to divide the market into three different segments as shown below. We have made this division so as to define and segment the market in the simplest way possible, and to show passenger flow and other kinds of potential existing in the area. This market survey is intended to provide a pointer for the region's market potential, and is an initial step towards further in‐depth, tailored market analyses and conclusions regarding the future potential of the places in question. SEGMENT 1. PRIMARY MARKET Lodging provided by hotels, holiday villages and other commercial accommodation and the regional market including companies, organizations and private individuals within a radius of approx 300 km in Norrbotten and Finnish Lapland together with Northern Österbotten and the Oulu area. SEGMENT 2. DAY GUESTS. This consists of road users travelling via route 99 who pass by both these places, and we have also chosen to include here incoming traffic from Finland and other regional routes of significance. We have also included visitors in transit and day guests in the area. SEGMENT 3. INCOMING. This consists of foreign tourists in the region from other parts of Sweden/Finland and from foreign markets. Information worth considering which illustrates what and how foreign visitors place value on a holiday, and where they then find the information before deciding to buy and go off on their holiday. Source: Statistics Sweden compiled by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth 2012. Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry SEGMENT 1. PRIMARY MARKET Occupancy rate in Övertorneå Municipality in 2011. Table 1. Source: Resurs AB. TEM Övertorneå 2011. Turnover in Övertorneå Municipality in 2011 Table 2. Source: Resurs AB. TEM Övertorneå 2011. The figures include VAT and refer to total social consumption per overnight stay. Business Opportunities in the Tourist Industry Occupancy rate in Norrbotten County in 2011. Table 3. Source: Resurs AB.TEM Norrbotten 2011. Turnover in Norrbotten County in 2011. Table 4. Source: Resurs AB.TEM Norrbotten 2011. The figures include VAT and refer to total social consumption per overnight stay. Tables 1 to 4 above illustrate the total number of reported guest nights and the overall financial position regarding all aspects of tourism within the primary market area in Sweden. At present Övertorneå has a total of 31,774 commercial guest nights in comparison with Norrbotten's total of 2,215,000 commercial guest nights. A further comparison can be made with Finnish Lapland and Northern Österbotten including the greater Oulu area which has 3,865,000 commercial guest nights in the primary market area.