Visitor numbers on Hailuoto rise fivefold — YLE News
Tourist traffic to the Finnish island of Hailuoto rose sharply after a permanent road connection to Oulunsalo opened at the end of June. Previously, the journey to the largest island in the Gulf of Bothnia took about half an hour by ferry, but it can now be completed by car in around 10 minutes via a causeway and bridges, YLE News reports.
After the road opened, traffic between the island and the mainland increased several times over. According to entrepreneur Hannu Korpela, in July the 24-space camper parking area near Cafe Kaija was full every evening, while some visitors were unable to find a place to stay overnight. He estimated that his business revenue had increased by about 30%.
Hotels and restaurants were full
Entrepreneur Ari Flink, associated with Hotel Luovo, said that the number of visitors to the island increased fivefold during the summer. The hotel often had no vacant rooms, while restaurants were full from lunchtime until the evening. According to him, the establishment hired more staff than during previous summer seasons and did so earlier.
Flink noted that many residents of Oulu visited Hailuoto for the first time. He linked this to the fact that ferry service had previously restrained visitor traffic on hot days because of long waits for the crossing. At the same time, the entrepreneur is cautious in assessing the prospects for the winter season: the hotel operates only on weekends in winter.
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Sales by local producers increased
The opening of the road also affected local artisans and the brewery. The Luovon Puoji shop, which features products by around 100 makers, is operating in September for the first time as well. Its manager, Maija-Liisa Huttunen, said demand exceeded expectations: in July, roads and parking lots were overcrowded, and on some days five buses with shoppers arrived at the store.
Hailuodon Panimo brewery also recorded record visitor and sales figures and hired additional workers. By the end of summer, beverage stocks had begun to decline, so the brewery reduced the volume of products intended for resale. At the same time, brewery representative Susanna Rapinoja said the company does not yet plan to expand, as it does not rule out that the initial surge of interest may be temporary.
Island residents also note that the permanent connection has made trips to the mainland easier. At the same time, Hannu Korpela suggested that the changes could raise questions about preserving schools and other services on the island itself.
