The Year 2024 in a Nutshell

Visit Vaasa’s Tourism Year 2024

Visit Vaasa worked with determination throughout 2024 to increase the region’s visibility and attractiveness. The year started off on a positive note, including the company’s first-time participation at the Vakantiebeurs travel fair in Utrecht, the Netherlands. This presence yielded concrete results already during the summer. Visit Vaasa also took part in the Nordic region’s largest travel fair, MATKA2024, in Helsinki.

Group bookings started early in the spring, and summer reservations were made earlier than the year before. The number of flights increased, and air passengers to Vaasa grew by 15.5%. Train travel also increased significantly – by 11% – and Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia maintained nearly the same passenger levels as the previous year. Overall, this contributed to a positive year for regional tourism.

The events sector was vibrant, and restaurants saw high visitor numbers. Visit Vaasa was active in organizing, marketing, and sales related to several events. In addition, multiple online workshops were held via Teams. Marketing efforts primarily targeted Finland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Focus on Sustainable Development

Since 2022, Visit Vaasa has emphasized sustainability, having been awarded the Ekokompass environmental certificate. In 2024, the company achieved a major goal: over 50% of its international tourism partners joined Visit Finland’s STF program (Sustainable Travel Finland). This milestone made Visit Vaasa the first medium-sized destination in Finland to receive the STF label.

The company continues to support and encourage its partners to obtain some form of sustainability certification.

Statistics for the Vaasa Region

The number of overnight stays in the region did not increase significantly during the year, but both sales and market reach grew. Due to a temporary decrease in hotel room capacity, alternative accommodations saw a substantial rise.

Among international markets, overnight stays from the UK and Norway increased. Sweden, the largest foreign market, saw a slight decline – partly explained by the weak Swedish krona.

KEY FIGURES 2024

Company turnover: €869,043.43
Result for the financial year: €13,730.69
Staff: 6 full-time employees and 8–10 seasonal employees

Overnight stays in the Vaasa region: 470,000 (0 % change)
Top 3 countries:
– Sweden: 22,300 (−8 %)
– Germany: 5,600 (−9 %)
– United Kingdom: 4,500 (+94 %)
An increasing number of new countries were recorded in the statistics – partly thanks to the strong presence of business education in Vaasa.

Accommodation sales in the Vaasa region: €26.4 million (+6 %). Leisure travellers spent 199,000 nights (−5.3 %) and business travellers 151,000 nights (+6.4 %) in the region. The share of international visitors was 19.5 %, and domestic visitors 80.5 % (2023: 81.4 %).

Air traffic to Vaasa: 177,000 passengers (+15.5 %)
Ferry traffic to Vaasa: 253,000 passengers (−9.4 %)
Rail traffic to Vaasa: 600,200 passengers (+11 %)