Rovaniemi wants to bring its tourist offer a little closer to the Middle East, a market that aims to attract customers with high purchasing power.
And now that goal is closer because National flag carrier of Turkey, Turkish Airlines, opened new route from Istanbul to Rovaniemi. This is the first long direct route to Lapland's capital city. And for the first time, passengers can fly in business class on a direct flight.
The first flight from Istanbul arrived to Rovaniemi, Lapland, on Thursday 5 December 2019. Visit Rovaniemi, the city's tourism board, believe that this new direct route "will open up new possibilities in the travel business for Rovaniemi and all Lapland".
Istanbul-Rovaniemi flights are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 5th December 2019 and 22nd March 2020.
"Visit Rovaniemi has been working purposefully with Finavia to open up a new route with Turkish Airlines. Route from Istanbul will connect 80 new destinations with comfortable traveling time, and that will unlock unrepresented accessibility to Rovaniemi. New clients will be searched from the Middle East’s growing markets. Rovaniemi has been already represented to professional buyers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Arab Emirates. With a trustworthy working direct route and our magical Arctic experiences will together enable selling new exclusive destination. Through the winter season, the operated route will also suite well our established Asian market, and options for growth are good in that direction too," stated Sanna Kärkkäinen, CEO of Visit Rovaniemi.
Turkish Airlines flights to Rovaniemi and Istanbul will be sold to travel agencies and individual travelers. Therefore, a wide scale of Turkish Airlines flights will now be available also to citizens of Lapland. Tickets will also be possible to purchase from Turkish Airlines ticket office from Rovaniemi airport.
Overall Turkish Airlines operates to 126 countries worldwide.
