Imatra Spa Resort
UKONNIEMI
Locating for Success
Ukonniemi is the developing tourism location in South-East
Finland close to the Finnish-Russian border. Its beating heart
is the Imatra Spa which attracts hundreds of thousands visitors
every year. The Ukonniemi master plan offers rich potential
to establish new businesses delivering services for tourists
visiting the region.
UKONNIEMI
Imatra Spa Resort
Promising opportunities
for new businesses
CURRENT SERVICES
IN UKONNIEMI
BUSINESS POTENTIAL
IN UKONNIEMI
Restaurants and accommodation Spa Hotel, cottages, restaurants and cafés Sports facilities
Ice rink, tennis hall, sports fi eld,
artifi cial turf pitch, multifunctional arena, disc golf course and hiking trails Program providers
Cruises, water activities, fi shing tours, ATV safaris, equipment rental and wilderness guides
Boating services
Marina services, boat warehousing and maintenance
Retail services
Shops for outdoor, golf and sports gear, souvenir shops
Program providers
Wilderness guides, fi shing tours, equipment rental
Restaurants and
accommodation services
The number of tourists visiting Imatra, occupying local accommodation and taking advantage of tax free purchasing is growing year by year. The total number of overnight stays in the surround-ing region of South Karelia rose by more than 26% in 2012 alone. All forecasts indicate contin-ued growth going forward.
The number of tourists visiting Imatra, occupying local accommodation and taking advantage of tax free purchasing is growing year by year. The total number of overnight stays in the surround-ing region of South Karelia rose by more than 26% in 2012 alone. All forecasts indicate contin-ued growth going forward.
6 6 IMATRA Rauha Ukonniemi LAPPEENRANTA Mansikkala Imatrankoski
Ukonniemi lies on the shore of Lake Saimaa, approximately 5 kilometres from the town centre of nearby Imatra. Ukonniemi is bordered by the popular tourism
destination of Rauha, situated in the area of neighbouring town Lappeenranta.
Ukonniemi offers space
with demand for a range
of entrepreneurs
and businesses.
Excellent environment
for entrepreneurship
Tax free sales have been
growing at a rate of more than
100%
A long tradition of tourism
The Imatra region has a distinguished history as a tour-ism destination and remains one of the fastest growing and finest in Finland. The Imatrankoski rapids were the first and for a long time Finland’s most popular tourist attraction. Nowadays visitors are also drawn by the com-mercial services on the pedestrian streets in the centre of Imatra itself, the unique Castle hotel, Imatra Spa and several festivals and sports events arranged in the town. The neighbouring city of Lappeenranta also brings a full flow of tourists into the area. The Rauha resort with the new Holiday Club Saimaa spa hotel is connected to Ukonniemi by a golf course, walking trails and in the win-tertime ice skating trails. Lappeenranta’s international air-port offers regular flights to several destinations in Europe.
Recent years have seen a remarkable flow of invest-ment capital into service developinvest-ment in Imatra. Major examples include the construction of a business park in the centre of town. A significant number of service outlets continues to spring up around the main South Karelia road route, especially as a result of the now competed improvements to Highway 6. A new Ikea store plus the surrounding Ikano Shopping Center only 20 minutes drive from Ukonniemi will open in 2015.
Ukonniemi and
its surroundings
The appeal of the unique
Ukonniemi’s neighbouring areas are strongly grow-ing centres of trade and services. The proximity of large, wealthy Russia underpins excellent opportuni-ties for growth. Thanks to our Russian tourists, sales statistics make Imatra, Lappeenranta and Helsinki Finland’s top three locations for tax free shopping. The region’s commercial potential is well recognized in South Karelia so significant investments are being made in education regarding languages and the trade and services sectors. Highly competent and professional staff are on tap.
The tourist attractions in the area of Ukonniemi
and its immediate surroundings already deliver
a plentiful flow of customers. The popular Imatra
Spa and new Holiday Club Saimaa spa in the
vicinity attract tourists all year round.
Popular Imatran Valtionhotelli and Day Spa
Imatra Big Band Festival and a huge variety of other events are attracting tourists to the Imatra region.
The powerful river Vuoksi in full spate at the Imatrankoski rapids.
The pedestrian streets and a concentration of trade outlets generate tourist appeal.
Profitable
entrepreneurship in
the vicinity of growing
centres of activity
Robust and continuously strengthening tax free sales figures are indicative of Imatra’s growing
popularity as a tourism destination.
6
66
Tourism in South Karelia and indeed
Finland as a whole has been growing at
a remarkable pace, generating positive
economic impacts alongside the rising
rate of tourist arrivals. The engine of
growth for Imatra in particular is foreign
tourists primarily from Russia.
Finnish Tourist Board statistics indicate the number of tourist overnight stays in South Karelia stood at 715,000 in 2012, i.e. 26% higher than the previous year.
Importing
prosperity
St. Petersburg
Vyborg
HELSINKI
IMATRA
6
A signifi cant share of the trips made to Fin-land by Russian tourists are shopping expedi-tions, and the statistics signpost the demand for growth in a variety of services. The new spa in Rauha immediately increased over-night stays by Russian tourists in the area. The market is supply-side driven with tourists buying the services that are available.
Growth in tourism
26%
3 mill.
Finns
10 mill.
Russians
Population
within
200 km
Nights spent
in South Karelia
Population
within
300 km
1,5 mill.
Finns
5,5 mill.
Russians
3 mill..
2 mill.
1 mill.
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Number of tourists visiting South Karelia
Tax Free Sales in Imatra
20 mill. €
15 mill. €
10 mill. €
2010
2011
2012
0
Source: Finnish Tourist Board
Source: Regional Council of South
Source: Global Blue Source: ELY Centres, Finnish Customs, TAK Oy
Source: Santasalo Ky, Tak Oy, Regional Council of South Karelia
260 km
to Helsinki
2,5 hrs
to Helsinki
30 mins
to Airport
210 km
to St. Petersburg
1,5 hrs
to St. Petersburg
Imatra
Vainikkala
2025
Development and commercial
construction required in South Karelia
Forecasts indicate the need to double the availability of commercial premises in South Karelia by 2025.
4 INTERNATIONAL
BORDER CROSSING
POINTS
Excellent
transport links
throughout Finland
Fast connections
to St. Petersburg
by road or rail
within an hour’s drive of Imatra
Nuijamaa
Highway 6 runs from Imatra to Helsinki
To Helsinki by rail less than two and a half hours
Driving time to Lappeenranta international airport less than half an hour
210 km by road from Imatra to St. Petersburg
By rail to St. Petersburg via Vainikkala
640 000
fl oor square meters
565 458
2011 overnight stays714 149
2012 overnight stays835 000
2013 overnight stays870 000
fl oor square meters
1 661 600
fl oor square meters3166
million euros
FORECAST 2025
Product and service
purchases total
(scenario +25%)
11
mill.
2025 forecast
