S Group Hotels foresees an increase in tourism to Finland
S Group foresees an increase in tourism to Finland – with bookings 30% up from last year
The tourism industry continues to pick up and the year 2024 is off to a positive start for the S Group Tourism and Hospitality business. Sokos Hotels and Radisson hotels bookings show clear growth compared to the previous year. To ensure growth, the group will continue its industry cooperation to strengthen tourism in Finland and develop hotels and their services to meet customer expectations.
For S Group, the travel year 2024 looks promising: hotel bookings for the year, made in early January, are up to 30 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year, both for domestic and international tourists.
- The increase in bookings can clearly be attributed to the increase in winter tourism, with winter being the most popular season. Both international and domestic tourism is concentrated especially to the Helsinki metropolitan area, Lapland and the Lakeland area in the direction of Koli, Tahko and Bomba, Nina Nieminen, Commercial Director at SOK Travel Industry Chain Management, explains.
Industry growth is vital in order to increase Finland’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. This requires even stronger investments and cooperation throughout the value chain. S Group actively cooperates with Visit Finland, MaRa ry and several other service providers, and develops its own operations to promote the entire sector.
- We are the largest Finnish tourism operator and want to harness our resources for the benefit of tourism in Finland as a whole. If Finland is not perceived as an interesting travel destination, marketing our hotels or services is pointless,” says Nieminen.
S Group offers diverse, high-quality accommodation options all across Finland. Investments will be directed not only to the updating of already high-quality hotels, but also to the construction of brand new hotels.
- Being involved in the development of the market is great. S Group hotels and resorts have more than 3 million annual overnights. Guests choose us for a reason, and we make sure the level of our operations and offerings have them choosing us again. We have once again received recognition for our customer experience management*, showing that we are genuinely working to make our guests happy, says Juha Helminen, Commercial Director at SOK Travel Industry Chain Management.
2024 will see new and refurbished hotels opened all across Finland
Sokos Hotels celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The middle-aged hotel chain shows no signs of ageing, but continuously reinvents itself to strengthen its mission of creating happiness. The anniversary year brings interesting reforms and novelties, with particular emphasis on customer and experiential experiences and responsibility:
- The most impressive new hotel of the year, Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4, will be opened in Katajanokka at the end of the summer. This masterpiece of wood architecture exudes Finnish expertise, quality and responsibility in a magnificent maritime setting.
- Tahko’s Break by Sokos Hotel will have a five-storey new building with some 60 rooms, close to nature and with stunning views from Standard rooms to suites, as well as pampering and wellness services. The renovation of the hotel’s main building was completed in autumn 2023.
- The energy-efficient Original Sokos Hotel Royal in Vaasa will be completely revamped into the most experiential hotel complex on the west coast. The hotel’s tower section will reopen in February 2024, when work on the central section will begin. February will see the opening of a new sauna world, Huippu – Panoramic Sauna & Pool, on the 11th floor of the hotel.
- Original Sokos Hotel Vantaa, Original Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden in Espoo, Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna in Mikkeli, Original Sokos Hotel Alexandra in Jyväskylä and Break Sokos Hotel Bomba in Nurmes will also undergo extensive renewals this year.
Sokos Hotels, Radisson Blu and Radisson RED hotels will take part in the MATKA 2024 Travel Fair during the General Public days 19.-21.1., as well as the Matka Business Forum for professionals. The Professional Day on 18.1. will also feature a speech on the responsibility of Sokos Hotels, by Development Manager Jukka Kaartinen. In honour of the 50th anniversary, Sokos Hotels is also offering co-op members 40% off winter holidays, which can be booked at the fair and on sokoshotels.fi during the fair, 18.-22.1. Radisson hotels in Finland also offer a Winter Sale during the fair with double room rates starting from €99, including breakfast. Rooms can be booked during 18.-22.1. at radissonhotels.com.
*Customer Experience Professionals Association CXPA Finland report 2023: Customer experience management in Finland. Sokos Hotels is the leading company in investments in customer experiences.
More information:
Nina Nieminen, Commercial Director at SOK Travel Industry Chain Management, nina.nieminen(a)sok.fi, tel.
Juha Helminen, Commercial Director at SOK Travel Industry Chain Management, juha.helminen(a)sok.fi, tel.
Sokos Hotels – on a mission to create happiness
Sokos Hotels, a Finnish hotel chain consisting of nearly 50 hotels. The chain’s four different hotel types offer a unique hotel experience for everyone. Original hotels are known for their cordial service and central locations, Break hotels offer a relaxing break from everyday life and the high quality of the unique Solo hotels is reflected in both the service and hotel premises. In the new Heymo hotel type, you only pay for what you need at any given time.
Sokos Hotels has been chosen Finland’s most responsible, respected and trusted hotel chain for several consecutive years. In 2022 and 2023, Sokos Hotels was also awarded the international Brand of the Year award and named leader of the best customer experience. The chain has hotels in Finland and Estonia. All Sokos Hotels follow the Green Key sustainability program. Sokos Hotels is the first to offer the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions of hotel overnights.
