The goal is to significantly increase the number of transfer passengers through Helsinki Airport and also to pay special attention to the needs of a new segment – the stopover passengers. The appeal of the Helsinki metropolitan area as a travel destination has a significant impact on the competitive strength of the air traffic at Helsinki Airport.
Finavia sees Guggenheim Helsinki as a key investment in the development of tourism in Finland and in improving the appeal of Helsinki. Helsinki Airport competes for transfer passengers and tourism with other, much larger airports. Most of the transfer airports are trying to attract stopover passengers, who will visit the area’s travel destinations between their connections.
According to a study by Taloustutkimus, more than half of international tourists say that Guggenheim increases the appeal of Helsinki as a travel destination.
– Interesting attractions in the metropolitan area improve the area’s appeal for tourists. This also increases the demand for air traffic and helps secure good flight connections around the world for Finns. A million new flight passengers create approximately 1,000 new jobs, so in this economic situation, that reason alone makes it a worthwhile investment, says Finavia’s CEO Kari Savolainen.
Guggenheim has a good chance of becoming one of the main tourist attractions in the metropolitan area. It would also benefit the already existing high-quality tourism and cultural offerings in the metropolitan area. For Finavia, this is an investment that will pay itself back in an increasing flow of passengers.
– Investing in the Guggenheim Helsinki project supports Finavia’s extensive development program’s goals to improve Finland’s flight connections and the passenger experience. Finavia is preparing to serve 20 million passengers at Helsinki Airport in 2020.
Finavia invests in design and art at the airport also
The ArtPort Concept that has been implemented at Helsinki Airport already for a number of years has so far delighted the passengers with an art gallery, photography exhibitions and numerous works of art by Finnish artists.
For many passengers, Helsinki Airport is the first point of contact with Finland, so Finavia has wanted to display bits of Finnish culture already at the airport. For Helsinki Airport, art has been an important way to differentiate in the competition between transfer airports.
For passengers, Helsinki Airport is also an essential gateway into other parts of Finland. The airport network owned by Finavia would benefit from the additional interest in Finland that Guggenheim would generate. The airport network also provides transfer passengers with an opportunity to become familiar with what Lapland and other regions have to offer.
Image: Guggenheim museum in Bilbao (Pixapay)
