The restrictions in Finland to stop the spread of the coronavirus are expected to hit the country's economy hard, not least on the Åland archipelago, which is largely dependent on tourism.
– For the tourism industry it is a disaster. They lose all bookings, no rebookings, no one is traveling, and here we are on an island. It is an extremely difficult situation for tourism here, says Lotta Berner-Sjölund at the official tourist office Visit Åland.
One in five Ålanders working in the private sector earns their main income from the tourism industry, but yesterday restaurants were closed for table service, only takeaway is allowed, all passenger traffic has basically stopped and large events and fairs have been cancelled. In addition, the end date for all previous measures is being postponed by one month, schools and external borders are closed until May 13.
The restrictions are an economic challenge for both individuals and companies, says Jonas Bladh, journalist at Ålandstidningen:
– The Åland economy is largely based, approximately 20 percent, on shipping companies and shipping, and they have already taken a big hit. Most of the cruise ships are currently docked and the two major shipping companies have laid off large parts of their staff.
The Finnish government believes the measures are necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus and protect people at risk. And they already seem to have had an effect, according to several experts, such as the public service broadcaster. Yle spoken to. Certainly the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is increasing, but not at the same rate as before.
To save businesses and the economy, the Riksdag has approved a support package totaling 15 billion euros, of which one billion goes directly to business support. But whether it is enough is too early to say, says Jonas Bladh.
– They have come out with this supplementary budget, a fairly large package to primarily strengthen liquidity through guarantees and loans, but we'll see how it goes. But it's always difficult to say at this early stage how it will work, he says.
Source: sverigesradio.se
