Families have been left gutted and ‘feeling sick’ after their trips to Lapland were cancelled last minute due to a lack of snow.
Kuusamo in Finnish Lapland has been left with hardly any snow due to heavy rainfall wiping out the powder, leaving holidaymakers set for a festive disappointment. Less than a third of the ski slopes up the mountain are open, according to Ski Resort Info, while J2Ski predicts no more snowfall until December 8 – and only 2cm at that point.
TUI scrapped plans for their enchanting Lapland experience yesterday and today, Travel Gossip reported. Dozens of people have taken to social media to express disappointment at the last minute cancellations, but the true number of those affected is not yet clear.
One woman wrote: “I feel so sick I could throw up. I get that no one can rely on the weather, but you kinda expect it when you go to a place that is listed as ‘the most magical snowy destination’. Another added: “It’s just an absolute nightmare! All the people that are there now have had the rides cancelled. We are due to fly out Sunday and I have rang TUI today and we will be told 72 hours before just glad I haven’t told the kids.”
Another unhappy customer had already made it to Kuusamo to find it less snow than hoped. She said: “We are here now. No snow at all other than on the ski slopes and that is iced over.”
According to Travel Gossip, TUI told affected guests: “We’ve been closely monitoring the weather forecast in Kuusamo. Unfortunately, there has been heavy rainfall today and what snow there was, has washed away. This means that regretfully it won’t be possible to operate the magical Lapland experience we had planned for you including tasters and pre-booked excursions. We understand how devastating this news will be and we are really sorry to have reached this outcome. We understand that Lapland is a once in a lifetime trip, and with this in mind we’d like to offer you some options.”
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It has been reported that travellers affected by the cancellation can opt to reschedule their Lapland adventure for another time, including next winter, without incurring extra fees; choose another holiday with the bonus of a 10% discount or a refund if the new option is less expensive; or simply receive a full refund. Meanwhile, TUI assured that all other areas offering Lapland trips remain open, with holidays continuing as scheduled thanks to artificial snow measures. Conditions in Rovaniemi are reportedly excellent, while Santa’s Village is all set for guests.
The lack of snow in Lapland in December is unusual and almost certainly linked to human-accelerated global heating. More and more people are flying to the snowy region each year to experience the festive magic. In 2023, 1.5 million passengers flew through the airports in Finnish Lapland, which was a 20% increase from 2022. This was a record-breaking number for the region, according to Finavia.
Flying is one of the most polluting forms of transport and typically the most environmentally damaging activity the average person does. One return economy flight from Manchester to Lapland produces about 800kg of CO2e. That is half a year’s carbon dioxide emissions budget for one person based on the Paris Agreement objective of maintaining global temperature warming “well below” 2°C, according to Curb6.
A TUI spokesperson said: “We are saddened that we had to cancel a small number of customer holidays to Kuusamo in Lapland. Unfortunately, a lack of snow and heavy rainfall in this specific resort meant that guests would not have the magical Lapland experience that they deserve. We have been in touch with all affected customers directly to ensure we have a suitable solution for them. We thank all of our customers for their patience and understanding at this time, and we hope they have a wonderful trip to Lapland in the future.”
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