MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Finland's tourism sector is losing over €330 million per year due to the absence of Russian travelers, Anastasia Litvina, a researcher at the European Economies Sector of the Center for European Studies, the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, cited these figures in a column for TASS.

"This is particularly painful for the Finnish regions of South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, and North Karelia. Finland's tourism sector alone is losing over €330 million annually due to the absence of Russian travelers, while experts estimate the combined daily losses for cross-border businesses in the eastern provinces at €1 million. Compounding this is a severe blow to the wood-processing industry, which has been stripped of stable raw material supplies," Litvina wrote.

The expert pointed to the Finnish government's proposal to extend its law on countering instrumentalized migration until the end of 2028. According to the analyst, the shutdown of cross-border cooperation has already triggered a "record wave of bankruptcies" and the "degradation of once-profitable trade, tourism, and logistics routes."

She noted that Helsinki is effectively attempting to replace its former cross-border model. For instance, the Joint Nordic Strategy for Transport System Preparedness--a defense and transport strategy adopted by Nordic countries in March 2026--focuses heavily on strengthening Finland's ties with Sweden and Norway.

"If maritime routes are blocked or restricted, part of Finland's freight traffic is expected to be rerouted overland through Swedish territory to west coast ports, and onward to Norway and other European countries," the expert explained. "Thus, it is not merely a reduction in one trade direction, but a shift in the very geography of Finland's economic ties: the eastern vector is giving way to deeper integration with northern and western neighbors. However, one must keep the costs in mind--the new route may be safer in terms of strategic planning, but it is longer and more expensive."