In Finnish Lapland, tourism development is increasingly encroaching on one of Europe’s last wilderness sanctuaries. Luxury hotels, glass igloos and roads built since 2018 have contributed to habitat fragmentation and disturbance of the Sámi people‘s traditional lands. About 15% of new construction in Lapland is tourism-related, and major hubs like Rovaniemi account for half of the 2.7 million square meters of new building from 2018-2023. Local opposition and environmentalists warn that without stricter planning, the region’s biodiversity and cultural heritage may be irreversibly harmed.
Read more on Lemonde.fr
