With many pupils in Finland starting their weeklong autumn break on Monday, cabin lessors continue to profit on a busy season that began in the spring during Finland's coronavirus shutdown.
"This past summer saw 40 to 50 percent growth compared to the year before and autumn break rentals have roughly doubled," said Juha-Pekka Olkkola, who heads up rental cottage broker Lomarengas.
Families with children make up the majority of those flocking to forest cabins.
Interest in wooded retreats has been relatively evenly distributed across the country, although those making last-minute reservations tend to want to stay close to home, according to Olkkola.
"If you’re willing to travel farther up north, there’s always something available," he said, adding that 'dream cabins' were quickly snapped up.
Hotels near nature popular
Hotels in close proximity to national parks are also drawing customers, according to the Sokos Hotels chain.
Hotel packages including spa access and nearby nature attractions have been particularly popular, said Nina Nieminen of Sokos Hotels. That said, the chain’s most popular destination has been its hotel situated in the middle of Koli national park.
Travelling to Finland’s far north is, however, not piquing massive interest.
Ari Vuorentausta of the Lapland Hotels chain said the company had only seen a small increase in bookings this month.
Tour operator Aurinkomatkat meanwhile said it quickly sold out its first weeklong package which began this weekend in Lapland’s Ruka ski resort area.
Quarantine drains appeal
The Estonian capital Tallinn is typically a popular 24-hour destination in the autumn season. But that's not the case this year as travellers are not keen on quarantining after coming home.
To drum up business, some ferry companies are offering trips around the Turku archipelago or cruises in the Baltic without disembarkation.
"Coronavirus has halved the capacity of our ferries, which means the booking situation is naturally not as good as last year," explained Christa Grönlund of shipping company Viking Line.