Year 2020 was the year for domestic tourism in Siida

Sámi Museum and Nature Center Siida had 80 000 visitors in 2020. From these, 39 000 bought tickets to the exhibitions. In addition to exhibition visitors there are customers of Siida Shop, restaurant Sarrit, Inari tourist information and Metsähallitus customer service. The number of total visitors dropped 34 % and there were 39 % less exhibition visitors than the previous year.

The year 2020 had a great start at Siida. January 2020 broke records, but by the end of February the effects of Covid-19 started to show. On March 17th Siida, like all museums and nature centers in Finland, closed it’s doors for two and a half months. Summer was a success thanks to domestic travelling. Like previous years July was Siida’s busiest with over 8000 exhibition visitors. After the busy vacation months of summer, autumn and the last months of 2020 were quiet.

Sámi Museum and Nature Center Siida has always been an international destination. Year 2020 was clearly a year for domestic travel, as 66 % of exhibition visitors were domestic. On previous years on average 60 % of guests have been foreigners. The number of Museum Card visits grew almost double that of the previous year. In 2019 Siida registered 2 700 Museum Card visits, and in 2020 this number was 4 400.

Sámi Museum Siida’s Skolt Sámi Heritage House in Sevettijärvi had 990 guests in 2020. This year the Heritage House was open over a month less than previous years, in relation to this the number of visitors remained the same as before.

All in all Siida offered safe and high quality services despite the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the temporary exhibitions “Inari Sámi Handicraft of the Past and the Present”, “Changing winter”, “Everyday life of the North – how do the animals of the North live”, “Teno”, “Preserving Sámi Heritage”, “Albma olbmot – Real People”, ”Wild light”, “Sámi seremoniijat – Sámi ceremonies”, and “Karen Jomppanen: A Creative and Experimental Artisan” brought compelling content for visitors. Many of the guests from the past winter and summer also paid a visit to the open-air museum to get to know Sámi building heritage and livelihoods.

Siida buildings expansion project started in May 2020 as planned. The construction site hasn’t affected visiting Siida. In a little over six months the expansions for the new collections unit and restaurant wing have reached their full height and building on the inside is well on its way. The project is moving in schedule and the new facilities will be finished in spring 2021. In summer 2021 begins the renovation and renewal of Siida-building and it’s permanent exhibitions, which will be ready in spring 2022. During the renovation, exhibitions will be in the atmospheric open-air museum.

Sámi Museum and Nature Center Siida together with restaurant Sarrit want to thank all customers for the past year.

More information:

Head of Sales and Marketing Minna Väisänen, 0405816434, minna.vaisanen(at)samimuseum.fi
Sales and Marketing Assistant Taija Aikio, 0404847329, taija.aikio(at)samimuseum.fi