Families going to Lapland face disappointment because there is no SNOW

British tourists travelling to Finland to visit Santa Claus’ ‘official’ home are facing disappointment due to a lack of snow.

Despite the Santa Claus Village’s location above the Arctic Circle, in the far north of the Scandinavian country, snow has yet to fall in the area this season.

Several British holiday companies have been forced to cancel upcoming trips to northern Finland as a result of the weather.

Still dreaming of a white Christmas: This recent photo taken outside the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland shows the ground bare with no snow in sight

Holiday company TUI has been forced to cancel two day trips to the Snow Village in Kittila, some 93 miles north of Rovaniemi, as it has not been cold enough for the resort to be built. 

‘We have taken the difficult decision to cancel the 1st and 2nd December day trips to the Snow Village and have directly contacted any affected customers with alternative options,’ TUI said in a statement.

‘We would like to reassure anyone heading to Kittila for three or four nights at the beginning of December or later, or to anyone due to visit any of our other Lapland resorts over this period or at a later point in the season, that we are confident we’ll be able to offer them the full experience as planned.’ 

British tour operator Transun has cancelled two trips to Finnish Lapland this week and offered alternative dates or a full refund.

‘We have cancelled the trips as it has been unseasonably warm in Lapland recently and there has been limited snowfall,’ said spokesperson for Transun, which offers tours to an area some 155 miles north of Rovaniemi, adding that they have put contingency plans in place if the warm weather continues.

Tourists booked in to visit Santa’s Village, which opened for the winter season on Saturday, have taken to social media to express their fears their trip may be snowless.

The official Facebook pages of Visit Rovaniemi and the Santa Claus Holiday Village have been inundated with worried tourists asking if there is any chance of snow in the next few days.

How it's 'meant' to look: Visitors expect to see Santa's Village in Rovaniemi in Finland covered in snow as they visit in the run-up to Christmas

How it’s ‘meant’ to look: Visitors expect to see Santa’s Village in Rovaniemi in Finland covered in snow as they visit in the run-up to Christmas

The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s five day forecast offers some hope to tourists, with snow predicted to fall on Friday and Monday. 

A ten-day forecast by the Finnish government’s weather agency promises temperatures below zero from Friday and at least three days of snow before December commences. 

Sanna Kärkkäinen, Managing Director at Visit Rovaniemi told MailOnline they are not worried about the weather – revealing that they are working on programmes to preserve pre-season snow in case none appears naturally.

‘It looks promising in terms of temperature, but for sure, we wait for snow. 

‘The weather varies a lot in the beginning of the season and for many years we have been able started the winter activities in October/November. 

‘Nowadays the weather seems to be more unpredictable and we need to get prepared for that, for example storing and conserving snow over summer for the early start of winter activities.’

Far north: Despite being located in northern Finland above the Arctic Circle

Far north: Despite being located in northern Finland above the Arctic Circle

Rovaniemi and Santa’s Village is a popular destination among Britons in the run-up to Christmas.

In November and December last year, 25,000 British tourists stayed overnight in Rovaniemi – and were the most common nationality among foreign visitors in December.  

Many Britons also visit for the day and fly home in the evening on trips such as Thomas Cook’s Sleigh Day, however it is not known if the lack of snow will effect upcoming trips.

A Thomas Cook spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Our trips to Lapland start later this month. We’re continuing to watch the forecast and are working on contingency plans should they be required. We will update customers on any changes if necessary.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk