Go niche

By SANDRA O'CONNELL

If Fáilte Ireland is worried that fewer tourists are visiting us, it should look to Jukkasjärvi for inspiration. The Swedish village is hardly a household name, but when it comes to the tourist equivalent of turning lemons into lemonade, it rocks.

- Situated 200km north of the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, the only visitors it succeeded in attracting 20 years ago were white-water rafters, the odd survivalist and a couple of fishermen. Determined to capitalise on the only asset it had in abundance – ice – locals decided in 1989 to invite ice sculptors from around the world for an exhibition housed in a centre made of ice.

- More people turned up than expected, so some of them had to sleep in the ice hall in makeshift beds of reindeer skin. Despite temperatures of minus 5 degrees, all slept soundly – and awoke delighted with the experience, giving locals the idea to set up the world’s first hotel made entirely of ice.

- The 20th Jukkasjärvi Icehotel has just been completed. For the next four months people will pay up to €3,000 to stay in what has been voted Sweden’s best

travel experience. Now if only we could think of something to do with rain.

www.icehotel.com