Metsähallitus has launched its upgraded sales channel, Eräluvat.fi. Almost all permits as well as huts in state-owned areas can now be booked through the service. Every year, EUR 16 million worth of permits are purchased on Eräluvat.fi.
"This is a major outlay for us. We wanted to invest in our digital sales channel, as customers use the online service almost exclusively. As recently as ten years ago, a quarter of the permits were bought in the online store, whereas today this share is more than 90 per cent,” says Jari Haarala, Digital Services Manager at Metsähallitus.
The new Eräluvat.fi service cost EUR 5.2 million. This figure is around one third of the annual sales, as EUR 16 million worth of permits are purchased using the service every year. Fishing and hunting customers account for approx. EUR 15 million of this amount. The impact of permit customers on regional economies in Finland is EUR 50 million annually.
Metsähallitus first launched its Eräluvat.fi service in 2013. In practical terms the old service was a collection of different systems, however. The new service now combines a website, an online store and partly also a system for submitting permit applications.
“This means that rather than switching between the website and the store, the customer will stay in the same service throughout their transaction,” Jari Haarala points out.
This makes life easier for many customers, as 450,000 different orders are placed on Eräluvat.fi every year. At best, the service has had almost 600,000 registered customers.
Now all customers will have to re-register as the service has undergone a major change, and for privacy reasons they need to accept its terms again. Some of the old accounts were also disused, and it did not make sense to transfer them directly into the new system.
On Eräluvat.fi, customers can pay the state fisheries management fee, purchase fishing and hunting permits for state-owned areas, and buy off-road traffic, Christmas tree and natural product permits as well as subsistence region permits for residents in Northern Lapland. Huts can also be booked in the service.
The service can initially be used in Finnish, Swedish and English, and later also in Northern Sámi, Skolt Sámi and Inari Sámi.
Coming soon: the new Luontoon.fi service
Towards the end of the year, Metsähallitus will launch another key digital channel, its updated Luontoon.fi service. While Eräluvat.fi is Metsähallitus’ channel for selling services subject to a fee, Luontoon.fi provides information on all free excursion destinations, trails and other services.
For a sneak peek at the new version of Luontoon.fi service, go to beta.luontoon.fi.