Finnish-ing touch: 25% more UAE tourists welcomed by Finland

Heli Mende, head of global sales promotion at VisitFinland.

Around 7,500 people visited Finland from the UAE in 2016, and compared to 2015 there has been a 25 per cent growth, said Heli Mende, head of global sales promotion at VisitFinland.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, she says: "Our trip to the Arabian Travel Market [ATM] this year is for research. We are looking into this region and the target markets here. Our purpose is to learn more about the potential partners and tour operators we can work together to promote Finland as a travel destination."
Mende shares that there are several travel companies in Finland that are very interested in this market. "We are hoping to come here next year with a Finnish delegation and be present at the ATM with a stand. We are looking at tour operators here to understand how they see our destination, what kind of cooperation they would like to build with us, and if they think their clients would be interested in travelling to Finland. We are open to discussion and want to understand the needs and requirements of the people coming from this region."
She adds that VisitFinland is hoping to work with different industries in Finland to create awareness about the country, not only as a place to do business in, but also to promote it as an attractive destination for family holidays, and investments.
Finnair, the national carrier of Finland, flies directly from Dubai in the winter to the capital city Helsinki and will start operating the flights again in October this year. "Qatar Airways also has good connection via Doha. A good flight connection helps a lot in attracting tourists," adds Mende.
Known as the home of a thousand lakes, Finland is large country with a population of just five million. The capital of Helsinki is a big metropolitan area with urban culture, while the countryside has lots of nature. The country borders with Russia and Sweden, has a long coastline, and also has one of the world's largest archipelagos. Some of the most popular attractions include the Santa Claus village, which is open all year round, and the Aurora Borealis [Northern Lights]. The country is famous for its different accommodation options such as lighthouse hotels, snow hotels and glass igloo hotels in Lapland, specially built to witness the Northern Lights.
"Finland has something unique to offer from many other countries. To start with, we have four different seasons that are all very distinct. Our winter is very exotic for people coming from the Middle East, and there is plenty to experience throughout the year," says Mende.
This year is also a very special one for Finland, as it marks 100 years of independence of the country. Further, Lonely Planet recently nominated Finland as one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The World Economic Forum's 2017 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report also crowned the country as the safest destination in the world.
"It will be interesting to see how we can build awareness of Finland in this region and we hope to make it one of the top options for people looking for a unique holiday destination," concludes Mende.
- deepa@khaleejtimes.com