For many years, the United Nations has published a ranking of the happiest countries in the world based on many criteria such as income, quality of healthcare, generosity and transparency.
Notably, Finland has been at the top of this ranking for 9 consecutive years, thanks to factors such as the friendliness of the people, freedom of choice and long lifespan.
Not only keeping the title, this Nordic country also wants to spread a happy lifestyle to the world. The tourism promotion organization Visit Finland is currently implementing a 7-day challenge called "chill like a Finnish person", inviting international tourists to experience summer in the Finnish Lakeland area.
This is the largest lake region in Europe, famous for its fresh nature and slow pace of life. According to the introduction, this is also where Finnish people come to rest, regenerate energy and connect with nature.
Heli Jimenez, International Marketing Director of Business Finland, said that more and more international tourists are coming to Finland to explore the "secret to happiness", but the Finnish Lakeland area is still quite new to many people. She emphasized that this is an ideal destination for those who want to temporarily leave the noisy daily pace.
According to the introduction, summer is the most favorite time of year for Finnish people. They often spend their vacations in lakeside houses, where they can enjoy a simple rhythm of life: free sleep, hiking, cycling, meeting friends, baking, sauna and relaxing by the lake.
This series of activities repeated every day - waking up, going out to exercise, eating, swimming and resting - is considered a way to help balance your mind throughout the rest of the year.
The program is expected not only to promote tourism but also to give tourists the opportunity to directly experience the lifestyle that is considered the key to helping Finland maintain its position as the happiest country in the world for many years.
How to register for participation
The 7-day experience program will take place in June, open to participants worldwide, with a two-step process:
Step 1: Run a challenge on Instagram or TikTok with a companion, shoot a self-introduction video and answer the question: "How do you picture summer vacation in Finnish Lakeland?
Step 2: Fill in the registration form on the official website and attach the social media post link.
Participants can register in pairs with anyone such as friends, relatives or partners, with the sole condition that they are 18 years of age or older.
