For the second year in a row, Finland was named the happiest country in the world.
They made it to the top of the United Nations’ 2019 World Happiness Report by ranking high in metrics such as life expectancy, social support, and corruption.
But if you’re in one of the 156 other countries who didn’t even make it to the top 20, you don’t need to feel sad about it any longer because you actually have a chance to visit the cheery nation.
Finland decided to share their happiness with the rest of the world by offering free summer vacations to the lucky few who will be chosen.
The campaign, called Rent a Finn, was launched by Visit Finland. The promotion involves giving away free three-day holidays where guests will get to stay with locals.
Eight Finnish host families were selected from across the country and they will serve as local tour guides or “Happiness Guides.”
You can also get to see who the potential hosts are, including Lakeland-based Timo, nature-lover Petri, and Linda and Niko. The latter pair lives in the middle of the Baltic Sea with their chihuahua, Helmi.
A Visit Finland press release states: “Finns are opening their homes and lives and welcoming visitors to experience how to reconnect with nature. Finnish nature with a local guide is the perfect way to find your calm.
“The Happiness Guides will host travelers for three summer days and introduce them to Finnish nature through their own activities.
“Experiences can be anything from visiting a national park to spending a weekend fishing at a real summer cottage, berry picking in the wilderness, enjoying a proper Finnish sauna – basically all the things that we Finns love to do in nature and what makes Finland the happiest country in the world.”
Joonas Halla, PR and media manager, added: “We wanted to have ordinary Finns that wanted to tell an authentic story and show the beautiful nature of Finland to their guests.”
The mechanics involve you recording a short video where you tell the country about yourself and your connection to nature as well as why you want to visit Finland.
You then fill out a form on the Rent a Finn website and attach the video to your application.
The lucky visitors will then be contacted by Visit Finland.
It’s certainly the chance of a lifetime but don’t take too long to decide because applications are only open until April 14!
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