News

The plans are for the Rovaniemi round to be driven as a three-day event: the action starts on Friday 26 February with a shakedown in the morning, and the first special stages of the rally proper will be driven on Friday evening. The competition continues on Saturday 27 February with three stages that will all be driven twice in and around the Rovaniemi area.

The romantic drama I Remember filmed in Finnish Lapland, tells a story of two workmates who travel to Finland and their work-related journey takes them to Finnish Lapland via Helsinki.

Although foreign travelers are unable to visit Lapland this Christmas, their interest in Santa Claus of shows no sign of fading. One solid piece of evidence for this is Rovaniemi-based Joulupukki TV’s Santatelevision channel, which has seen record growth of more than 50%.

Many kids missed out an opportunity to travel to Lapland to meet Santa themselves so HUAWEI with the help of Visit Rovaniemi and the Elves of Santa Claus Village have designed a magical way to bring Santa Claus into your home and onto your phone!

Each year, in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland Santa sets of to bring Christmas cheer to people all around the globe. This year, the event will be broadcasted LIVE on Facebook and Livestream on December 23rd at 7 PM local time (UTC +2). Santa Claus has a big heart filled with good wishes and we are so lucky to hear his thoughts right before the big journey.

ITV’s Gordon, Gino and Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa saw Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix bring the magic of Finnish winter to TVs across the UK. Visit Finland worked closely with Visit Rovaniemi and Visit Levi to support the Studio Ramsay production.

Rovaniemi culture attractions joined in the first part of the campaign that was released in the leading Russian social media platform ”Odnoklassniki.ru” in the aearly summer of 2020 among seven other museums and was very warmly received in both Russian video views and Russian media hits.

Samsung joins forces with Santa Claus with a meeting opportunity with Santa as well as the AR filter for Instagram Stories.

Families will soon be able to fly with Finnair to see Santa in Rovaniemi, thanks to the magic of virtual reality (VR). From 25 December, Finnair will offer eight ‘flights’ using virtual reality to transport lucky families and children to visit Santa in his hometown of Rovaniemi.

Visit Rovaniemi delivered greetings to the virtual celebration of 70 years of Diplomatic Relations between Finland and Israel. The formalities were held last week on 24th of November in Tel Aviv where Visit Rovaniemi Northern Lights where projected in a central location.

Husky & Yoga Nature is a company that truly opens their sustainable everyday lifestyle for everyone to experience and now enjoys a Sustainable Travel Finland trademark.

This year Santa Claus will open the Christmas season virtually on Saturday 7.11. at 19.00 (UTC+2). Join the festivities and watch it live on our Facebook page.

Rovaniemi is the Official Hometown of Santa Claus® Magic all year round.

Rovaniemi is the best European winter destination 2020. Rovaniemi The Official Hometown of Santa Claus® is making headlines after the release of Lonely Planet´s TOP 10 list.

Santa Claus’ Main Post Office will open its doors again on Monday, November 2, 2020.

Lapland travel industry has always been known for effective networking between the travel companies and the authority. “Working side by side across industries here in Lapland is built-in. The Lapland companies are strongest when working together in crisis” says Sanna Kärkkäinen, the Managing Director of Visit Rovaniemi.

Starting from 31st of August 2020 Visit Rovaniemi Tourist Information is open for travellers in a brand-new location Koskikatu 12, in OP´s newly constructed bank building. The Tourist Information is located on the main business street of Rovaniemi and enjoys a view of Lordi´s Square.

Companies from Rovaniemi are joining forces to take action towards Sustainable Travel Finland,  so travelers of tomorrow can choose sustainable! Sustainable Travel Finland trademark offers a concrete toolkit for travel destinations to help Finland’s travel destinations to adopt sustainable procedures and to make sustainable choices in their business.

Rovaniemi, the Laplands capital and The Official Hometown of Santa Claus® shares this cool virtual breeze to be experienced from where ever you are!

Visit Rovaniemi with its partners have taken the responsibility and sustainability seriously, and now run a Sustainable Travel Finland –programme, helping the local tourism to develop more responsible. Kärkkäinen encourages all local businesses to join this program, free of charge.

Arctic Circle Jukola is turning out to be the Jukola of all times since the world’s largest orienteering event Jukola Relay has been postponed for one year.

The tradition stands still as Santa Claus Office is closing the doors from visits here on the Arctic Circle but opening a window to Christmas magic via daily live stream

At the height of the tourist season in Rovaniemi, many have ventured out on the ice next to the city’s iconic bridge, the Jätkänkynttilä (”Lumberjack’s Candle”). THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!

Turkish Airlines opened a new direct flight from Istanbul to Rovaniemi, Lapland on 5.12.2019.

British carrier Easyjet started a new direct flight route from Manchester to Rovaniemi yesterday. Flights will be operated twice a week between Machester and Rovaniemi. 

Santa Claus gives his much-awaited speech in the annual Christmas opening in his official hometown Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland 10th November. This year you can join the festivities directly from your own sofa!

The 13th World Luxury Hotel Awards gala will be held in Rovaniemi, in SantaPark on Saturday, 12 October 2019.

Held second time in summer 2019, Rovaniemi Summer Ambassador –campaign reached approximately 105 million audience around the world. Youtube and Instagram star Amro Maskoun brought the greatest single audience by his 42 630 000 reach.

Rovaniemi sets the stage for the stunning action sequences of War. The biggest action-entertainer of the year is produced by Yash Raj Films, Bollywood’s largest film production and distribution company.

Rovaniemi-based Arctic TreeHouse Hotel awarded the Green Key eco-label.

Mayor of Rovaniemi Esko Lotvonen extends a warm welcome to everyone attending the Arctic conferences in early May.

This summer, Finnish citizens will work as happiness guides and welcome visitors into their homes, showing them how to connect with nature and understand the Finnish art of relaxation. One of the happiness guides is Esko Lotvonen, Mayor of Rovaniemi.

Summer 2019 will bring influential visitors from all around the world to Rovaniemi – The Official Hometown of Santa Claus® in Finnish Lapland. The application period is open for 15 social media personalities and journalists from all over the world. In the Midnight Sun season 6th June – 7th July, the famous winter holiday destination Rovaniemi invites participants to join the Finnish summer happiness and endless summer nights in the Arctic nature.

The new activity products marketplace solution is unique in its scale in Finland’s travel business.

The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck has visited over 300 places around the globe before finally arriving in Finland. In Finland the truck made a historical first-time ever stop on the Arctic Circle in the city of Rovaniemi.

Istanbul-Rovaniemi will be operated three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Turkish Airlines will be the first airline to offer seats on business class to Rovaniemi.

Influental professionals of luxury hotel business will get together in Rovaniemi in October 2019, when the World Luxury Hotel Award will be held in the city. Rovaniemi will be the first city in northern Europe to have the event.

First Snow Skiing Season 2018 starts in mid-October in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland.

Rovaniemi Week (3–9.9.2018) offers a number of concerts, performing arts, open-door events, tours around the city, and workshops, among others. Events are open for everyone, most of them free of charge!

EasyJets starts flights from London Gatwick to Rovaniemi in October 2018.

A new web service built around Alvar Aalto’s architecture, visit.alvaraalto.fi, has been launched to serve visitors in all regions of Finland.

Social media influencers, journalists and new media journalists – apply now and be among the first ones to experience the summer of Santa Claus’ hometown Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland.

Organised by the Jaeger Brigade in Rovaniemi from 26 February to 2 March 2018, the exercise LAPPI 118 can be witnessed in the centre of Rovaniemi from 26 February to 28 February 2018, on Tuesday and Wednesday in particular.

Rovaniemi based Santa’s Santatelevision YouTube channel has doubled its viewers this year, with a goal of 100 million video views by the end of the Christmas season.

The project 100 Moods From Finland has recorded one hundred moods from Finland during one year. These unique moments are authentic pieces of Finland in different seasons and on a wide scale from roadless wilderness to already familiar places.

This year The Worldwide Hospitality Awards was held in Paris on 8th of November, and Arctic TreeHouse Hotel was voted as the winner in the category of Best innovation in hotel concept.

Come to Finland, Arktikum, Grafia, Lapland Hotels, SEK and Visit Rovaniemi are collaborating to find a travel poster for the Finnish Lapland and are therefore announcing My Finland Poster contest.

A record-breaking winter season is expected at Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. Massive investments are being made to respond to record demand.

We are looking for a new talent to join our Visit Rovaniemi team. If you have excellent writing skills and you can create content quickly, apply now!

Ounasvaara’s First Snow skiing trail will be open for cross-country skiers on 21st October 2017.

Autumn is prime time for Aurora Borealis viewing in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. This year, Northern Lights buffs have been treated to several consecutive nights of aurora displays in the first few days of September.

On Wednesday 16.3.2017 at noon the new polar bear cub at Ranua Wildlife Park got its first chance to experience the outside world.

Polar bear cubs born in captivity rarely survive the critical first few weeks – Ranua Zoo are delighted with six-week old newcomer. Read more!

On Tuesday November 15th 2016, President of Finland Sauli Niinistö granted Visit Rovaniemi the President’s internationalisation award. Read more here.

Rovaniemi is expecting another record-breaking travel season and lots of new experiences await visitors in the Official Hometown of Santa Claus.

As Santa Claus wondered how he could better reach all his friends in China, one of his savvy elves came up with the perfect solution: team up with Weibo.

Rovaniemi answers a growing demand for more beds with diverse forms of new accommodation. Also, three new direct flight connections have been established.