Municipal dog park opens in Limassol
For safety reasons, aggressive and ailing dogs as well as puppies are not allowed inside
The famous amusement park near Rovaniemi, Finland is experiencing a tourist slump due to the pandemic
With the countdown to Christmas underway, Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi, Finland is eerily quiet. The world-famous amusement park saw an influx of over 500 000 tourists in 2019 alone. Many of the foreign guests came to Lapland’s capital on charter flights for short stays, eager to cross the Arctic Circle on dog sleds, enjoy the local food, visit the Reindeer and Husky Farm, do some shopping and, of course, meet Santa in person.
When the coronavirus reached Finland at the height of the winter season, Santa Claus Village had to close with all of its affiliated attractions in tow. The swift and no-nonsense handling of the pandemic earned Finland international praise, but fearing a relapse, the country was careful in reopening its borders. As a result, the foreign tourists are now gone and the occasional Santa Claus Village visitors are mostly Finnish families.
The picture painted by foreign media outlets is strange but true. No chance for children to sit on Santa’s lap this year, as the Old Man keeps a safe distance, talking to them through a Plexiglas sheet to keep infection at bay. Santa’s elves wear face masks and maintain social distance, and hand sanitizers are as ubiquitous as Christmas lights. And, topping the weirdness list, there is a new “being good” requirement for kids to get presents. As Santa says, good children wash their hands regularly, keep a safe distance from others and do not cough on other people.
Since 1985, Rovaniemi’s tourist brand has been “The official hometown of Santa Claus”. 10 percent of Lapland’s population works in tourism and another year lost to the pandemic will mean massive layoffs and closures, especially in tourism-dependent municipalities. State aid is considered vital for the sector to survive, but in the meantime, there are those who see the disaster just as a challenge to their creativity.
From 25 December, Finnair, billed as Santa’s official airline, will offer eight VR ‘flights’ to transport families and children to Santa’s hometown. The immersive 360-degree experience is created by Finnish VR studio Zoan using Unreal Engine, a top-notch real-time 3D graphics tool.
Virtual tourists can enjoy a flight on their mobile devices which is just as good as sitting in Finnair’s Nordic Business Class. A VR headset will enhance the experience. After landing in Rovaniemi, customers will be able to cross the Arctic Circle and enter Santa’s cabin to meet Santa Claus himself.
Tickets are just EUR 10 per person, available from Finnair Shop. The lucky flyers can also donate to the less fortunate, with proceeds going to UNICEF’s work to cushion the pandemic’s impact on children around the world.
By 2030, the Polish capital should be offering the highest level of digital services
European Partnerships, the key implementation tool of the programme Horizon Europe 2021-2027, is receiving new investment from the European Commission
This is not a conspiracy theory but an ongoing project that seeks to digitize natural heritage management
The Republic of Croatia has opened its doors to digital nomads in an attempt to boost tourism and economic growth
This is the aim of a new Interreg project in France and Spain
Join us for the 1st seminar, part of the EUDIGIT - European Digital Citizens project, online on 25-26 February
Seniors in Finland’s Northern Ostrobothnia region can now access Koti TV, a channel specifically created to tend to their needs
By supporting the plant-growing projects, the city wants to increase environmental awareness
Join us for the 1st seminar, part of the EUDIGIT - European Digital Citizens project, online on 25-26 February
The 216-million kunas project is expected to improve the quality of student life and decrease costs of living
That is the message behind a new national campaign inviting people to spend more time outdoors
It is an important day on the school calendar as it gives youngsters the chance to discover what’s behind many professions
For safety reasons, aggressive and ailing dogs as well as puppies are not allowed inside
The Austrian state of Carinthia will receive financing in the construction industry to support its economy
The island of Lastovo is implementing new policies with the hopes of receiving the status of an International Dark Sky Park or Sanctuary
For safety reasons, aggressive and ailing dogs as well as puppies are not allowed inside
The Austrian state of Carinthia will receive financing in the construction industry to support its economy
The island of Lastovo is implementing new policies with the hopes of receiving the status of an International Dark Sky Park or Sanctuary
European Partnerships, the key implementation tool of the programme Horizon Europe 2021-2027, is receiving new investment from the European Commission
The city is working on a new unified signage navigation system, set to replace the current one which dates back to the 1980s
Romanian company Restart Energy will invest 25 million euros in a solar park in Sălaj county