Tui Travel Agency Rebrands Finnish Destinations as Lapland for British Tourists
In an intriguing marketing move, the Tui travel agency is promoting the Finnish towns of Sotkamo and Kuusamo as esteemed “Lapland destinations” to British travelers, despite neither being located within the actual boundaries of Lapland.
Sotkamo resides in the Kainuu region, while Kuusamo is situated in North Ostrobothnia. On Tui’s website, British holidaymakers are introduced to “Lapland Holiday Deals,” with Pallas—an actual Lapland location—topping the list. Curiously, the following entries include accommodations in Sotkamo labeled as “Arctic lake area, Lapland” and the hotel in Kuusamo tagged simply as “Kuusamo, Lapland.”
The promotional page for Sotkamo’s Katinkulta resort even states that the “Arctic lake area” is found “in the central part of Finland, south of Lapland,” raising questions about the marketing strategy used to entice potential visitors.
Clarification from Tui
In response to inquiries from Iltalehti, Tui’s communications team in Sweden explained that British clients often refer to these travel experiences as “Lapland experiences” or “Lapland holidays,” regardless of their actual geographical location.
Despite the creative rebranding, Tui assures that it clarifies the geographical distinction to travelers in the destination descriptions. The agency underscores that the customer experience in these areas—featuring attractions like visits from Santa Claus, husky sledding, and reindeer encounters—mirrors that found in true Lapland.
Further emphasizing their stance, Tui remarked that including Kuusamo and Vuokatti under the “Lapland” umbrella is a strategic choice to meet the expectations of travelers seeking similar experiences.
Amid this marketing narrative, a screenshot provided to Iltalehti illustrated Tui’s attempt to clarify the geographical boundaries, showing a map indicating that these locales do not actually fall within Lapland’s borders.
As tourism continues to evolve, this branding approach raises intriguing questions about location, perception, and the nature of holiday experiences in Finland.