Want a free trip to Finland? The happiest country in the world is spreading joy with a new competition.
Winners will be sent on a four-day happiness masterclass, where they will learn skills for sustaining a balanced lifestyle and connecting with nature.
Expect sessions in nature crafts, food for the soul and body, exercise in forests and lakes, and calming sounds and music, all coached by Finnish experts.
To apply, hopefuls need to complete a social media challenge before 2 April 2023.
Lucky winners will be sent on an all expenses paid, four-day masterclass in ‘finding their inner Finn’ surrounded by the country’s vast lakes.
How to apply for a free trip to Finland
To be in with a chance of winning a free trip to Finland head to the country’s official tourism website, Visit Finland.
After entering your details, you’ll be prompted to enter the social media competition via Instagram or TikTok.
Applicants must create a piece of content - preferably a ‘Reels’ video - on why they believe they may “secretly be a Finn” and why they want to join the trip.
You can apply solo, or pair up with a friend, relative or partner.
Applications close on 2 April and the 10 lucky winners will be announced publicly on Visit Finland’s social media channels on 2 May. The trip will set off on 11 June 2023.
What does the free trip to Finland include?
Earlier this month, Finland was named the happiest country in the world by the UN for the sixth year in a row. The competition to win a free trip is part of a marketing campaign to promote this accolade.
Winners will be sent on a four-day Masterclass of Happiness in Finland in summer 2023. This includes all expenses for travel and accommodation during their stay.
Attendees will each stay in their own private villa at the all-inclusive Kuru Resort, a retreat in the Finnish Lakeland region.
Who can apply for a free trip to Finland?
There are no restrictions on nationality for entering the competition but you must be a confident English speaker.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over.
Visit Finland is especially looking for outgoing people who are interested in wellness and nature.
“You don’t have to be a self-help enthusiast or have survival skills in Finnish nature. All we want is an open mind,” the application page reads.
Brands and companies cannot apply.
What’s the catch?
Applicants must agree to be filmed during their visit. The material will be used in Visit Finland’s communications and advertising.
How to unleash your ‘inner Finn’
Applicants are encouraged to channel “the Finnish state of mind” in their content submission.
According to the campaign, this is not a “mystical ability Finns are born with” but “a skill that can be taught”.
A love of nature and wellness are key to this mentality.
Finns pride themselves on their hospitality and self-deprecating wit, according to Visit Finland. Joking with someone - or even at someone’s expense - is apparently the Finnish way of saying “I like you”.
They are also “a pretty peculiar people” - or at least enjoy presenting themselves this way. Visit Finland gives the example of telling tall tales with a straight face until they become too much for anyone to believe.
So infuse your application with some dry or offbeat wit and you should be in with a fighting chance.