HELSINKI: Chinese tourism to Finland is booming but it can’t all be about the Wife Carrying World Championships in Sonkajärven, Finland, on July 7.
International entrants who have registered for this year’s championships come from Ireland, Switzerland, United States and Great Britain but organisers are still hoping to receive an entry from Asia.
Last year Pingtjin Thum and Xin-Hui Chan, from Oxford in the UK, finished in 29th position behind the winners, Margo Uusorg and Sandra Kullas from Estonia.
The event has history to commend it. In the late 1800’s a local brigand called Rosvo-Ronkainen, is said to have accepted in his army only those men who proved their worth on a challenging track. In those days, it was also a common practice to steal women from the neighbouring villages.
Chinese visitors to Finland increased by 30 percent in 2006, reaching a total of 94,000 nights spent.
Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported the number of travellers from major Asian countries saw a marked increase in 2006, and the number of nights spent in Finland by leisure and business travellers from India increased by 45 per cent compared to 2005.
The increasing flow of Asian travellers is attributed to Helsinki’s advantageous position on the edge of Europe, the increase in Asian services by Finnish national carrier Finnair, and the overall growth in travel between Europe and Asia.
A typical Asian tourist usually spends two or three days in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, the report added.
