“Lappi is already a brand, and it is known elsewhere,” reasons one reader.

The Tui travel agency markets Sotkamo and Kuusamo as Lapland destinations to British tourists, even though neither is located in geographical Lapland. Iltalehti asked its readers if they think that trips to the vicinity of Lapland can be sold as Lapland trips. The question divided readers into two camps.

To many, it was understandable that this is done in tourism marketing. In these answers, Lapland was perceived more as a brand and tourist attraction than as an exact geographical location.

– Yes. As a justification, for example, the fact that the Kittilä field reads “Welcome to the North Pole”. So the British and the Irish are given the image they already have, that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. Why can’t the “North Pole” also be in Kuusamo or Kainuu, asks the nickname Jp.’s cousin.

– Yes. Kuusamo and Vuokatti are “Lapland” destinations for me, he says Father.

Pseudonym Peehoo justified his opinion with geography:

– Kuusamohan is further north than Simo in southern Lapland. Kainuu has as much wilderness as Lapland. Reindeer can be found in both. Both better.

– For example, what does an Englishman understand about “Kainuu”? Lapland is already a brand, and it is known elsewhere. So it makes sense to market trips with familiar terms. A few hundred kilometers here or there mean nothing. Where is the border of Lapland? Is it 17th-century Lapland, which was the so-called manure frontier. That border excludes quite an area of ​​Lapland county, he explains Aslak.

– Finns also boast that they have been to Ruka in Lapland. So doesn’t it matter how they advertise, around Christmas it seems Lapland already starts from Hakaniemi market, says for his part marme.

Pseudonym Lapland southin similar marketing would not hesitate to be done anywhere in the world.

– Absolutely you can! The names of cities that are well-known in the world refer to numerous municipalities even further away. Oulu airport should be called Lapland south, that’s what the world would do.

– What does it matter? Yes, it’s petty-mindedness again. They are the same area on the world map, a couple of hundred kilometers apart. It doesn’t matter. As long as we get tourists to Finland, he writes Johanna.

“No way”

– In my opinion, absolutely not. Lapland is in Lapland county, and period, the nickname answers the question Lappish.

Many other readers have the same opinion, for example Kazam:

– That’s an outright lie, of course you can’t. What if you were sold a Mersu, but you got an Opel? We would go to court right away. Do we want our reputation as an honest nation to turn into a dishonest nation? “The gate of Lapland” or “Close to Lapland” would be the right solution.

Guerrilla according to this kind of marketing would be “false and misleading”, and Hennius including “pissing”.

– Of course, it is true that on the scale of the whole world, Finland is everywhere a forested, cold and remote country. However, the people of Helsinki or other people in the south do not know the affairs, people or anything else of the former Lapland county well enough to be able to decide which areas are marketable as Lapland abroad. In such a case, I think it would be better for each province to market itself with its own name, not Lapland, the name brand justifies its view Empathic.

– In my opinion, it is not possible to sell destinations other than those in the Lapland region as Lapland tours. It is misleading advertising, writes Lapland mother-in-law.

Jussi believes that such marketing will eventually backfire:

– It’s not right. A tourist imagines that he is in Lapland and later finds out that he was not. It’s a big disappointment at that point and it feels like the money was wasted when you can’t brag about having visited Lapland.

– For example, on Visit Lapland’s Facebook site, tourists themselves have disapproved of false marketing. It would not be good for Finnish tourism, writes the label Living on tourists.