For the second year in a row, Finland ranks at number one as the happiest country on the planet. If you’re scratching your head wondering how this region of the world does it, you don’t have to wonder anymore.
Why? Visitors can now get the opportunity to spend time with locals through the country’s new “Rent a Finn” program – for free! To capitalize on all the good buzz surrounding the UN-affiliated “World Happiness Report,” Finland’s tourism board is launching a contest that will award eight lucky guests a free trip.
That’s not all. Winners will be set up with their own personal Finnish tour guide who will host their stay for three days. Part of what makes the country so special is their nature scene, and those who visit will be fully immersed in its gifts.
According to a press release on the rentafinn.com site, the experience will allow locals to open their homes and lives so they can share what makes them happy:
“The Happiness Guides will host travellers for three summer days and introduce them to Finnish nature through their own activities. Experiences can be anything from visiting a national park to spending a weekend fishing at a real summer cottage, berry picking in the wilderness, enjoying a proper Finnish sauna – basically all the things that we Finns love to do in nature and what makes Finland the happiest country in the world.”
Applications are being accepted as we speak, and winners will be chosen between April and May. Participants should know that their entire 3-day experience will be filmed for use in a documentary that will be shown later in the year.
Explore the website and get to know each host, including Esko, a mayor of a Northern Finland town, or Linda and Niko, a couple who relocated to an island at the southernmost part of Finland where you can stay in their waterfront cottage.
Among the adventures that each host offers are berry-picking, sailing, cooking Finnish pastries and foods, fishing, yoga, hiking, and time in the sauna. Depending on the host, you will either stay on their property or be accommodated at a local hotel.
Applicants are asked to film a short video introducing themselves and to explain why they want to visit Finland. If you’re craving a change or a bucket-list type of adventure, why not apply?
This part of the world consistently gets high marks on the happiness scale, with Norway, Denmark, and Iceland also ranking in the top five. The World Happiness Report is published by the Sustainable Solutions Development Network and include a group of economists, neuroscientists, and statistics experts.
Besides nature, Finland residents who were surveyed also reported happiness with social and economic factors in their country that contribute to their well-being. Those factors include generosity, freedom, health/healthcare, and political corruption. Everything seems lovely in Finland.
We want to know what you think about the “Rent a Finn” program. Would you apply for this trip and why? Have you ever visited a Scandinavian country? Are you interested in seeing what makes Finland one of the happiest places on Earth?