Chinese tourists keen to spend quality time with Finnish families

 

Chinese travel agencies are experimenting with a new form of cultural exchange, where Chinese tourists get to spend a few hours or even a night with a Finnish family in South Karelia.

About 50 families in the Lappeenranta area have signed up for the opportunity to host Chinese travelers, and so far dozens of travel agents from China have put the famous Karelian hospitality to the test.

David Lai from Sincerity Travel in Hong Kong says home visits could be attractive to Chinese tourists as they have never experienced such openness before.

Prospective tourists are most interested in visiting families living in single detached homes surrounded by nature. The Chinese are eager to get to know Finns’ healthy way of living, says Mirka Rahma, who has hosted Chinese guests in her home.

Blueberry pie and a crackling fire

“We serve our guests blueberry pie and start a fire in the fireplace. This is something we would normally do in this kind of weather anyway.”

The travel agents stress that an authentic encounter between the host and the guest is key. “If they can’t speak very fluent English, they can still communicate with each other by using body language,” says Lai.

Potentially, the largest customer base will consist of school camps, to which wealthy Chinese parents send their children during summer holidays.

“We are planning that here for next summer,” says Lai.