Finland has ranked as the world’s happiest country for the second year running in the United Nations’ 2019 World Happiness Report.
In celebration, a Finnish programme called ‘Rent a Finn’ invites travellers to experience the Nordic country on an all-expenses-paid holiday and learn a bit about being happy from the locals.
Lake, Finland. Image credit: Tommaso Fornoni
Selected visitors (it could be you) will be paired with guides based in various parts of the country, who will share their corner of Finland with you and explain how their connection with nature improves their lives.
‘Our secret is in our nature, very literally,’ says a statement from the country’s tourism board. ‘When others go to therapy, Finns put on a pair of rubber boots and head to the woods.’
Solo travellers, families, or groups of friends are eligible to apply and you needn’t worry if you can’t hold a fluent conversation in Finnish (or even utter a single sentence), as long as you can speak English. Visit Finland will cover the cost of international flights and accommodation during the three-day stay.
Eight Finns have signed up as hosts and depending on who you are paired with, you’ll enjoy unique experiences. For instance, Linda and Niko (who live in Uto) will take visitors sailing and introduce them to ‘the simplicity of archipelago life.’ Petri, who lives with his wife and dog in a tiny village in the centre of a national park on the Baltic Sea, would give you the chance to go hiking, biking, or just sit by the campfire near their home on the southern coast of Finland.
How to enter
The first step to enter is to take Rent a Finn’s short survey, the Finland Balance Test, that will give you a report with ‘inspiration on how to reduce stress and improve performance’.
After that, you’ll need to make a three-minute video where you describe yourself, your connection to nature and why you’d like to visit Finland, and fill out the application form on the website.
