Finland invests in China, Japan campaign

VISIT Finland will launch a marketing campaign next year for its top two Asian markets, China and Japan, which accounted for about 10 per cent of total foreign arrivals to Finland last year, TTG Asia reported.

This is the first time the NTO will invest in an image campaign for both markets, targeting consumers in Greater Tokyo and Greater Shanghai. It will spend 600,000 euros (US$825,240) for destination promotions in Japan and one million euros for China, said its director for trade relations, Anne Lind.

The 2014-2016 campaign will include print, online media and outdoor advertising, in addition to product campaigns, which the NTO will partner with suppliers and Finnair for roadshows to China and Japan next year.

Lind added: “Through the campaign, we hope to increase the average overnight stay of Chinese travellers from 1.7 nights to three or four nights in 2016 and to have a steady 10 per cent growth per annum for Japanese visitors. We are targeting the well travelled and nature lovers from both markets.”

Visit Finland also wants to promote beyond popular destinations such as Helsinki and Lapland and introduce new destinations such as Lakeland and Coastal Areas and Archipelago.

Coastal Areas and Archipelago boasts cities, old towns, historical manors and stone churches, lighthouses and national parks.

In 2012, Finland received 176,936 visitors from Japan and 100,075 visitors from China.

Nina Tahtinen, regional sales manager, international sales at Tallink Silja Line, said the company has seen a four per cent year-on-year growth from Japan and double-digit growth from China for its Baltic Sea cruises.

She added that Japanese cruise tourists tend to be a seasonal market, while the season for Chinese cruise tourists is more spread out. The company has prepared promotional materials in the local languages.

Anna-Mari Valtonen, marketing manager at City of Helsinki Tourist & Convention Bureau, said the bureau focuses on online campaigns for the Chinese consumers and travel trade on its Chinese website.

Source: http://ttgasia.com/article.php?article_id=21957

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