Generation Y and their awareness of the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi

• Main Authors: Saarinen, Hanna, Nordström, Tiia
• Other Authors: Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu 2015
• Subjects: Santa Claus; Santa Claus Village; Rovaniemi; Finland; destination branding; tourism; Generation Y; fi=Matkailu|sv=Turism|en=Tourism|; Degree Programme in Tourism; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/102352

The Santa Claus Village is one of the biggest tourism attractions in Northern Finland, and the city of Rovaniemi has been titled as the “Official Hometown of Santa Claus”. This thesis studies the level of knowledge of the Santa Claus Village and the affect the village has on the incoming tourism in the Rovaniemi. More specifically the focus is on the perceptions of different nationalities and generation Y, as in young adults with no children. The thesis was commissioned by Rovaniemi Tourism and Marketing Ltd. The theory part looks into the different aspects of effective destination band city branding. Furthermore the thesis discusses the possibilities and challenges of providing accurate service experiences for the more and more demanding and conscious modern day tourists. The data was collected through an anonymous online questionnaire during a three-week-period in October and November 2015. Altogether 154 responses were gathered with four different language versions of the questionnaire. The key findings suggest that there is a need for more advertising and visibility in the international markets for the Santa Claus Village. Roughly half of the respondents were aware of the existence of the Santa Claus Village. Moreover, the reachability of Rovaniemi should also be underlined and the different possibilities for individual travellers not being a part of organised tours. Overall, it can be considered that there is still a need and possibilities for spreading the knowledge of the Santa Claus Village, keeping the Christmas spirit in mind.