Experience Midsummer magic at Helsinki Airport
This week, passengers at Helsinki Airport can feel the Finnish midsummer. To celebrate the festival of the midnight sun, Helsinki Airport is giving passengers the opportunity to experience Finnish midsummer celebrations and traditions while waiting for their flights.
“We get many suggestions for activities and improvements from our passengers. Finnish culture and nature seem to be things people would like to experience while at the airport. Midsummer, as a popular and quintessentially Finnish celebration is a great opportunity for our passengers to experience both,” says Ville Haapasaari, Helsinki Airport Director at Finavia Corporation.
The Midsummer festivities organised at Helsinki Airport gate area 32-40 are a part of TravelLab, an initiative started by the Finnish airport operator Finavia to pilot and test potential new services in practice. Throughout TravelLab, passenger feedback is collected to determine whether the pilots should be implemented as permanent services at Helsinki Airport.
During the week leading up to midsummer, which is celebrated 20-21 June, passengers will get the opportunity to take part in flower garland workshops, where they can make their own flowers and garlands using craft supplies provided by TravelLab staff, donning national dress for the occasion.
At the gate area, decorated by a maypole, passengers can also get a taste of Finnish superfoods, including wild berries, fresh peas and berry juices and smoothies. On Wednesday, 18 June, passengers can step out in classic Finnish style in a traditional midsummer dance session.
The Midsummer celebrations are the last service piloted in the first stage of TravelLab, which has been running from mid-May. Services piloted so far have included airport yoga sessions, animal footprint guides for children, the #selfiefromHEL photowall and Gate Roastery, a mobile coffee-vending station offering Finnish coffee from a boutique Helsinki-based roastery.
TravelLab schedule for Midsummer week:
18 June Midsummer dance session in the afternoon, Gate Roastery from 2 pm to 5 pm
19 June Flower workshop at gate 35 from 11 am to 1 pm, Gate Roastery from 2 pm to 5 pm
20 June Gate Roastery from 6 am to 8 am
Follow #TravelLab and @HelsinkiAirport in these social media channels:
www.instagram.com/helsinkiairport
www.facebook.com/helsinkiairport
www.twitter.com/helsinkiairport
www.vk.com/helsinkiairport
www.youtube.com/flyviahelsinki
Finavia Corporation
Communications
Media Desk tel. 358 20 708 2002, comms@finavia.fi
Photos for press: http://img.materialbank.net/NiboWEB/finavia/showCartPublicContent.do?uuid=6080213&random=912355&lang=en
Finavia provides and develops airport and air navigation services with focus on safety, customer-orientation and cost efficiency. Finavia’s comprehensive network of 24 airports enables international connections from Finland — and to different parts of Finland. Helsinki Airport is the leading Northern European transit airport for long-haul traffic. Revenues in 2013 were EUR 353 million, and the number of employees 2800.
Finavia online:
www.finavia.com
www.facebook.com/finavia
www.facebook.com/helsinkiairport
www.twitter.com/helsinkiairport
www.twitter.com/finaviaoyj
Annual report 2013: http://vuosikertomus.finavia.fi/en/
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