Feature: Decoding Finland: Beauty of simplicity in Santa's hometown

"Of course, we believe that Santa Claus is real. Santa has been accompanying us all the way, real and warm," said Pekka Vauramo, president and CEO with Finnair, at his business trip in Beijing with an A350 in her maiden flight.

The most frequently asked question Vauramo got in China was whether Santa, the white-bearded grandpa who sends presents to kids all around the world on the dear-driven sleigh, really exists.

Every time he told his Chinese friends with a smile, as warm as Santa's. "Santa is real and he is unique. Do you know it was Finnair's flights that Santa took every time when he went around the world to send presents. That's true!"

At this time, he came to Beijing from Helsinki without the company of the Santa but in a brand new wide-body aircraft, Airbus A350, which represents the future of flight.

On Jan. 7, Finnair's A350 arrived in Beijing Capital International Airport. On Nov. 22 last year, Finnair's first A350 flew to Shanghai from Helsinki. That was the first appearance of the latest wide-body airplane in the Chinese mainland.

Vauramo said that, it is a support to the strategic objective of the company to double the number of passengers in Asia by the year of 2020.

STRONG BELIEF IN SANTA'S HOMETOWN

"The Finnair enables more people to know each others' nation. In Finland, the homeland of Santa Claus, you can find the beauty of simplicity and nature," said Vauramo.

He said that, for Finnish, Santa is of great importance. "A Christmas Day without Santa is unimaginable as Santa has been deeply rooted at the Finnish's hearts ever since the childhood."

In the Lapland region, Santa has his village inside the Arctic circle and raises tens of thousands of reindeer. At Santa's office, he keeps busy replying to letters coming from all over the world, bringing surprise to people.

"In other time, Santa goes to send gifts to kids all over the world. He takes flights when he goes to places far away from Finland. At the end of last year, he took Finnair flights to come to China to give them presents. He was so popular here," he said.

Vauramo said that many Finnish grow up with this belief and they cherish it as an adult. "Ever since we were little kids, we have strong belief in the world."

To him, the Finnish believes that as long as they behave good, the Santa will reward them with presents in wish. They believed in their parents "because they told us that the Santa would come on the Christmas Eve. Waking up in the morning, we found gifts from Santa."

The Christmas is a holiday for family reunion. It means cherishing and rewards. He said that he is happy to see more and more Chinese tourists in Finland with belief and curiosity to Santa.

BEAUTY OF SIMPLICITY

"In Finland, you not only can feel the regards of the nature but also feel the beauty of simplicity," said Vauramo.

Many people travel to Finland to see the polar light. To him, what the polar light can bring to people is not only the colorful light stripes in the night sky but also the expectation of an unpredictable "meeting by chance".

"I'd rather regard it as a 'game' between people and the light. Nobody dare to be sure that people can see the light because that is decided by the nature. The more unpredictable it is, the unique it is."

"Just imagine, when you walk in the open air within the north pole circle. Suddenly, the green and blue polar lights are in front of you," he said.

"It's the unpredictable meeting with the nature. If you can't see the light, don't be miserable. It offers you a reason to visit Finland again."

To him, the unpredictable meeting is more interesting and more unique than seeking the objective strictly in plan.

Besides the polar light usually seen in autumn and winter, Finland has rich tourism resources of snow and ice. Tourists can lie on the ice bed to see polar light, drink coffee. They could also experience the extreme contrast of hotness and coldness by jumping into an ice lake right after a Finnish bath, just as the Finnish do.

"Of course, the beauty of Finland is not only found in the winter but in all the four seasons. Although Finland is a developed country, we still reserve the nature and we are close to the nature and we appreciate the principle of simplicity and pragmatism," he said.

In his eye, to achieve a life of simplicity, pragmatism and beauty means that people should make full use of their creativity and intelligence to change the complexity into simplicity.

In this aspect, Finnish and Chinese people share the similar idea and have respective ways to achieve it. The two nations far apart need to know each other better.

FLY TO FUTURE

As the leader of Finnair, Vauramo made another important decision - to use the world's latest wide-body aircraft to fly the flights between Finland and China, to explore the fast growing tourism markets.

"A350 represents the future of flight. We are proud to be the world's first airline to fly it to Chinese mainland with two routes from Helsinki to Shanghai and Beijing," he said.

He expects to bring upgraded flight experience to the passengers. This demonstrates the importance the Finnair attaches to the Chinese market and also fulfills its commitment.

In June 1988, it opened the route between Helsinki and Beijing, becoming the first airline with direct flight to China. It now opens the routes from Helsinki to Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chongqing and Hong Kong. In summer this year, it will open the route from Helsinki to Guangzhou, the sixth Chinese destination for the airliner.

As a person who deeply believes the existence of Santa, Vauramo is very pleased to see that more and more Chinese tourists rush to Finland because they have the same belief as he does. What he is doing is to take them to the home town of the Santa.

As more and more Chinese tourists flow in, changes appear in Finland. Shops in Finland are allowed to decide their business hours during Christmas holidays. More Chinese speaking staff are working at airports, shops and places to provide services for tourists from China.

"In our flights to China, there are many Chinese-speaking crew members. Inside the cabin and at transfer places there are more placards in Chinese. All these have helped Chinese passengers to have a more comfortable and amiable trip," he said.

In the past Christmas Day, Vauramo and his family had lunch at a restaurant in city center. When he found some Asian looking people at the table next to them, he went over to ask where they were from and whether they came to Finland by Finnair flights.

"When they told me that they were from China and came to Finland by Finnair flight, I felt that's the best Christmas present for me," he said. Endi