Tourism boards have a pretty straightforward (and probably enjoyable) job: get people excited to come visit. They highlight whatever it is about their respective towns or regions that makes them unique and then dress them up in a way that compels tourists to spend their hard-earned loot in that local economy. The folks taking on this work in Levi, Finland, deserve an A-plus for creativity in pursuit of those objectives.
The sun never sets in Levi throughout June and into July, making the summer months a legitimate daylight bender. Conversely, during the peak of winter, days pass under moonlight. The town is home to a world-famous ski resort and it’s fair to assume that its winter season is a greater tourism draw — a sentiment the CEO of Visit Levi shared in a statement recently. And that compelled the Visit Levi team to cook up something unique.
“We want to give travelers a new reason to visit Levi when the sun never sets and the landscape reveals a completely different side of itself,” said CEO Satu Pesonen.
So to capitalize on the fresh 24 hours of daylight that just began, Visit Levi and Levi Ski Resort are holding a treasure hunt. What’s everybody looking for? A single gold nugget worth about €20,000 ($23K USD). The hunt begins on June 18 and will extend into late August (assuming it takes that long for somebody to find the gold nugget). Visitors will be given a series of clues that will be revealed throughout the summer, with each clue presumably leading them closer and closer to the exact location of the gold nugget. It’s a very creative way to get people to hike, bike, and explore the natural area during a unique period of 24-hour sunlight. But the American in me is scared for whoever finds that gold nugget. We’ve all watched Hunger Games.
