Japanese tourists to Kokkola area?

[Tullynessle Turnip]

Having driven buses for 21 years in Helsinki for HKL/HELB I moved to Himanka (between Kokkola & Kalajoki) 2 years ago (Sept 2011) and have been thinking about carting Japanese tourists round this area in a mini-bus, to start with one weekend per month. Planes arrive every day to Helsinki from Japan and it would be simple to divert a few, perhaps 10 people, to Kokkola airport on a Friday afternoon/evening, and send them back south on Sunday evening.

Japanese are clean and tidy and don't cause trouble, and we would like to get to know Japan anyway - went there 4 years ago for a 2-week holiday and liked it. There's plenty to see and do in this area for a weekend, and accommodation should be in 'genuine' farmhouse B&Bs with ordinary sauna (not the silly savu-sauna).

I'm working as a bus driver for a company who would probably back me in this venture, I mean with the paperwork and permits and suchlike, but I should be the driver and planner. Obviously I should be paid for this but the idea is not to make a huge profit.

I have investigated some ways in to this but, of course, the usual dead-ends, and seems to me one has to grab the bull by the horns and ask Japanese companies directly if they have a workforce/management group who would travel together - this is the hardest bit, getting a set of people and then getting them to come as a group. Does anyone have any ideas about this? Are there organisations in Japan who might be able to help?

No Father Christmas reindeer or Sibelius monument - just driving along nice roads to see real Finnish scenery, shopping in Kokkola, round the old wooden buildings parts of Kokkola & Pietarsaari, Tyngän Mylly in Kalajoki, that sort of thing.

Thanking you....

Tullynessle Turnip

[Anskutin]

I don't know about how to get in touch with the people to actually organize this, but I just wanted to recommend "the old town tour" in Kokkola. I lived there for most of my life (and going back in few weeks) and never really paid attention to the history. Last summer I showed the old town to my boyfriend with a tour brochure that was available in the tourist information, and there was actually a lot of interesting stuff about the history of the city that even I didn't know!

Kokkolan Kuutit, an ice swimming society, organizes ice swimming in Palmahovi during the winter. The schedules are on their webpage and cost is 4e for sauna and swimming. I had a Japanese friend over once and I took him there, he really loved it!

In spring, summer and autumn Kokkolan Luontomatkailu Ky organizes different kinds of nature trails but also possibility to have a chef making a dinner in a hut:

http://www.kokkolanluontomatkailu.fi/ateria-kodassa

I know I want to try that!

There are surprisingly many things to do in Kokkola and around it, and I think that the idea sounds good. If you haven't tried it already, maybe you could contact Kokkolan Matkailu and see if they could help you to take the idea further and market the service? Would be beneficial to them as well to get more tourists to the area I think.

[Tullynessle Turnip]

Thanks for that. Yes, I've already been to the Kokkola Tourist Office to see if they'd help somehow. Got some ideas from them. I have explored some avenues but all have turned into dead ends - not unexpected - so I'm left with this, that I have to take the bull by the horns (or by his tail and twist him round!) and contact Japanese companies directly to see who wants to send a group of their employees/management over.
The weekend tour itself is a doddle to arrange, I have lots of ideas. Pietarsaari-Kokkola-Kalajoki area can easily provide all kinds of stuff for a 2-day spin. Quite honestly Japanese would be happy to waste 2 hours in Halpahalli or Prisma! But their are reindeer here too near Kalajoki if they want to stroke those. The Kokkola old town (Neristan) - there are 2 ladies dressed in old costumes who give walking tours, that's perfect.
Yes, the nub is getting a group diverted from Helsinki to Kokkola airport (Vaasa & Oulu also OK but a bit far off) and getting them sent back south in one piece after thoroughly having enjoyed themselves. I'm working on it... anyone who knows of Japanese who'd like to explore this part of Finland, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do - even, let's say, 2 to 4 Japanese as I could try it in my own car to start with as a 'test run' to see how such a tour in a mini-bus would go. Should be a small charge to cover expenses of course, petrol, accommodation, etc.
Also if there are any Japanese folk living up this way and would like to get to know this Brit, well, yes, we could meet and see how things go...
squirrelnutkinlikespizza@gmail.com / tullynessletunip@yahoo.com finds me

[whoami]

apanese are clean and tidy and don't cause trouble

So I guess you are the one who posted that: nig germ ania . ne t/ forum/show thread.php?620 49-Discover-the-Forest!

[Tullynessle Turnip]

Yes, Jap - an - ese in the forests welcome

[misu]

If your tour business ever pans out, here's an idea for a bus horn: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... f_koto.ogg