HELSINKI, Finland, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Finland based Holiday Club will build Angry Birds™ Activity Parks in connection with three of its spa hotels. The first year-round indoor activity park will be completed in Kuusamon Tropiikki for Christmas 2012. In February the Angry Birds will land in Saariselka and next autumn in Saimaa, in Lappeenranta. The largest Angry Birds Activity Park investment in Finland is a display of the creative cooperation of the market leaders of their own fields, Rovio, Holiday Club and Lappset.
"The development of Finnish travel should concentrate on the content. Often the concentration is on the walls and beds, from which there already is oversupply", says Vesa Tengman, the CEO of Holiday Club Resorts Oy and continues: "Active holiday is at the center in Holiday Club. Angry Birds Activity Parks will complement our concept, which offers besides high quality holiday accommodation and services also year-round activity possibilities under one roof."
Another challenge of Finnish travel is internationalization: "Compared to the supply, there are simply too few Finns. We need more travelers besides from the neighboring areas Russia, Sweden and Norway also from the Central Europe and Asia such as China and Japan. Currently we are able, by using only Finnish power, to produce experiences, which attract not only local but also international travelers", emphasizes Mr. Tengman.
Thanks to the success of Rovio, Holiday Club believes to increase the amount of its international customers. Especially in Saimaa and seasonally in Kuusamo as well the amount of Russian travelers is already significant. In Saariselka holidaymakers arrive from Norway and Russian and also from the Central Europe. Whole new international clientele is expected now also from China, for example.
"We are glad, that the internationalization through our brand happens two-way. The investments of Holiday Club will increase the stream of travelers to Finland. It is also great that the world conquest of the Angry Birds Activity Parks will start from Finland, the home land of the birds", states Peter Vesterbacka, the Chief Marketing Officer of Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
"For Lappset the investment of Holiday Club is the largest domestic order so far. It will employ us and our subcontractors significantly during the end of autumn and in early winter. In this investment project we will operate as the contractor in full, from the planning to the execution. This will confirm the company's position as a supplier of large entities", says Tero Ylinenpaa, the Deputy CEO of Lappset Group Ltd.
All three operators are also involved in the largest year-round activity park, which is currently under construction in Vuokatti. The indoor park which will be built in a 8,700-square-metre industrial estate will include besides the Angry Birds themed section also a diverse sports world, where visitors can try out different sports, and a freestyle area suitable for skateboarding and BMX biking. The indoor activity park further increases the year-round service offering that Vuokatti provides for families. It will confirm Vuokatti's position as an attractive and versatile resort in both domestic and international tourism market. The Angry Birds Park in Vuokatti is will be completed in December this year.
Illustrations and pictures of Angry Birds Activity Parks and Holiday Club resorts behind the link:
http://mediabank.holidayclub.fi/?cart=1347-hiahmhkafa&l=EN
Information about the companies:
Rovio Entertainment Ltd is an industry-changing entertainment media company headquartered in Finland, and the creator of the globally successful Angry Birds franchise. Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a few months of its release, and is now the number one paid app of all time. Angry Birds have expanded rapidly in entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand. Following this success, Rovio published Amazing Alex and Bad Piggies. For more information, check www.rovio.com
Holiday Club Resorts Oy is the leading weekly timeshare company in Europe and a significant operator in the fields of holiday housing and tourism. The company is owned by the acting management, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Finnish Industry Investment Ltd and a group of Finnish private investors. Holiday Club Resorts Oy has 32 resorts and 1,300 holiday homes. Seven of the resorts feature not only holiday homes but also a spa hotel. Nine resorts are located outside Finland, in Sweden, on the Costa del Sol in Spain and in the Canary Islands. In addition to the Holiday Club Saimaa built in Rauha, Lappeenranta, Holiday Club acquired the spa hotel in Yllas Saaga in December 2011. During the financial year 2011-2012, the group recorded a turnover of €121 million and employed 773 people. For more information http://www.holidayclubresorts.com
Lappset Group Ltd from Rovaniemi, Finland is one of the leading playground and exercise equipment producers in Europe. Besides playground equipment for children of different ages the company's product portfolio also includes equipment that activates to exercise for people of all ages. For example parkour parks for teenagers, outdoor exercise equipment for adults and Senior Sport outdoor exercise products to support everyday welfare for especially elderly people. Lappset is currently the only supplier of Angry Birds Activity Parks in the world. During the year 2011, the group recorded a turnover of EUR46, 5 million and it employs approximately 400 people in seven countries. All Angry Birds Activity Parks and other playground equipment manufactured by Lappset are produced in the Rovaniemi factory. For more information http://www.lappset.com
