By declaring the island a phone-free zone, visitors will be prevented from spending too much time on social media, and more time enjoying nature. — AFP
Finland is pulling out all the stops to live up to its reputation as a destination that encourages visitors to reconnect with their senses. This month, the country that touts itself as the home of Santa Claus capitalised on its title as happiest country in the world by organising an all-expenses-paid masterclass on finding happiness.
Taking place in a forest setting for the most part, the programme, which was only able to be enjoyed by a few lucky participants, focused on the importance of a balanced diet, as well as a closer relationship with nature.
As the summer vacation season gets underway, Finland is targeting smartphones, which often stand in the way of our appreciation of our environment and what’s going on around us.
In the eastern Gulf of Finland national park, the island of Ulko-Tammio claims to be the world’s first phone-free tourist island. It’s not a formal ban, but this summer visitors are being encouraged by the tourist office to put their digital devices away voluntarily. “Please switch off your smart devices...” This is the recommendation from the tourist office on the island.
The island is still covered by a functioning mobile network, though. As part of a communications campaign to promote the island, which is located in one of the country’s 41 national parks, this recommendation is designed to keep travellers away from social media.
The tourist office even enlisted the services of a psychologist to validate this decision, which has been described as “digital fasting”. “Switching off your phone, exploring nature and meeting people face to face are bound to improve your mood and well-being. We spend countless hours scrolling our social media feeds, so taking a short break from them means you have more time for new experiences. I’d like to see more initiatives like this that promote digital fasting,” says Sari Castrén, head of research at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Far from the mainland, the island of Ulko-Tammio is home to a variety of rare plant and bird species. Which is one of the reasons the tourist office urges visitors to seize the opportunity to get close to them without being glued to their phones. Although uninhabited by humans on a regular basis, visitors can spend a night on the island in a tent or cabin.
This unique initiative is a reminder of just how ubiquitous cell phones have become in our daily lives. Even more so when you consider that they have become an invaluable tool for organising vacations and finding your way around once you’ve arrived at your destination. This move nudges tourists to think twice before indulging the automatic reflex to pull a device out of one’s pocket and create a social media post, to the detriment of fully taking in the new and unknown setting.
Meanwhile, a ramen restaurant in Tokyo, Japan caused a stir this past spring when it decided to ban watching YouTube videos while eating ... Not only was this habit said to be negatively affecting the quality of the noodles, which were becoming overly soggy, customers were also spending too much time at the counter at a type of business designed for eating a tasty meal rapidly. – AFP Relaxnews
