ROVANIEMI - On August 27, Lapland Safaris Group Ltd. acquired a majority stake in Dianordia Ltd., the company that runs Santa Claus Office. Santa Claus Office, established in 1992, runs uninterruptedly and Santa Claus can be visited for free every day of the year in the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, in the Finnish Lapland. The company paid the 206,000 euros needed to save Dianordia from bankruptcy.

 Santa Claus Office has welcomed millions of children and grown-ups over the years. Santa Claus (Joulupukki in Finnish)is a key figure in the success story of the tourism industry in Lapland and Rovaniemi.

 “With this acquisition we want to make sure that the tale of Christmas and Santa Claus continues, evolves and lives well in the Santa Claus Village in the future,” says Jyrki Niva, the CEO of Lapland Safaris Group.

 Since its establishment in 1982, Lapland Safaris has worked closely with Santa Claus in order to develop tourism in Lapland.

 “We want to utilise our expertise in offering unforgettable experiences, and develop Santa Claus Office into an even more magical attraction. Furthermore, our goal is to develop the Santa Claus Village, in cooperation with other operators in the area, into an integrated experience that upholds the traditional tale of Christmas,” Niva reveals.

 The mayor of Rovaniemi Esko Lotvonen is pleased that a strong local company has stepped in to help the Santa Claus Office: “The basis and the knowledge of Christmas tourism in Rovaniemi is solid. This acquisition helps to develop it even further. Rovaniemi is evolving as the official home of Santa Claus, supported by the strong cooperation of local operators that are committed to meet common goals.”

 In 2014 Santa received 500,000 letters in total, with 70,000 letters from Italy, ranking the country in second position. Number one was China.

 Since 1982 Lapland Safaris Group Ltd. has been working closely with tour operators and travel agencies around the World to bring unique winter and summer experiences in Lapland for their clients. Lapland Safaris is the biggest operator in Scandinavia, serving approximately 150,000 customers every year. 90 % of the customers are foreign. Together with Lapland Hotels Ltd., Lapland Safaris Group forms the largest private travel corporation in Finland. The corporation employs over 900 people serving customers at all the main destinations in Lapland all year. Lapland Hotels is expanding its operations by opening new hotels in Oulu and Tampere during Autumn 2015.

About Dianordia Ltd.

 Dianordia Ltd. runs Santa Claus Office in Rovaniemi. At Santa Claus Office Santa Claus can be visited free of charge all year round welcoming children and grown-ups all over the world. There are over 300,000 visitors at Santa Claus Office every year. The company’s turnover is approximately 1.8 million euros.