An Island in Finland is asking travelers to ditch their phones
Administrators at most destinations yearn to have them go viral on TikTok, or dream of attracting droves of Netflix Inc. viewers, despite the risk of overwhelming communities. A small island off the southeastern coast of Finland is taking the opposite approach.
Tourism officials for Ulko-Tammio, one of several islands inside Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, say they want it to be a “phone-free island” and are urging visitors to “switch off their smart devices and to stop and genuinely enjoy the islands,” said Mats Selin, an expert with Visit Kotka-Hamina, in a release.
The sentiment is echoed by Parks & Wildlife Finland, which manages the island's pristine environment and wildlife. “We encourage visitors to put their phones away voluntarily and to focus their senses on nature rather than on their phones,” said outdoor recreation and visitor manager Joel Heino, in a statement.
On the travel side, booking a digital-free vacation in a tropical locale is a growing trend that even corporate executives are resorting to, and digital detox retreat options have long existed for those choosing to pull their noses out of phones on trips. But it's not the norm for an industry that relies on influencers and breathtaking visuals on social media to attract visitors or convey a sense of place.
To wit: Some 63% of millennials and younger travelers say they've used at least one social media platform to plan trips in the past 12 months, according to the June 2023 sentiment survey of American travelers from Destination Analysts. Besides, does your vacation really happen if you don't post about all the fun you're having there?
Attempts to get consumers to ditch their phones have increased over the years, particularly in the entertainment
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