Santas official residence, Rovaniemi, draws in Native Americans looking for a white Christmas and northern lights.

Mumbai: More Indians traveled to Santa Claus's house this winter; Rovaniemi saw a 20% increase in the number of Indian tourists. These included families, honeymooners, and high net worth people (HNIs) who were interested in visiting Finland to enjoy not only a white Christmas but also the northern lights and activities related to the Arctic.Finland's Lapland region, centered on the Arctic Circle, is home to the capital city of Rovaniemi. In addition to being the official residence of Santa Claus, it is also the home of 12,450 reindeer as of 2010. Sanna Karkkainen, CEO of Visit Rovaniemi, stated that the tourism growth this Christmas season was almost 20% and that the overall tourism growth for the winter season was about 10% more than the previous year. In terms of registered beds, the number of Indian travelers has increased by 154.7%, despite the fact that Indians only make up 1.3% of the total.

According to Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head - Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India), "We are witnessing increased interest not only from family/multigenerational families, but equally from India's millennials, couples/honeymooners, HNIs and UHNIs seeking that once-in-a-lifetime experience that money can't buy." Kale also notes that Indians are becoming more discriminating travelers and that the "you only live once" mentality is driving strong demand for places like Finland. "Our information shows.