Finland’s national tourism board is offering 16 single people from around the world an all-expenses-paid trip to the country early next year, and Sri Lankans are eligible to apply.
The campaign, run by Visit Finland and called “The Finnish Dinner Date”, covers flights, accommodation, meals and activities for those selected, Hiru News reported on Monday.
Sixteen people will be chosen — eight for Helsinki and eight for Tampere — and each group joins local Finnish singles for a dinner built around the country’s food culture. Hiru reports the idea draws on a Finnish concept known as Sinkkukori, or “single basket”.
The dates, and a correction worth making
The trips run at some point between 9 and 19 February 2027. Hiru describes this as a 10-day trip, but that date range is the window within which the trips take place — international coverage of the campaign, including by Forbes and Time Out in late October, puts the trip itself at around four days.
Those reports add detail the Sri Lankan filing does not carry:
- Applications close on 10 November 2026 — a little over a week away.
- Applicants must submit a short video in English answering one question: what would you serve on a dinner date, and why?
- Entrants must be 18 or older, and single. Finnish citizens and residents are excluded, which is what makes the campaign open to applicants from Sri Lanka.
- Winners are to be announced on 1 December.
- The dinners themselves are in undisclosed locations, with chefs cooking a tasting menu for each group.
Applications go through Visit Finland’s own website.
Not reported
Neither the Sri Lankan filing nor the campaign coverage states whether visa costs or visa sponsorship are included for applicants who would need a Schengen visa to enter Finland — a practical question for any Sri Lankan applicant. No figure is given for how many applications have been received, and the selection criteria beyond the video question are not described.
Note: this is a tourism-board promotional campaign, not an independent offer. LankaNewz has no affiliation with Visit Finland and receives nothing from the campaign.