North East travellers will be able to visit the home of Santa Claus from winter 2024 as TUI will fly direct to Lapland from December next year.
It has released its winter programme earlier than ever before due to "increased demand," with three and four-night breaks to Kittila, Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Kuusamo. There will also be day trips to Lapland running from December 1 to January 2.
The Christmassy destination has a range of festive resorts, including the Snowy Wilderness Lodge and Lapland Hotel Hetta, while the Glass Resort in the forest of Rovaniemi has tepee-shaped apartment made of glass so tourists can see views of the snow-covered landscape.
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Richard Sofer, business development and commercial director, said: "Lapland has always been an important destination for TUI, and even more so because we know how much this magical destination means to our customers. At TUI we like to make dreams such as seeing the Northern Lights, meeting Santa in his home, and husky sleigh-riding in the snow, become a reality, and ensure that families make memories that will last a lifetime."
The Lapland 2024 winter programme will be available through TUI retail stores and travel agents. Newcastle is one of seven regional airports which will offer direct flights to Lapland, the other are Gatwick, Birmingham, East Midlands, Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester.