Children were crying during a Christmas Lapland vacation that turned into a nightmare — with no snow, a distressed “angry reindeer,” and a Santa who bluntly stated: “I don’t even live here.”
Parents who paid roughly £4,000 for a supposed three-day “once-in-a-lifetime” experience in Kuusamo, Finland, were greeted with what they considered to be “risky” and “chaotic” activities, leaving some without any food for more than eight hours.
Anomalously warm temperatures and constant rainfall have caused the snow to disappear at Lapland resorts, prompting travel agency TUI to call off trips to the area on Wednesday.
But before the announcement, hundreds of hopeful families had already embarked on the 1,500-mile journey.
One dad-of-three said his six-year-old girl was dismayed after they travelled from East London to Santa’s home region last Sunday.
Ricky Edwards, 39, who was with his partner and three kids, said: “My little girl met Santa and she was really upset.
“She turned to me and said, ‘I don’t believe that is the real Santa.’
“When we met him, he said, ‘I don’t even live here. This is my holiday home.’
“Mrs Claus had a mobile phone visible in her pocket.
“We understand there is no snow, that can’t be helped, but there wasn’t even enough to eat!”
The TUI trip’s itinerary ended with a “traditional Christmas dinner”.
But a coach-load of families were turned away from the banquet hall because there was not enough food — and others bemoaned the quality of what was served up.
Contacts manager Ricky added: “We got turned away and were left in minus eight degrees to get a coach back to the hotel. At least ten of the kids were in tears.
“Then I saw a picture of what they served up at the festive feast and I think we were best not to get in. It was a joke.”
Natasha and Scott Walden, 36, from Northampton, said they were left fearing for their safety when they and their two children were taken on a sleigh ride on a lake that was “melting”.
Natasha said: “We had to stay right on the edge of the lake. I was genuinely terrified. I could see cracks all over the lake.”
She added: “There was a reindeer tied by a rope to a tree and we were told he was an angry reindeer and we couldn’t touch him.”
TUI said last night: “Our teams closely monitor the weather forecast, and despite snow being predicted over these travel dates, sadly this did not happen.”
The company added: “Our teams will be in direct contact with all customers who travelled on this departure to discuss their concerns and offer a resolution.”
Ho, ho, it’s snow
By Caroline McGuire, Sun Digital Head of Travel in Ylläs, Finnish Lapland
TUI has been cancelling trips elsewhere in Lapland but here on their Santa break to Ylläs the white stuff is a foot deep with more coming.
The ski slopes that run past our hotel have seen plenty of use today.
Yesterday a group of kids made an igloo before athey went to see Santa on a snowmobile-driven sleigh.
There is less of a blanket than last year’s 4ft.
But I’m an avid skier and have never felt cold like the -20C we had yesterday.
Holidays like this are always a bit of a gamble — it just depends where the snow goes.
