Ministry for Foreign Affairs revamps the Virtual Finland website

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Department for Communication and Culture has launched its reconstructed Virtual Finland Internet portal.

The main purpose of the website - which is produced in cooperation with Satama Interactive - is to provide extensive information on Finland and to improve its international image. Over four million visitors are expected to visit this English language site in 2004.

Established in 1995, the Virtual Finland website is aimed at people who require comprehensive and up-to-date information on Finland and the Finns. Even though the website has been updated from time to time over the years, this is the first time it has been remodelled from the ground up.

The redesign process transformed Virtual Finland into a living medium that tells an enchanting and diverse story about Finland. The website’s main purpose is to boost Finland’s international reputation and image.

”We wanted to update the website’s content and appearance to better reflect the state of our nation in 2004. Finland is a country of high technology and high culture – there is so much to tell and show,” says Virtual Finland’s Editor-in-Chief Juha Parikka, Director of the Unit for Publications and Finland Promotion at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Finland’s business card serves the needs of the business community, tourists, and students

Besides detailed facts and figures, Virtual Finland features a wealth of illustrative information on Finnish customs, culture, and environment. Visitors can, for instance, view pictures of Finnish nature and landscapes in the website’s 'Picture Book' section.

"The redesigned website caters for the needs of people moving to Finland from abroad who wish to know more about the country before arriving here. It also functions as a window into Finland for Finnish expatriates. Moreover, Finnish companies will be able to offer the most recent Finland-information for their clients," Parikka explains.

"An important aspect of the process has also been to further increase Finland's popularity as a holiday destination. People thinking of coming to our country for leisure might not be able to find updated, all-inclusive and yet detailed information from normal brochures," says Parikka. Prospective visitors will also be able to read intriguing articles on the Finnish way of life not usually found from promotional material.

An important target audience are also students and researchers.

Pleasant visual appearance is of Finnish design

The restructuring process included not only the updating of the content; an equally important aim was a more clean-lined and modern visual outlook.

”We wanted to put information on Finland into as interesting, attractive and user-friendly a format as possible. Our goals for the new look were style, clarity and credibility,” says Marjo Danielsson, Satama Client Manager.

”It was very important for us to take the needs of the different target groups into consideration in the design process. Even though the website contains an enormous amount of information, finding it is simple and easy as 1-2-3,” Danielsson adds.

Further information:
Juha Parikka, Director, Unit for Publications and Finland Promotion, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5843, email: [email protected]


























Virtual Finland(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)