A holiday island has issued a 'no phones' policy for tourists planning to visit its shores this summer.
The island of Ulko-Tammio, located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, is leaning into that reputation and fostering a peaceful, phone free atmosphere this summer.
Visitors will be asked to keep their mobiles in their pockets this summer, so that holidaymakers can switch off, take a break from social media and enjoy nature.
The Eastern Gulf of Finland boasts plenty of beautiful islands awaiting explorers. Rugged islands, lush swimming spots and charming coastal villages are all characterised by nature, peace and the Baltic Sea.
It also has a 30-nautical-mile-wide national park, where the island of Ulko-Tammio is located. Now it can count the world's first phone-free tourist island among the qualities tempting visitors there.
“The island of Ulko-Tammio, which is located off the coast of Hamina, will be a phone-free area this summer. We want to urge holidaymakers to switch off their smart devices and to stop and genuinely enjoy the islands”, Mats Selin, an expert in island tourism at Visit Kotka-Hamina, explained.
Terhi Mustonen, psychologist at the social welfare NGO Sosped Foundation, noted how difficult many people find it to put their phones down and unwind, even when on holiday.
“People are not meant to be glued to screens all the time. Even a short digital fast can be useful and improve our well-being and help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression," Terhi said.
Ulko-Tammio is located far from the mainland and boasts an interesting history, nature, birds – along with a birdwatching tower – and a cabin.
The island has well-marked hiking trails and a birdwatching tower that offers wonderful views over the national park. Visitors can stay overnight on the island in tents or in the cabin maintained by Parks & Wildlife Finland.
Participation in digital fasting is voluntary, and the island is covered by a functioning mobile network.
Islands in the Eastern Gulf of Finland are typically accessed using private boats or by catching a commuter ferry, a cruiseferry, a water taxi or a water bus from Kotka.
Earlier this year, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the sixth year in a row.
According to Frank Martela, a Finnish psychologist and philosopher, part of the reason his countryfolk are so content is due to the nation's non-competitive nature and the four weeks of summer holiday the average Finn enjoys each year.
Part of the source of their happiness may be the ease of access most Finns have to nature and a culture that encourages people to get out about about in it.
