Rovaniemi's Moomin project gets the green light 

Muumimaailma Oy is allowed to implement a park project in Rovaniemi, as the city's plot reservation decision is now legally binding, with no appeals submitted by the deadline, reports Yle.

The city council reserved the area in March from the Santa Claus Village area. The confirmation of the decision means that the project moves to the next phase, namely the finalisation of the plot lease agreements. According to the chairman of the city council, the process is proceeding as planned.

The new site will be smaller in scale than Muumimaailma, but the key elements will remain. One of them is the iconic Moominhouse, which is also expected to be the heart of the Rovaniemi park.

The project initially sparked discussion among local entrepreneurs, as the plot was granted directly without an open application. The city justified the decision by the project's tourism significance and its potential to strengthen year-round tourism in Lapland.

The Moomin park is expected to attract wide international interest. Tourists from Asia, and particularly from Japan, are believed to find their way to the new site. The appeal of the Moomin brand has remained strong from generation to generation, and its popularity is still growing.

The exact content of the Rovaniemi Moomin park is still on the drawing board, but the direction is clear: a new family-friendly tourist destination will be built at the Arctic Circle, complementing the already strong appeal of the area.