Amusement parks in Finland have seen plenty of fun-seekers of late. Gate figures for the traditional parks of Helsinki's Linnanmäki and Tampere's Särkänniemi are up.
Investment has made a difference. More variety of rides and activities have been a draw, while efforts to attract more corporate clients and tourists are also paying off. In addition, the strategy of installing free rides has helped boost attendance. At the Helsinki park, the number of visitors is up this year by around 10 percent over the same time last year.
Linnanmäki now has 11 free rides, but for an average family of four, a day at the amusement park is not cheap -- the tab can often run into the hundreds of euros.
Särkänniemi's new draw is a theme park area for the little ones. Koiramäki (Doghill) has been created around the children's books of Finnish writer and illustrator Mauri Kunnas. Operators say that attendance figures have not been as high as hoped, but then, the summer season is still far from over.