References

Koivuniemen Herra Farm (MuuMaa countryside theme park)

Client story

Multilingual domestic tourists found their way to Koivuniemen Herra Farm despite the coronavirus pandemic

Koivuniemen Herra Farm is a great destination for family vacations and field trips, where you can enjoy farm activities, traditions workshops, and nature walks. The farm’s idyllic setting in Merikarvia has attracted visitors from Sweden, Russia, Germany, and Finland for three decades.

So what happened when the popular agritourism destination had to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Quick response in exceptional circumstances

With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, an entrepreneur’s worst nightmare became a reality when the farm had to close its doors to the public in the middle of the busiest group travel season. Quick solutions, new services, and measures to ensure safety were urgently needed.

“In the spring, we were completely closed. In the meantime, we monitored the changing situation, built an online store, and developed new services,” says farm owner Sirkka-Liisa Koivuniemi.

In June, as soon as restrictions permitted, the farm started welcoming small groups.

“I am grateful that people came. They responded positively to face shields, safety distances, and handwashing, and the farm had a warm atmosphere. I got the feeling that life will go on after all.”

In July, Koivuniemen Herra Farm received permission to expand its operations, and excursions on the farm continued in the autumn.

“Marketing new services, setting up an online store, and instructing customers were important to ensure safety and business continuity,” says Sirkka-Liisa.

At best, guides and customer instructions were translated into four languages together with Lingo.

The Finnish countryside and old-fashioned lifestyle attract visitors

Koivuniemen Herra Farm has grown from a family farm and animal petting farm to a tourist destination offering year-round farm experiences. All kinds of adventure tourists are welcome to Koivuniemen Herra Farm.

“Our entire operation has been based on people’s need to get out into the nature and experience farm life. We have developed our services around this demand.”

In the summer, Merikarvia is visited by local tourists from the west coast, the Helsinki Metropolitan area, Ostrobothnia, and Tampere Region, who also bring their multilingual friends with them.

“Foreign families living in Finland are happy to visit us,” says Sirkka-Liisa.

Many companies also bring their guests to Koivuniemen Herra Farm.

Multilingual websites are vital for tourist entrepreneurs

The service languages of Koivuniemen Herra Farm are Finnish, Swedish, and English. The company also translates its materials into Russian and German, as they want to serve all their guests at least to some extent in their native language.

Sirkka-Liisa also encourages other entrepreneurs to communicate in more languages.

“Don’t translate your website into English alone! Even a small amount of material translated into the customer’s language helps them feel welcome. Multilingual material does not mean that customers expect to be served perfectly in their own language.”

Having a search engine friendly website and translating its content are key to being found by customers.

A service-minded translation partner is a tourism entrepreneur’s best friend

Lingo has collaborated with Koivuniemen Herra Farm for years.

“Lingo understands our business philosophy and our way of doing things. The translations are functional, and they have been delivered on time, even under tight deadlines. Additionally, I have liked the fact that our texts can be translated directly into the required format,” says Sirkka-Liisa.

“I especially appreciate that we have received tips on proper terminology and natural expressions from native translators. With accurate terms, we can be found more easily on Google, for example. It’s always nice to contact Lingo, because we always get good service and are well taken care of.”

Guests feel the same way at Koivuniemen Herra Farm!