In the modern world, any city in which there is a developed infrastructure must have a well-established entertainment industry. A comfortable living environment is not all that a full-fledged city needs.
In Finland, urban planners have set a great example for the world by designing and building several water parks in Imatra.
Prestigious and profitable
We have long been accustomed to thinking that water slides exist only in resort towns by the sea or in capitals. This is not true. Indoor water parks can be built in any city, while it does not have to be a millionaire.
Water rides have always attracted children. This is a profitable and fairly profitable business. That is why Finnish designers, while working on the look of the city, built a water park in Imatra.
This greatly increased the tourist potential of this city. Families began to come there not only from cities located in close proximity to Imatra, but even from Russia. This should not be surprising, because 5 km from it is the Russian city of Svetogorsk. It has neither the infrastructure suitable for normal life, nor the developed ecosystem, nor water attractions. Moreover, the population of cities is almost the same. What is the reason? It's simple: one city was built "for the people", another city was built in haste and subsequently stopped developing it.
Striking contrast
Between Svetogorsk and Imatra, the contrast is striking. Some 5 km share an exemplary example of proper urban development and an example of how to build is not necessary. The water park in Imatra is visited by almost everyone who can drive to it within an hour by car. While small provincial cities in Russia are becoming like scenery for post-apocalyptic films, in Finland they are being rebuilt to make it more convenient for people. The greatest role is played by the presence of entertainment areas. Parks, cultural heritage sites, museums of modern art, monuments and attractions of all kinds. In one city, children have the opportunity to swim in the pools and ride the water slides even in winter, and in another, you need to go to another country.
Tourist potential
This may sound unusual, but the water park in Imatra is not alone. There are several of them. This increases the tourist potential of the city and allows you to delay travelers. Tourists can visit museums and walk along clean streets. Children are sure to pull their parents on a water slide. This attracts additional money to the city, and increases its tourist potential.
A separate item is the construction of truly comfortable hotels. Most often, they have unique features that are difficult to find in the European space. In other words, Finland follows the path of creating unique cities, discarding all ideas of standard construction.
One name
The most attractive for tourists is the water park "Imatra". It bore the same name with the city, but this did not last long. Repair and a small rebranding led to a name change and now it is Imatran Kylpyla. It is still located right in the hotel of the same name. Although it will be more true to say that the hotel and the water park form a full-fledged hotel complex. No, this is not a five star hotel. There is nothing unusual in it, except for water rides. The cost of rooms is quite affordable and does not lead to cultural shock.
Tourist trick
Some unscrupulous marketers tend to jump on the "train." Formally, the placement of several large pools with hydromassage allows us to speak in promotions about the presence of a water park in the hotel. Unfortunately, this is just a trick for gullible tourists.
In the city there is a hotel with an amazing pool, which is located at a height above the city, and the floor in it is glass. Quite unusual, isn't it? But is it a water park? Not! This is an ordinary pool, but marketers often replace concepts to achieve results.
There is only one spa hotel with a water park - Imatra. There are separate complexes of water attractions in which there is no number of rooms. Usually they are very developed. However, there is only one such hotel. It is absolutely certain that in other hotels there are no water attractions, although advertising claims the opposite.
List of water parks
The list of water parks in Imatra in Finland is subject to change. This is due to the fact that the city is constantly building new parks. It is known that by the end of 2018, they plan to build another large park with a wide variety of water slides in the city. However, for the first half of 2018, the following list will be relevant:
- Water Park Imatran Kylpyla;
- Water park Imatran valtionhotelli;
- "Aqua Circus". This park is not legally related to the city. It is located nearby in the suburbs. For the tourist, the road will not be a problem, because it is very close to Imatra.