The spokesman at Macy’s department store in New York was adamant. “We have the only true Santa,” he said. A bold claim if ever there was one.

“He does gets around,” says Glynis Jeffery cagily, who works for Transun, a UK travel firm that sent 11,000 shining-eyed children, doting parents and adoring grandparents to Finland in search of Father Christmas last December.

While children were once excited by a trip to a department store and a 50p present, trips to see Santa chez lui are now big business. The faithful started heading to Rovaniemi, Finland a decade ago — a happy marriage of commerce to Finland’s natural advantages of snow, reindeer and proximity to the North Pole.

But Finland now faces snowy landscape competition from its Scandic neighbours. For the truly consumerist approach to Father Christmas, New York has it wrapped up. Meanwhile, even Britain has joined the party, replacing the queue for Father Christmas’s grotto with the dedicated Santa Claus experience.

FINLAND

Finland does log cabin and snow-filled forests exceptionally well, and the largest concentration of festive spirit is still in Rovaniemi, near the Arctic Circle, where there’s a small theme park entirely devoted to the bearded one.

For the time-poor, cash-rich parent and child combo, day trips usually include a sleigh ride and a meeting with Father Christmas. Children are given a gift before exploring Santa’s Village, which has an elf workshop and a helter-skelter ride. Rovaniemi is better suited to younger kids but there are usually queues to see Father Christmas. Older children will have more fun on trips into the countryside around Yllas, Levi, Pyha and Saariselka on snowmobiles or reindeer sleighs, where they can search the woods for Santa Claus.

Snow? The Arctic Circle is famous for it — most tour companies provide special snowsuits to keep out the chill.

Getting there:

Transun (0870-444 4747, www.transun.co.uk) has a one-day trip to Rovaniemi from £239 per adult/child, which includes flights, transfers, meals and activities, from December 7. Overnight trips start at £599pp.

Scantours (020-7839 2927, www.scantours.co.uk) has a six-night stay over Christmas at the Hotel Kakslauttanen, an atmospheric collection of igloos and log cabins that costs £1,350pp (£810pp for children), including flights and half-board accommodation.

Cosmos (0870-264 6090) has a one-day trip to Finland on December 22 from £396pp, to include a reindeer and husky dog ride. It also has three-day trips on December 5, 12 and 19, and four day-trips on December 8, 15 and 22 — both from £699, with full-board accommodation.

Bridge Travel (0870-191 7160, www.scan-travel.co.uk) and Canterbury Travel (01923 822388, www.santa-holidays.com) also has one-day and longer Santa trips.