Copenhagen, Denmark, is known for having a high quality of life, and it’s one of the top 10 most liveable cities in the world, according to Economist Intelligence’s Global Liveability Index 2018. Denmark was also ranked the second happiest country on Earth by the 2019 World Happiness Report.
Now Ikea wants to send someone to live in Copenhagen for two weeks in September to explore what makes its residents so happy.
Ikea will pay for all travel expenses, put the winner up in a Danish apartment (with Ikea furniture) and also pay them a Danish “salary.” While the contest didn’t clarify how much the salary will be, the trip is valued at $8,000, which includes the “salary, airfare, accommodations, insurance and other expenses,” an Ikea representative tells CNBC Make It.
Ikea is looking for someone who is “eager to investigate and act almost like an anthropologist,” a representative from Ikea tells CNBC Make It.
“Our happiness hunter will meet many different groups of Danes as well as lifestyle experts and futurologists,” the Ikea representative says. “The goal is to prepare the happiness hunter to answer the questions: Where does Danes’ happiness originate from? And is it related to the way the Danes live and interact with each other?”
The winner will also get free guided tours, talks, free dinners and time to explore on their own, according to the contest, as well as free ‘kottbulla’ (Swedish meatballs) at the IKEA restaurant there.
Applicants should have at least basic English-speaking skills, be 18 or older, be “curious,” have a love for travel and new cultures and a desire to find “the secret to happiness,” according to the contest page.
A couple kiss as they take a selfie in front of the Mermaid statue beside the Copenhagen canal in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Frederic Soltan | Getty Images
