Titanic to Rise Again? On Land?

Not deterred by the tragic fate of the original, a Finnish businessman aims to build a full-sized copy of the Titanic on dry land, housing a hotel and restaurants to lure tourists to northern Finland.

The original Titanic, which sank in April 1912.

"Everybody in Europe knows the Titanic,” Toivo Sukari was quoted as saying. “There are no tourist attractions in the Oulu region and I think it could attract tourists from abroad."

Sukari, who runs a furniture store chain called Masku and has built a huge shopping center called Ideapark in southern Finland near Tampere, said he was putting together a plan and financing for another shopping center in the small village of Kiiminki.

The recreation of the doomed ship, which sank in April 1912 killing some 1,500 passengers and crew, would be 882 feet long and 92 feet wide and would be built next to the shopping center to cater to tourists and shoppers.

"I am sure Japanese tourists, who go skiing in Lapland, would be interested to see it," Sukari said.

If all goes according to plan, the construction of the new shopping mall and the Titanic complex would begin this year and be open for business in November 2011.