Current information about Spanish tourism

Updated April 2024

Finland's position in the market

Finland is well known as a winter destination in Spain, mainly Lapland area that is considered a unique a bit expensive destination offering a wide range of products comparing to our competitors. Nordic countries are trendy destinations in Spain; a fantastic opportunity for Finland to develop and grow in all areas and to gain popularity as an all-year-round destination.

Travelling from Spain to Finland is balanced between winter and summer we can see clear peak months in the overnights in Finland in December for the winter and July-August for summer. Finland is the first destination chosen by the Spaniards in winter like Norway is the first option in the summer.

Iceland and Norway are challenging competitors for Finland with their nature. There are plenty of opportunities to develop our summer –autumn products in the market especially for Lakeland & Archipelago as part of our all-year-round offer.

City breaks are also quite important when thinking of further development of Helsinki region, including areas around Tampere & Turku, where culture and live like a local experience are the topics that arouse the most interest in the Spanish guests. with the objective of increasing the average stay for this type of travel.

Considering that seat capacity from November 2023 to March 2024 is about -12% less compared to pre pandemic times, main source cities in Spain for current bookings to Finland in June to August 2024 shows +70 % versus 2019, positioning Spain as the country with the highest estimated growth in all markets.

With 178,100 overnights in 2023 the Spanish market has beaten the 2019 record in Spanish visitor arrivals to our destination and we already rank as the third most important market in the world in terms of visitor arrivals to Lapland in the peak season month of winter, December.

The growth forecast for the Spanish market to 2030 tells us that the market will continue to grow at a very good pace to reach 254,000 annual overnight stays (+42% vs 2023), similar to the Italian market in volume.

Our seat capacity for this summer (June to August) has increased by 11% compared to the same period last year, although still in markets such as ours we remain below the capacity, we had in 2019 in line with other outbound markets such as Germany (-11%). Spain ranks third in total share of European flights to Finland.

Finnair reinforces the routes and frequencies from Spain that started on March 31 in 2024. Coinciding with the start of the summer season, the company will operate more than 30 weekly flights to the Helsinki hub and will incorporate Palma and Alicante with one and three weekly. The airline will maintain its daily operations from Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga, from where there will also be double daily flights in the weeks of greatest demand in July and August.

As of November 30th, Iberia will resume operations to Rovaniemi. The airline had great success with this route in 2023 with an average load factor of 90% and has led the company to extend the months of operation until March 1st, 2025. In addition, during the month of December, it will offer four frequencies a week, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. In total, Iberia will offer around 12,200 seats on this route, which represents an increase of +74% compared to last year.

In addition, Vueling, part of the IAG group, will fly again from Helsinki airport to Barcelona from October 31st, 2024, with three weekly frequencies until mid-January 2025.

Interesting to highlight the potential of LATAM markets with Brazil, Argentina and Mexico leading the way with growth of 15% compared to 2019 (81.000 overnights). The average spend in these markets far exceeds the target we have as well as the average stay of travelers, higher than in European markets. The forecast for 2030 indicates an approximate growth rate of 60-70%, reaching 135,000 overnight stays for LATAM area. Spain is the hub for these markets and Visit Finland is already working to increase this potential.

Although the Portuguese market represents one-sixth of the Spanish market, it continues to grow at a good pace and is expected to continue to grow steadily by 2030, reaching 53,000 overnight stays (70% more than in 2023).

Our country brand is present in various channels thanks to all the actions / activities that have been put in practice with our main local trade partners. We are also present in the main fairs for the B2B such as FITUR or IBTM.

According to 2023 PR results, Spain ranks 4th in our target markets in terms of brand building effect with more than 222 MM views and almost at the same level as all DACH countries combined. The scope of our coverage in the media (press, radio, and TV), interviews, has increased exponentially in the last year thanks to the valuable collaboration of our local PR agency that provides great opportunities to promote Finland's brand and country image. El País, one of largest new paper in Spain, published article of Sauna in Finland in March 2024 what was recognized in large publicity. In addition, Radio y Televisión Espanola, published two episodes traveling in Finland in March 2024. Media is more and more attracted of Finland and its culture what is a great way gain visibility in Spanish market.

During the past year Visit Finland's representative in Spain also had the opportunity to participate in several interviews both in radio and written press in important media such as “Onda Cero Radio” or “Forbes” magazine, as well as relevant B2B media.

Consumer trends and behavior

Spaniards who will spend more on their travel budget this year are up 6.4% compared to 2023. The average budget has grown by 18.5% among those who will spend more than 3,000 euros on their trips during the year, according to data recorded by Travellyze.

For next summer, Spanish tourists are booking earlier and are opting more for destinations on the continent, as shown in the latest report prepared by Skyscanner.

53% of the EMEA region will choose to travel within Europe, a 4% increase over last year, demonstrating an increase in regional preference from the same outbound market.

Spaniards are longing for nature: in the last summer holidays there was a big growth of the "green Spain destinations" where nature, social distance and relaxation are the main USP´s.

Slow and sustainable tourism, visit small and medium sized cities, luxury tourism, health, and wellbeing and of course nature experiences are the top trends for 2023. This is a great opportunity to develop summer in Finland in 2024. Spaniards also appreciate good local food and want to enjoy gastronomy in their holidays. In fact, gastronomic tourism stands out as one of the main drivers of spending in 2024, according to the study. There is a growing interest among Spaniards in enjoying the culinary offerings of the destinations.

"Slow travel" is also another growing trend in Spain. Thus, the traveler prioritizes more enjoyment of the trip, as well as the people you meet on the trip, seeking to live the trip as authentic locals, an immersive experience. In fact, there are already Tour Operators that highlight this type of segment among their products and Finland with several programs throughout the year appears as a perfect destination for slow travel, where the average stay of the visitor increases and contributes to sustainable development and generates wealth among local communities.

Considering that the Saimaa region has received the prestigious European Region of Gastronomy Award in March 2024, this can be a very good opportunity and a good argument to attract Spanish.

Some of the Spaniards who travel to Finland can be categorized to lifestyle travelers. Finland has unique opportunities for lifestyle travelers; sustainable travel destination with nature and discovering new for e.g., visit old wooden tradition towns, Visit UNESCO world heritage sites, to meet indigenous Sami people and learn their culture. Lifestyle traveler’s potential in Finland is clearly one of the most potential segments for Finland.

The Spaniards are interested in cultures and cities as well. They show particular interest in historic attractions, architecture and classic culture. Finland’s modernity and cultural offering can be looked out. Tourists are drawn to destinations by unique attractions, cultural experiences, local events, and captivating landscapes.

Authentic travel is also important, with many travelers wanting to immerse themselves in a total cultural change, with more than half (59%) wanting to experience new destinations and cultures and four out of ten (42%) saying they love discovering the local gastronomy when you are away from home. To soak up the local culture, 12% plan to take an “extended vacation” of three weeks or more in one destination. Rural tourism is potential market for Southern European tourists. Rural tourism is on highly rise in Spain like everywhere in Europe. 45% of Spanish adults aged 18 and over have engaged in rural tourism in 2023, which is 2.5 points higher than the previous year.

Following a study from “Passport Photo Online” about the impact of heatwaves on tourists' travel trends, nearly 94% of travelers have noticed a change in the frequency or intensity of heatwaves in recent years. Furthermore, more than 77% of the respondents stated that it is likely or very likely that they will consider the potential heatwaves when planning their vacations in the future: cool down in the Finnish summer!

“Elle" magazine publishes an interesting article in April about how traveling by train, the new tourist attraction that combines sustainability, nostalgia and comfort is the new travel trend in Spain, which fits perfectly with the new sustainable routes that we promote in Finland in this means of transport.

According to the European Travel Commission's (ETC) latest report "Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel", published in February this year, in Spain, as in other European countries, and despite high inflation, especially in tourism-related products such as international flights, package holidays and hotels, tourists have continued to sacrifice other expenditure to satisfy their desire to travel. Southern European destinations continue to drive Europe's recovery.

Nevertheless, and according to a recent study by Europ Assistance, Spanish citizens are 6% more aware of the environmental impact of transport than other Europeans.

The intermediation role of travel agencies continues to be key when it comes to prescribing our destination. However, the pending subject continues to be digitization in the channel to adapt to the demands of the market.

There will be an increase in tailor-made trips at the expense of tourist packages. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are also playing a particularly important role in Spain when future guest thinks of booking their own holidays (i.e., fly & drive in Lakeland, summer season).

As a distribution channel, OTAS is the key to the development of new opportunities in the Spanish market especially in the summer season, where the dynamic packages play an important role in product development at this time of year.

Industry update and distribution channels

Agencies and tour operators set a new maximum turnover for the month of February, which represents an increase of 8.5% over last year's record.

In 2023 main tour operators of our country have surpassed Finland sales of 2019 in the year 2023 setting a new historical record. For this 2024 they have decided to continue increasing their offer, improving their sales tools and diversifying their product for a more experienced customer.

In the last 3 years, new business opportunities have been created, including OTAs and small tour operators specialized in the luxury segment and adventure travel and activities besides the “traditional big TO´s”. It should also be noted that they have even suggested fresh players in the market whose main development strategy is based on sustainability and digitization and that they match perfectly with the Finnish tourism offer in the Spanish market.

There will be an increase in tailor-made trips at the expense of tourist packages. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are also playing a particularly important role in Spain when future guest thinks of booking their own holidays (i.e., fly & drive in Lakeland, summer season).

Big OTA's like eDreams achieves greater personalization of trips thanks to Artificial Intelligence; by receiving tailor-made travel proposals, users are more likely to complete their reservations after doing a search.

The last international edition of the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS), held in Seville in October, has highlighted the importance of new technologies and sustainability for the travel industry and the interest of our B2B partners in developing these new technologies, including AI, to be more competitive and offer a personalized and 360-degree travel experience to travelers.

In relation to the upcoming activities of Visit Finland in our market, we are hosting face-to-face workshop in Madrid in 26 of September of 2024 where our Finnish partners will have chance to meet new buyers. We will be presented in Midnight Sun Workshop in Finland as well in June 2024.

In the year 2023, we participated alongside our key partners in more than 35 events in various cities across Spain, presenting Finland as a sustainable destination to travel agents, along with our training tools for these professionals.

Another important aspect of our activities is focused on the congresses and incentives segment and together with the Finland Convention Bureau we participate in specific industry events such as "MIS" in Madrid in 2022 and "IBTM" that was hold in end of 2023 in Barcelona. We will participate IBTM this year again in November.

FITUR, the international Tourism Trade Fair was held last January in Madrid and it is quite well known as the global meeting point for tourism professionals where the Latin American markets is of special relevance. FITUR 2024 wrapped up its 44th edition with outstanding attendance figures, surpassing 250,000 participants, and strengthens its global influence. (ITB in Berlin this year had 100,000 participants)

Agencies play an essential role in developing Finland's potential in the Spanish market. The prominent role of these companies is accentuated considering the strategy of seasonal adjustment and sustainability carried out at Visit Finland. Our representation plays a key role in presenting and influencing Finland's summer sales and new development opportunities.

Connectivity and accessibility from Spain to Finland has been strengthened thanks to Finnair's commitment to increase the offer of seats from several cities in Spain, as well as the entry of other airlines into the market with new routes of Iberia, Vueling, AirBaltic or Ryanair as previously mentioned.

Finland travel USP's

Nature, together with the pursuit of "Finnish happiness", are the main strengths of our offering as a travel destination. Finland is known as a country that has been leading the ranking of the world's happiest countries for seven years in a row and again in 2024! The happiness of Finns is linked to the Finnish way of life and culture (sauna, lakes, cottages, city life) is an interesting topic in Spain.

Nevertheless, we cannot forget that sustainability and responsible travel have gained a lot of strength during the pandemic. Santa Claus is one of the icons that has attracted the most to the Spanish travelers for many years. The Lapland region is the best-known area in Finland for the Spanish market.

Main USP´s in the Spanish market:

• Strong consolidated winter image in the market
• Quite positive country perception: reliable, safe (social distance guaranteed), reputable education, modern, clean air & water #Finland Works
• "Natural Luxury" – Unique experiences in nature.
• Finland as a sustainable leading country in the Nordics.

Finland is number one in terms of winter destination among the Nordic countries, thanks to its complete tourist offer and strengths. Connection with nature and the attractiveness of Santa Claus continue to be the two unique features. Santa Claus is an ambassador of goodwill and already well known in Spain. Winter vacations to Lapland are increasing at an accelerating rate and are attracting families to travel to Finland. Undoubtedly, these USP's are powerful sales arguments when deciding which destination to visit in the Nordic countries.

In addition to Lapland in winter, there is an exciting potential for further development of other geographical areas in Finland all year round and not only in winter. And that's where other USP's come into play, such as being the country of lakes and sustainability as an axis of development not only for the tourism industry but also as the Finnish lifestyle: live like a local experience.

Luxury, Culture & Lifestyle, Outdoor activities & Sports, Wellbeing & sauna are the strongest themes in the Spanish market.

Sustainability is an important factor for Spaniards when deciding on their holiday plans, with 69% stating that environmental considerations already have some influence on their travel plans. Nearly four in ten (39%) say they are aware of the environmental impact of their holidays, while 30% go so far as to say that environmental considerations determine their travel plans and that they only spend with companies that have a positive environmental impact. However, sustainability, by itself, does not represent a definitive factor when choosing a destination.

In any case, we must be able to adapt to the market and model our message on sustainability, considering that the Spanish market is not as mature in this regard, compared to other Central European markets.

Future outlook and upcoming season

As for product segments and once normality is restored, the most sought-after experiences among Spanish travelers in domestic and international travel will be culture and heritage, nature, big cities, and wellness.

The increase in capacity and connectivity from Spain, together with our efforts to deseasonalize the destination and give our local partners the opportunity to develop the tourist offer in Finland, as it does all year round, places us in an exceptionally good position to face this year with optimism.

The Spanish market is also one of the priority markets when it comes to developing the business potential of Eastern Finland, Lakeland, through different activities.

According to Oxford Economics, Spain already reached the expenditure levels of pre pandemic times in 2019 and expected 12% more average expenditure of our guests in 2024. For the overnights, we reached and went over the levels of the year 2019 in 2023.

In fact, for the next winter season in Lapland they have increased last year's offer by 10% and their sales forecasts, together with the anticipated sales, are already better than those recorded in 2023.

Spanish market in Finland has recovered quickly after Covid-19. We were 3rd largest market in Lapland in December 2023. Spanish overnights have grown 2% in 2023 from 2019 which is a new record! These records were made in winter and autumn season. Overall travelling from Spain to Finland has recovered, only summer season overnight stays remained lower than in 2019. The outlook for upcoming winter season looks promising because of last year records and new frequent flight routes to Lapland.

The luxury segment continues to grow in Spain as well as tour operators specialized in this segment of travelers.

Other interesting product offers for the future Spanish visitor that are based on the main themes, such as the cultural offer, outdoor activities all year round or products related to well-being and sauna, have a future development path in the coming years.

Based on the main topics and products with the development potential mentioned above, we hope that sustainability will gain more importance in the coming years and become eventually the main reason that drives Spaniards to travel to Finland.

Our target groups are framed within the strategy that we have designed for the Spanish market until 2023. For the upcoming season, as mentioned earlier, we expect to break the record for Spanish visitors to Lapland, surpassing even the levels of 2023, becoming the second or third most important market in Lapland in December.