Current information about USA tourism

Updated April 2024

Finland's position in the market

Finland is considered as a functioning and safe society, suitable also for families with kids of all ages, and the happiest country in the world. Traditionally Finland has been a summer destination, combined with other Nordic countries but in the last years the popularity of winter has increased and now it is safe to say that Finland interests in the US both as winter and summer destination.

In 2023, US emerged as Finland's fourth-largest source market, experiencing a noteworthy 24% growth vs. the record year of 2019 in overnights (382,700 vs. 309,100). USA also ranked as one of the TOP 3 source markets in all digital searches about Finland. The most searched tag words in the US related to Finland were: Saunas, Hotels, Golf (surprisingly) and Cities.

Although the awareness of Finland has been growing well in the US for many reasons, Finland is still behind the other Nordic destinations in awareness and overnights from the US (compared to Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark). Competition is fierce here of US travelers.

Finland is not only competing with the other Nordic countries but with the entire Europe. According to travel insurance provider Allianz Partners’ annual Top 10 Summer European Destinations review, the number of Americans traveling to Europe will increase significantly again, climbing 34 percent over last year’s popular travel season.

Analyzing flight itineraries for trips of five to eight days in length between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Allianz confirmed London holds on to the top position with nearly double the bookings of Paris (#2). Dublin (#3) again rounds out the top three most-popular vacation spots on the continent with the trio hosting a variety of top international sports and music events this year.

For the first time since the survey began in 2015, the beaches of Nice helped it debut on the Top 10 recognition list as Barcelona regains its position (#8) after being bumped last year. Together, they displace Milan and Lisbon from the annual rankings. Other perennial favorites jockey for position in the middle of the roster with Edinburgh (#4), and Amsterdam (#6), each laddering up two positions respectively. Rome (#5), slipped one slot while Reykjyavik (#7), and Athens (#9), each fall two positions in 2024.

– Following the pandemic, Europe has been a top summer destination for Americans, said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA.

There are in average 24 weekly direct flights from US to Finland in the coming summer season; June-August 2024. Finnair is the only airline with direct connections to Helsinki from New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Seattle. Naturally the accessibility is also good with Oneworld, Star- and SkyTeam – alliances.

US PR & Media Results 2023: Of the total 1484 media hits, 85% were published in March and most in local TV channels (408 in 2022). Brand Building Effect increased to 3bn (617M in 2022 and 2bn in 2021). Visibility Score was 59%, and all but three neutral hits were positive in tone. Happiness was the main theme in 74% and Global campaign (Masterclass of Happiness) in 15% of the hits. Nearly 90% of the US hits were based on Press releases.

The media coverage highlights of 2023 included ABC Nightline’s special episode from the Masterclass of Happiness camp in Rantasalmi & 7 Little Johnstons who visited Rovaniemi and Saariselkä in the autumn of 2022. The Masterclass of Happiness campaign achieved significant success in the US market and was featured on a total of 573 online articles in top media outlets including USA Today, AFAR, NPR, Thrillist, New York Post and more.

Consumer trends and behavior

In the US sightseeing and visiting many countries during one holiday is still dominating unless the destination can offer something so unique that it is seen worth of a mono destination trip. The Northern Lights product taps to that. We should also create a unique offering around the Midnight Sun experience.

There is now more interest on nature experiences, less populated areas and wide-open spaces than before the pandemic. Wellbeing and authentic experiences are popular.

Immersive small group tours to-minded individuals passionate about culinary adventure as well as women-only group travel is gaining popularity. For example, Insight Vacations Launches Small Group, Women-Only Tours Created For Women, By Women. Insight Vacations has launched new small group, women-only tours to encourage solo travel and spotlight women in the travel industry. These programs are for travel in 2025.

Tour operators are now also considering Finland for their multi-generational family travel- as well as heritage and ancestry travel customers. Finland is also considered as an option for group trips for special events.

According to Statista Research Department, Nov 14, 2023: Travel spending grew to 1.02 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022, and that figure was forecast to reach 1.2 trillion by 2026.

About 50% of the travelers in the US book through traditional sales channels such as tour operator and travel advisors. Americans use much more travel advisor's services than consumers in other markets and therefore travel advisors, travel agencies and consortias are important B2B partners. Especially luxury category travels with tailor made itineraries designed by their travel advisor.

Other half of the travelers use OTA's and other digital booking platforms to book their trips. Many North American travelers use different online platforms to search information and to book travel. Some of the relevant online booking platforms in the US are Expedia Group platforms, Priceline, Kiwi.com and Hopper.

Example of importance of the travel advisors is for ex. Robin Lawther, vice president of Expedia TAAP, announced Expedia's awareness of the trend for travelers to use travel advisors. The result has been an increased investment by Expedia in travel advisors, aiming for a mutually beneficial partnership, offering competitive commissions, incentives and training programs.

Sustainable travel is a growing trend also in the US

Virtuoso, the global luxury travel network, has released new survey findings that shed light on how some of the world’s savviest travelers view and approach sustainable tourism. The results revealed a steadily increasing demand for exploring the world alongside a heightened awareness among in-the-know travelers about their influence and impact on the destinations they visit.

More than half of surveyed travelers said global developments in 2023 have encouraged them to travel more responsibly, citing geopolitical conflicts, overtourism and the effects of climate change, such as natural disasters, pollution and rising temperatures. In addition, 45 percent of respondents agree that traveling sustainably enhances their vacation experience — a nine-point increase compared to 2023’s survey.

What follows are key insights into sustainable tourism, sourced from surveys conducted among Virtuoso travel advisors and their high-net-worth clientele:

Seasonality Shifts: Travelers are choosing to steer clear of the crowds. Seventy-six percent of advisors reported their clients are adopting off-season travel more regularly, primarily to avoid crowds and lines. Consumers echoed this sentiment, with almost half expressing their willingness to visit popular destinations during off-peak times and over 30 percent showing readiness to explore alternative, less-touristed destinations, all to combat overtourism. Moreover, 13 percent were open to embracing both methods.

Cultural Appetite: Eighty-six percent of advisors said their clients are investing in the cultural heritage of the destinations they visit, demonstrated through their participation in exchange/learning programs with locals, support for local crafts and performing arts, and aiding the conservation efforts of historic landmarks and sites. This cultural commitment also extends to culinary experiences. Sixty-eight percent of advisors report their clients’ heightened interest in hotels and restaurants that prioritize sustainable gastronomy, actively preferring local eateries over chains as well as seeking ingredients with low environmental impact (farm-to-table). And almost 20 percent of advisors said their clients were showing interest in zero-waste food options and plant-based menus, signaling an emerging shift towards eco-friendly dining preferences.

Amplified by AI: Over half of Virtuoso advisors believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a role in the future of sustainable tourism. According to responses, AI holds the potential to enhance and promote sustainable travel by crafting tailored itineraries, providing eco-conscious recommendations, and analyzing data to monitor and address environmental issues. But some advisors expressed concern regarding AI’s influence on meaningful human interaction and the reliability of AI-derived information, proving that while AI may serve as a tool, it will not replace the need for trusted advisors and genuine relationships.

Clarity Over Cost: Virtuoso clients reported that cost is less of a barrier to traveling more sustainably, but transparency is a barrier: 58 percent of travelers are willing to pay more to travel responsibly if they know how the funds are being used—a five-point increase from 2023. Travelers also expressed a strong desire for deeper knowledge and assistance in making more informed decisions, with more than 30 percent saying they would be encouraged to travel more responsibly if they had a clear understanding of their options and guidance from a trusted source, such as a professional travel advisor, to help them get started.

– Awareness among travelers is growing and we’re having conversations about how to travel more responsibly in a way we didn’t even a few years ago, which is encouraging, said Javier Arredondo, Virtuoso’s vice president of sustainability. – An evolution has taken place, where sustainability is no longer viewed as an obligation or a forced necessity, but as an opportunity for travelers to use their purchasing power to make a positive impact while also creating lifelong memories. There is a feel-good factor to it that people inherently want. Knowing where to start is half the battle, so we aim to remove barriers like feeling overwhelmed by the options or uncertainty of where to begin. A professional travel advisor can serve as a guiding force towards making informed choices while also crafting tailored experiences that exceed expectations.

(Source: Insider Travel Report, James Shillinglaw, Mar 22, 2024)

American travelers expect good service in the destination. Good communication in general is very important with American travelers and it is always better to overcommunicate than communicate too little.

Industry update and distribution channels

Growing sales across the industry - the forecast is even higher than the sales of 2023. Travel leaders reports record growth with even brighter outlook for 2024. Travel Leaders Network (TLN) revealed that sales and membership are at record levels.

Travel Experts Advisors report stronger luxury business for summer - Travel Experts, the luxury host travel agency with more than 500 advisors around the U.S., said it experienced a banner year in 2023 and now 82 percent of its affiliates responding to a recent survey are already reporting an increase in business for 2024. That’s based primarily on a boom in peak summer bookings, especially in the luxury segment. Travel Experts advisors reported a year-over-year increase of 35 percent in 2023 with total sales of $715 million. This uptick in business continued into 2024 with January sales at a 42 percent increase over the same month in 2023.

Goway Groups Only Division marks biggest year ever - Goway Travel, known in North America for tailor-made journeys, is celebrating its Groups Only division's unprecedented success, sending 500 group vacations worldwide in the past year.

– Group travel is one of the hottest trends in the industry right now, said Rourke. – We expect interest in group travel to continue to grow. In particular, we’ve seen growth in women-only group travel opportunities, culinary tours, multi-generational family travel, heritage and ancestry travel, and group trips for special events. We’ve also seen increased interest in multi-country itineraries. Travelers want to visit exciting places, but they also want to share the experience with friends, family, and like-minded explorers.

Avanti Expects Custom Groups Business to Grow 30 Percent in 2024 - Wholesale custom tour operator Avanti Destinations expects 30 percent growth in its custom groups department in 2024, with a high level of repeat bookings.

(Source: Insider Travel Report)

Several major US tour operators are already selling Finland only winter packages, but we do not yet have many Finland only packages for summer season. However, there is now interest in adding also Finland summer mono destination tours by some tour operators and Visit Finland is actively working on promoting summer season in all four regions.

Around 40 tour operators have traditionally been selling Finland as part of a Nordic or Baltic tour. Visit Finland aims to support the North American tour operators the best we can with our resources in case they need advise how to design new tours including Finland.

A joint Reboot Nordic Tourism -project together with Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and Faroe Islands was launched during spring 2022 in the US and continues in 2024. The activities include marketing and sales promotion as well as PR activities to promote the whole Nordics region in the US.

Visit Finland is organizing and participating in sales events in North America. In April we participated in BoostNordic Roadshow in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York having one2one meetings with more than 90 high-end travel advisors.

The upcoming major events are Virtuoso Travel Week in August, Nordics Roadshow in October and USTOA Conference and Marketplace in December. We are also arranging smaller scale events together with Finnair for handpicked travel advisors and tour operators. Additionally, we are promoting Finland in virtual events and as panelists in webinars during the year.

Several fam trips to Finland took and is taking place showcasing all the four regions. In April we had 10 top sellers from Travel Edge group in Lapland North and Helsinki. Together with Finnair we are bringing 10 tour operators to Midnight Sun Workshop.

DMC's and incoming agencies continue to be vital in the US market as most tour operators do not contract directly with suppliers in Finland.

Finland travel USP's

The northern lights, nature, happiness, saunas and lakes interest in the US. As sauna and Finnish sauna culture is the only USP that we can clearly take ownership of, we should continue incorporating sauna in our messaging, designed so that it appeals to the Americans.

None of the USP's alone drive decision making when American traveler is making a decision to travel to Finland, but they all complement each others. Finnish Lapland is seen as a great northern lights destination option compared to Alaska, Iceland and Norway. It is also important to remember to emphasize the extraordinary accommodation options and the great infrastructure Finland has, especially in the north compared with other arctic areas.

Experiencing nature, the lakes, archipelago and midnight sun or white nights and learning about the local culture and history interest when considering travel to Finland in the summer. Finland's ranking as the happiest country has also greatly increased the awareness of Finland in the US in all traveler segments. Currently high end travelers are our focus segment, because there is a lot of potential still, but also mid and low budget travel can be expected to grow.

Finland is seen as a sustainable travel destination by those who know the country, but we still have a lot of work to promote Finland in the US. More and more travelers now are interested in visiting destinations and buying from businesses that operate sustainably. American travelers want to support local businesses.

It is also good to remember, that Finland is a great stopover destination when traveling with Finnair from the US to Europe via Helsinki.

Future outlook and upcoming season

In the past two winter seasons the popularity of the “traditional” Lapland+Helsinki winter packages has not diminished, on the contrary. The tour operators are reporting of the continuity of growing sales. The popularity of winter packages also leads to the fact that a wider number of tour operators who yet haven’t offered Finland have included Finland in their production.

Besides winter season in Lapland, also autumn packages are now available. For ex. Backroads, an adventure tour operator, is now having two different hiking “Fall Colors beyond the Arctic Circle” packages in Lapland. Autumn has great potential, specially since Norther Lights is one of the major USPs, for those who want to experience the Aurora but not the deep winter conditions.

Helsinki and Southern Finland during summer season also interests. Helsinki - Lakeland - Archipelago self-drive tours could be potential in the future as well as Helsinki - Lakeland and Helsinki - Archipelago slow travel packages.

Further developed sauna + wellbeing packages could entice the American high-end travelers.

When designing products and packages, it is important to keep in mind, that 55+ is still the segment from the US, although millennials' travel is growing in the future. The 55+ are often still very active but not necessarily used to spending time outdoors or in the nature as much we Finns are, so it is important to design "soft adventures" that are not too demanding.

As Mr Rourke from Goway Groups Only Division said “Group travel is one of the hottest trends in the industry right now.” He expects interest in group travel to continue to grow. In particular, they have seen growth in women-only group travel opportunities, culinary tours, multi-generational family travel, heritage and ancestry travel, and group trips for special events.

So there is a lot of potential to increase the number of American travelers in small group and also FIT high end segments, especially with millennials and Gen X target groups, if suppliers are interested in those segments and have products and services relevant especially for the high-end travelers available.