Finnish sustainable travel solutions

Finland is witnessing a surge in interest as a tourist destination, drawing travellers from around the globe. Offering a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural richness and unparalleled experiences, Finland puts sustainability at the heart of the travel industry. In fact, Finland is aiming to become the most sustainably growing tourist destination in the Nordics, which is stated in the national tourism strategy for 2022–2028.

“Finland has already worked for years to be a benchmark of a sustainable society,” wrote Kristiina Hietasaari, senior director at Visit Finland. “Our vision is to be the world leader also in sustainable tourism.”

One of the ways to future-proof tourism is digitalisation. For example, Finnish flag carrier Finnair has long been at the forefront of digital innovation and considered it a tool for achieving world-class operations and delivering a unique customer experience. Moreover, digitalisation acts as a driver of decarbonisation, helping travel players in lowering their carbon footprint.

Helsinki Airport, in its turn, has been working hard to make a great first impression on travellers arriving in the country. Operated by Finavia, Finland’s main international airport saw a major revamp in 2022 and recently clinched the title of the best airport in Northern Europe for the seventh time.

Moreover, Helsinki and Tampere have earned recognition as some of the most sustainable destinations in the world.

With its strong focus on developing innovative travel practices, providing authentic tourist experiences, protecting natural environments and empowering local communities, Finland has all it takes to be the first choice for mindful travellers.

Below is a quintet of Finnish ways that cover the A to Z of travelling from point A to point B.

TRANSFORMING THE HOLIDAY RENTAL INDUSTRY: HOSTAWAY

Founded in 2015 in Helsinki and with offices around the globe, Hostaway has rapidly emerged as a leader in the holiday rental industry. The company provides an an all-in-one solution for holiday rental managers and property owners to efficiently handle bookings, guest communications and operations across multiple channels. The platform seamlessly integrates with major booking sites, including Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia, ensuring maximum visibility and occupancy for properties.

Since 2021, Hostaway has experienced a more than tenfold increase in revenue and is propelling its growth to new heights. Last year, the company announced the closing of a 164-million-euro funding round, reported to be the largest funding round in the sector to date.

“We’ve come a long way, but we are just getting started. The opportunities are endless!” commented CEO and co-founder Marcus Räder.

FINLAND FOR CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS: BIKELAND

The popularity of bicycle tourism is growing rapidly both in Finland and globally as cycling is rightfully considered a great way to encourage regional travel, support small businesses, preserve the environment and, at the same time, promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

With this in mind, the Finnish Centre for Cycling Tourism launched in 2021 a new website with the goal of making Finland an attractive bike travel destination among both Finns and international cyclists. The Bikeland website contains information on cycling routes across the country, covering mountain biking, bike touring, bike-packing, downhill biking and winter trails. Moreover, it’s a useful source of information on bike-friendly services and events.

“Cycling tourism is developing into a mainstay of Finnish tourism, which appeals to both recreational and fitness enthusiasts,” said Henna Palosaari, expert at the Finnish Centre for Cycling Tourism. “Finland is already a unique bicycle tourism country, and wonderful route projects and active development work will raise Finland to the next level in the coming years.”

A TREE-HUGGING COMPANY: HALIPUU

Founded in 2015, this Lapland-based company has come up with exciting ideas for all nature lovers, no matter their physical location in the world. On top of relaxing tours in the family-owned forest, offline and online, HaliPuu offers its customers the unique opportunity to adopt an Arctic tree.

HaliPuu, whose name translates to “a tree to hug”, regularly makes international headlines. In 2022, its Campfire Barista, the unique concept of a coffee sled serving artisan coffee specialities prepared on open fire in Finnish Lapland, won at the Global Culinary Travel Awards. In August this year, HaliPuu will be hosting the fifth annual Tree Hugging World Championships.

“What we want to do is to act sustainably and with respect to our guests, to ourselves, to our dear trees, to our surroundings and to our suppliers,” said CEO and founder Riitta Raekallio-Wunderink. “We want to show that you don’t need to take down a tree to create a business […].  What we give to people is the emotion, the experience, the feeling.”

EXPLORING THE WONDERS OF NATURE FROM HELSINKI: TAIGA TIMES

Founded in 2019 by a Canadian-Finnish duo, Jeffrey and Kiia Meneses, Taiga Times is a travel company specialised in helping foreign and domestic tourists to explore the many wonders of Finnish nature. The company’s location, however, is not in some remote part of the country, but right in its heart, proving once again that, in Finland, nature is always close.

“We wanted to operate in Helsinki because there are good nature opportunities nearby and from Helsinki you can organise day trips for those on a city vacation,” explained Kiia.

“We use the term camping holiday: you have to carry your own pack, but we take care of food, transport and routes. We want people to enjoy camping without it being boring,” she added.

Awarded Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland label, Taiga Times offers adventurous excursions of various types, including berry and mushroom picking tours and unique nightfall experiences. Moreover, even those who arrive in Helsinki for just a connecting flight at the airport can get a breath of fresh air and enjoy the archipelago nature, provided that their layover lasts for at least five hours.

EXPERIENCING FINNISH EDUCATION: VISITEDUFINN

Finland continues to garner significant international attention for its quality education, with the value of education exports hitting nearly one billion euros in 2019. With more and more foreign visitors seeking to experience first-hand what the Finnish education system is like, many Finnish companies have recognised the need to cater and package educational tours. One of the trailblazers is VisitEDUfinn.

Established in 2016, this expert in organising inspiring school visits, study tours, diverse educational events and teacher training programmes, as well as a wide range of online services, has made it its mission to promote the good practices of Finnish education among professionals from around the globe. VisitEDUfinn has also become the first Finnish company in its field to be acknowledged by Visit Finland for its commitment to sustainable tourism.

“The Finnish school system has a lot to offer to the whole world,” enthused Aulis Pitkälä, VisitEDUfinn’s chairperson of the board and former director general at the Finnish National Agency for Education (OPH). “I think, the best way to get acquainted [with it] is to visit Finnish schools and day care centres.”