Current information about Spanish tourism

Updated October 2025

Finland's position in the market

Finland is still one of the most appealing and high-value destinations for Spanish travelers in the Nordics. It’s seen as a safe, sustainable, and genuine country — a place of pure nature, distinctive culture, and modern Nordic lifestyle. Since the pandemic, Finland’s image in Spain has only grown stronger, with steady increases in both leisure travel and overnight stays.

Competition changes with the seasons: in winter, Finland mainly rivals Norway, Sweden, and Iceland for Arctic and snow experiences; in summer, it’s up against Switzerland, Austria, and the Baltic countries for nature, lakes, and wellness holidays. Even so, Finland stands out with its strong focus on sustainability and its emotional connection with travelers.

Accessibility has expanded significantly. Finnair, Iberia, Vueling, airBaltic, Norwegian, and Ryanair all operate multiple routes. The new Finnair Valencia–Helsinki service for Summer 2026 marks a strategic step to connect southern Spain with Finland, broadening access beyond Madrid and Barcelona.

Finland’s visibility in Spain is strong across digital media, social networks, and traditional outlets such as El País, El Mundo, RTVE, and Forbes. Collaborations with influencers and press trips have amplified Finland’s image as the ‘Happiest Country in the World’ and a model of sustainable living.

At FITUR 2025, Finland stood out among more than 255,000 visitors — double the audience of Europe’s largest tourism fairs — demonstrating growing interest from both Spain and Latin America.

We’ve just come from a workshop held in Madrid at the end of October, where we broke a record for Finnish supplier participation — twice as many as last year. There was great interest from buyers, and together with the presence of both trade and lifestyle media, the event turned out to be a real success. It also confirms Spain’s position as a key and growing market for Visit Finland’s strategic development across different regions.

Consumer trends and behavior

Spanish travelers continue to evolve toward seeking authentic, high-quality, and nature-based experiences. Key motivations include nature immersion (53%), culture (48%), gastronomy, and wellness. The ‘Coolcation’ trend — escaping the extreme heat of southern Europe — has significantly boosted interest in Finland as a summer destination.

Media have shown strong interest in this trend, and during the past summer months, we already recorded a 20% growth in arrivals, showing that the market for Finland is clearly expanding beyond the winter season.

According to Europa Press (July 1, 2025), an increasing number of Spanish travelers are opting for cooler destinations to escape the extreme summer heat. The report highlights that many are willing to adjust their travel plans — even paying higher prices — to enjoy milder temperatures and more comfortable conditions.
As reported by Hosteltur (25 June 2025), travel agencies indicate that families with children are the client profile most likely to book extra activities in summer—accounting for 33% of such bookings, compared with 24% by couples.

Spanish consumers are highly visual and emotional in their travel decision-making. Social media, digital storytelling, and influencer partnerships strongly influence their choice of destination. To serve this market best, Finland should emphasize easily bookable, Spanish-language content and flexible itineraries combining nature, comfort, well-being, and culture. Spanish travellers are a particularly unique market in this sense, showing a strong interest not only in natural and wellness experiences but also in cultural discovery and local authenticity.

• Spanish visitors to Finland are mostly young adults aged 25–44 (56%), and they tend to travel as couples (41%) or with friends/family (50%).
• Accommodation preferences show a growing interest in cottages and independent stays (19%), alongside traditional hotels (52%), reflecting a desire for more flexible, nature-based experiences.
• Trip duration is typically between 4–6 days, and last-minute bookings (within 30 days of travel) are becoming increasingly common, especially during summer months.
• Sustainability is highly valued: 69% of Spanish travelers state that environmental responsibility influences their destination choice.
• During summer, Finland competes not only with other Nordic countries but also with southern European destinations. The “Coolcation” trend—escaping extreme summer heat—continues to fuel interest in Finland as a refreshing and relaxing nature destination.

Industry update and distribution channels

From January to September 2025, the Spanish outbound market grew by 22% compared to the previous year, showing record interest in Nordic destinations. During this period, Finland ranked 7th among all leisure source markets and 5th in total overnight stays, confirming its strong and growing position in Spain.

Spanish travelers are among Europe’s highest spenders, with an average of 807€ per traveler (+22% vs the European average). From October 2023 to September 2024, total spending reached 159€ million. Leisure trips increased by 22% in 2025, while total expenditure grew 66% year-on-year, highlighting the strong and consistent demand for Finland among Spanish travelers.

Most bookings are made online, with OTAs leading the market — particularly for summer products such as flight + hotel combinations and dynamic fly & drive packages, which represent strong potential for the these months including autumn. Meanwhile, travelers mainly rely on tour operators for the high winter season in Lapland, where Spain ranks among the top three markets worldwide. This strong position is driven not only by charter operations in December but also by Spain’s rise from the 8th to the 3rd largest market during that key month.

Spanish travel agencies are growing in importance as more travelers opt for longer and more complex international trips. According to Nexotur (June 2025), a growing share of bookings now goes through agencies, reflecting travelers’ preference for expert advice and tailored service, especially for mid- and long-haul destinations, while direct bookings are declining for simpler trips.

The relationship we maintain with our key partners and allies is essential — particularly with the B2B sector and travel agencies, with whom we work hand in hand on presentations, roadshows, and other joint activities aimed at reaching and inspiring travel agents across Spain. Equally important is our close collaboration with Finnair and other strategic stakeholders in the market, as well as with Team Finland and the Embassy of Finland, with whom we cooperate to strengthen Finland’s overall country brand.

It is also fundamental to highlight the exceptional collaboration we maintain with our communication agency, which works with great professionalism and creativity. Their support is key not only in generating strong brand awareness for Finland but also in driving interest and conversion — turning inspiration into actual sales.

Flight connections between Spain and Finland keep expanding. In addition to Finnair’s strong network from Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga, there are several new additions — Iberia’s Madrid–Rovaniemi, Vueling’s Barcelona–Rovaniemi, Ryanair routes from Alicante and Girona, and Finnair’s new Valencia–Helsinki service starting in Summer 2026. Overall, seat capacity for Winter 2025–26 is expected to grow by about 11% compared to last year.

As mentioned earlier, during our latest workshop held in Madrid in October, where we doubled the number of Finnish companies participating compared to last year, we clearly observed a strong and growing interest from Spanish buyers in developing travel products to Finland beyond the traditional winter season in Lapland. While winter remains a key period that we must continue to strengthen, there is a clear shift toward expanding to other seasons.

The event also brought together a well-balanced mix of buyers, not only from major tour operators belonging to Spain’s leading tourism groups, but also from the luxury segment, independent tailor-made operators, and incentive travel agencies. These segments represent great potential for Finland, especially in areas connected to the meetings and events industry. In this regard, cooperation with the Finland Convention Bureau (FCB) is key — particularly as we approach IBTM World in Barcelona, one of the most important global trade fairs for the MICE sector, where Finland’s presence continues to gain visibility and strategic value.

Finland travel USP's

Finland’s strongest selling points in the Spanish market are sustainability, safety, nature, and happiness. These align perfectly with Spanish travelers’ growing focus on well-being and meaningful experiences. Finland ‘owns’ the sustainability narrative within the Nordics, being perceived as authentic, clean, and emotionally fulfilling.

Our Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) program, one of the core pillars of our USP, is always present in all the activities we carry out with our partners. This message is translated into practice, as tour operators can clearly see that many of the companies they work with in Finland are certified under the STF program — demonstrating how sustainability is not just a value, but an integral part of the Finnish travel experience.

Regional strengths reinforce these USPs: Lapland for winter adventures, Lakeland for summer relaxation, Helsinki for design and gastronomy, and Oulu 2026 – European Capital of Culture as a cultural driver for new audiences. Wellness travel, saunas, and gastronomy based on local ingredients continue to gain traction. Sustainability remains essential, as 69% of Spanish travelers actively seek eco-friendly options when booking their trips.

Future outlook and upcoming season

The outlook for 2026 is highly positive. Spanish overnights in Finland are expected to grow by 8–10%, reaching around 230,000 stays and 175€ million in spending. Drivers of this growth include new flight connections, Oulu 2026, and an expanded portfolio of wellness, cultural, and premium nature experiences.

Visit Finland will participate in FITUR 2026 with the largest number of Finnish partners to date. Recently, the Visit Finland Workshop in Spain was successfully held, surpassing last year’s record with more than 20 Finnish companies taking part. The event once again confirmed Spain’s position as a high-value and strategically growing market for Finland.

Spain now ranks among Finland’s top 3 European markets for Lapland arrivals and overall travel interest. ForwardKeys forecasts an 11% increase in Spanish arrivals for Winter 2026, confirming the strong connection between Spanish consumers and Finland’s appeal as a sustainable, year-round destination.

The Spanish market keeps growing and represents an exciting opportunity for further development and collaboration. Stay tuned!, there’s much more to come!