Current information about USA tourism

Updated May 2025

Finland's position in the market

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. 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.

In 2024, US emerged as Finland's fourth-largest source market, with 445 100 overnights – 16% increase vs. 2023. It is worth mentioning that the record high numbers of US overnights spread across each four seasons.

USA also ranked as nr. 1 source market in 2024 in all digital searches about Finland with a significant 51% growth vs. 2023. The most searched tag words in the US related to Finland were: Saunas, Santa Claus, Hotels, Cities and Glass Cabins – in this order.

Although the awareness of Finland has been growing very well in the US, Finland is still behind the other Nordic destinations in awareness and overnights from the US (compared to Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark).

Even though US emerged as our fourth-largest source market Finland is not on the top of mind when choosing the vacation destination. In a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), tour operator members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) named Italy the most popular or “hot” destination for travelers in 2024 and 2025.

Europe rounds out the top three “hot” destinations with Portugal ranked second, followed by Greece in third. Also named on the “hot destination list” is France and Japan tied in fourth, followed by Spain, Iceland, Croatia, and South Africa, and Australia, Morocco and Thailand tied at the bottom.

Competition is fierce here for US travelers. Finland is not only competing with the other Nordic countries but with the entire Europe.

Of the total media hits, almost 95% were published in March and covering the happiness theme. The media coverage highlights of 2024 included Good Morning America’s segment on Helsinki Happiness Hacks campaign, Forbes’ article on Vesku the Reindeer/summer Lapland campaign, as well as Travel+Leisure’s feature article on winter highlights in Finnish Lapland.

Consumer trends and behavior

Despite financial pressures and shifting travel landscapes, Americans are traveling more in 2025 than they have in the past five years, according to the latest edition of Portrait of American Travelers by MMGY. The study, which surveyed over 4,500 active leisure travelers, uncovers key trends shaping U.S. travel, from a strong desire for meaningful experiences to the rising role of AI and sustainability in trip planning.

Additional highlights from the report include.

• Travel Is an Investment in Well-Being and Connection: American travelers plan to spend more ($5,138) and take more vacations (4.2) in the next 12 months than any time in the previous five years.
• Sustainability Matters—As Long as It’s Affordable: Environmental consciousness continues to shape travel decisions, with travelers showing a strong preference for eco-friendly options that do not come at an added cost. Off-season travel has become a key sustainability strategy, reducing environmental strain while offering budget-friendly options. In addition, 58 percent of travelers cite concerns about overtourism as a factor influencing their destination choices over the next five to 10 years.
• Technology & AI: Tailored Travel Planning: Generational differences in travel planning are becoming more pronounced, with Gen Zers and Millennials relying heavily on AI tools and social media influencers for trip inspiration and itinerary creation. In contrast, Boomers continue to favor traditional travel advisors and review websites.
• The Rise of International Travel: International travel is experiencing a significant resurgence, with over one in three (35 percent) U.S. travelers who expect to travel in the next six months planning an international trip. Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico and Asia remain top choices, with Europe particularly appealing to Boomers

Travel Experts, Virtuoso-affiliated host travel agency with more than 500 independent advisors focused on the luxury market, is reporting a series of emerging trends in travel, including a new rise in experiential travel, a continued increase in multi-generational vacations, higher spending levels, longer trips and a wider focus on hot destinations.

• Some of the survey results show the following: 1) Spending is up with an average one-week vacation costing $25,000-$50,000; 2) Multi-generational vacations rise with grandparents paying up to $100,000; 3) More clients are taking three or more trips per year, one long one, two-three short ones; 4) Japan is one of the hottest destinations for 75 percent of the advisors reporting; 5) Scandinavia is one of the hottest destinations for 70 percent of advisors reporting.
• As for where clients are booking now, most of the advisors reporting said that Japan, Scandinavia and Antarctica are the new hot destinations.

American Express Travel is out with its 2025 Global Travel Trends report offering an inside look at what's driving booking decisions at the moment according to global survey data.

• Memorable Mementos: Travelers are redefining souvenirs and curating tangible ways to remember their destinations long after they've returned.
• Fam Adventures: From Millennial/Gen Z-aged parents letting their kids take the lead on planning to bringing extended family along, multi-generation vacations are becoming increasingly popular. 81 percent of global respondents prefer destinations that are family-centric and have activities for all generations surveyed.
• Benefit Aficionados: Travelers are becoming savvier by maximizing credit card rewards and taking advantage of combining loyalty programs, benefits and points to get the most out of their spending.
• Tap In, Take Off: Travelers are relying on new technology to make their journey smoother and more personalized.

Industry update and distribution channels

Peter Bates', founder and president of Strategic Vision, recent comment about Economy & the Business Environment: 
–It’s too soon to know how the U.S. economy will fare during the second Trump administration. The stock market has been swooning, due to the newly imposed tariffs as well as news of persistent inflation and declining consumer confidence. But while there have been some reports of softening demand among the less affluent, the wealthiest Americans, at least, will likely keep spending as long as their portfolios and home values remain healthy.

Booking.com, for one, expects demand to remain robust this year, and the travel advisors are telling that they’re having an excellent quarter. Indeed, Misty Belles, managing director of global public relations at Virtuoso, told that future bookings of $50K and higher are up 57 percent in the U.S., and bookings of $150K or more are up 81 percent year over year. The good news will get even better if Trump lowers taxes as promised.

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.

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

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 continues in 2025. The activities include Nordic Roadshow in October, marketing and sales promotion as well as PR activities to promote the whole Nordics region in the US.

Visit Finland participated during Jan-May in workshops in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Boston, King of Prussia, PA and Washington DC meeting with more than 150 luxury travel advisors.

Visit Finland organized This is Finland virtual sales event in April. There were more than 400 travel advisors who registered to the event (the workshop material is available on demand after the event to those who was not able to attend the actual live event). In live event there were more than 100 travel advisors attending.

Additionally, we held several webinars for North American buyers and promoted travel to Finland with the Embassy of 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

Virtuoso reveals the Trending Destinations for Summer Travel: When looking at where travelers are headed this summer, as always, Europe continues to reign supreme. Specifically, travelers are showing more interest beyond Europe’s beloved cities. The U.K. countryside saw a 173 percent increase in sales last year, and Algarve saw a 110 percent increase. The Athenian Riviera is a hot destination, too, as hotel ADRs showed a 132 percent increase year-over-year, a tell-tale sign of high demand.

Following the “cool-cations” trend that emerged in recent years, European destinations with more moderate climates, including Scandinavia, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have thus far seen a 263 percent year-over-year increase for travel already booked for this summer.

Solo Travel: Solo travelers (particularly women) continue to blaze trails, venturing further than ever and inspiring others to follow suit. Recent Virtuoso data shows that women now make up 71 percent of solo travelers. Increasingly, they’re embracing traditionally group-oriented experiences.

Goway, the leader in tailor-made travel, is offering new ways for travelers to renew, refresh, and recharge with the introduction of the Ultimate Wellness product line. Tapping into the enormous growth in wellness travel, Goway’s Ultimate Wellness packages offer authentic ways for travelers to relax and reconnect.