USA market report

Updated May 2026

Finland's position in the market

Finland’s popularity and awareness are steadily growing among North American travelers, even if it remains a niche choice compared to the well-known European destinations. Much of that momentum is driven by Lapland’s winter “bucket list” appeal—Northern Lights, Santa experiences, and stays in special accommodations like, glass cabins.

At the same time, the Helsinki region continues to be the most popular destination. Known as a clean, welcoming, and design-forward gateway city where English is widely spoken and logistics are straightforward. Media attention around Finland’s happiness rankings, sauna culture, and contemporary design has broadened its appeal, helping travelers see it as both inspiring and practical.

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).

For many U.S. travelers, Finland isn’t a first-time Europe pick; instead, it converts well among repeat visitors looking for something new, safe, and nature-led, with fewer crowds and a strong sustainability ethos.

Consumer trends and behavior

According to Travel Experts advisors, the Virtuoso-affiliated host agency, bookings and client spending are rising for 2026, with Europe firmly holding its place as the top travel destination. Italy leads in popularity, closely followed by Greece and the U.K., with Mediterranean cruises and river sailings along the Danube especially favored. Travelers show a willingness to spend more, prioritizing immersive experiences and longer stays over premium-priced hotel rooms.

Advisors note a growing demand for unique itineraries, cultural immersion, and adventure, as clients seek alternatives to crowded hotspots. Despite rising prices, the appetite for Europe is undiminished, and many travelers are booking further in advance, opting for upgraded cabins, first-class flights, and bespoke travel. These trends indicate a shift toward quality experiences and deeper connections, with increased expenditure reflecting both heightened interest and evolving travel values. (Source: Travel Experts Advisors Report Boost in 2026 Bookings & Spend)

As solo and small-group travel continues to grow, and especially among women, many tour operators are introducing solo – and women-only departures in Europe for 2026. Each operating as a Small Group journey and designed to foster connection, cultural immersion and shared discovery. Women aren’t just participating in adventure travel, they’re driving growth and blazing the path forward. Advisors who understand how to position solo-friendly, purpose-driven experiences are already seeing stronger engagement, higher repeat bookings, and more confident first-time adventure clients.

The data makes the opportunity clear. In 2025, 63 percent of Intrepid travelers were female, bookings from women grew 12 percent year over year, and solo female bookings increased 10 percent. Growth in Intrepid’s Women’s Expeditions portfolio is accelerating even faster, up 32 percent in 2025. And more than three-quarters of those travelers (77 percent) on those Women’s Expeditions were solo.

The Change is Here: Women are actively looking for trips where they can travel solo with confidence, while still feeling supported by expert leaders, thoughtful logistics, and a built-in community. Small-group adventure travel offers that balance, combining independence with connection. (Source: “Impact Advisor,” a content series developed by Intrepid Travel highlighting insights, trends and best practices for travel advisors focused on responsible tourism and creating meaningful travel experiences.)

Culinary experiences are also playing a major roll and many U.S. travelers are drawn to culinary experiences. Although statistics differ depending on how “culinary traveler” is defined and which survey is referenced:

• The World Food Travel Association consistently finds that a significant portion of leisure travelers worldwide incorporate food into their trip planning, with North Americans representing one of the largest groups interested in culinary-focused travel.
•  According to travel industry sources such as Expedia and Airbnb, most Americans vacationing abroad consider local food a major factor in picking a European destination — with countries like Italy, France, Spain, and Greece often topping the list because of their renowned culinary offerings.

New Phocuswright survey finds most U.S. travelers now use AI for trips. Over half of U.S. leisure travelers now use artificial intelligence to plan, book, or navigate trips, marking a rapid shift in travel habits, according to Phocuswright. Their report shows AI usage jumped from 43% in late 2025 to 56% in the past year, with generative platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini rising to 33% for trip research. Despite increased reliance on AI, most travelers still verify information, with only 8% trusting AI answers alone and 51% clicking through to source sites after receiving AI-generated results. The need for verification keeps clickthrough rates high, especially during transactions, helping explain continued strong performance for Google and online travel agencies.

What do Americans want from travel? Discovery, challenge, and depth — in that order. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) say trips centered on discovery and learning are as appealing as — or more appealing than — those focused on leisure and comfort. Seven in 10 (70 percent) say travel is less about getting away and more about what you take away. And 82 percent say it will matter that their future destinations have a purpose beyond relaxation. A new survey commissioned by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions examines the Discovery Gap, a measurable divide between Americans' growing appetite for travel that transforms, challenges and educates — and what conventional tourism routinely delivers.

Industry update and distribution channels

The U.S. travel market is characterised by a sophisticated network of distribution channels that facilitate the sale and management of leisure and business travel.

Host agencies
Host agencies serve as the backbone for independent travel advisors and travel agencies, providing essential tools, technology, and training. By offering infrastructure support, host agencies enable advisors to operate with greater efficiency and access industry resources that would otherwise be unavailable to smaller businesses. Host agencies are typically privately held and focus on supporting advisors through ready-to-use itineraries and destination training, which are crucial for client engagement and satisfaction. In fact, 83% of leisure advisors are hosted, highlighting the importance of this channel in the market.

Consortia
Consortia represent collectives of travel agencies that leverage their combined marketing and buying power to negotiate better rates and access exclusive benefits from suppliers. Signature Travel Network, Virtuoso, and Travel Leaders are prominent consortia, with Virtuoso being a leading global network specialising in luxury and experiential travel, boasting more than 20,000 advisors.

Travel Leaders is one of the largest travel agency networks in North America, comprising nearly 7,000 travel agency locations. This represents more than one-third of the region’s leading travel agencies. The network includes over 100,000 professional travel advisors, providing extensive coverage across both leisure and corporate travel segments.

Signature Travel Network is a leading travel agency consortium, comprising 431 retail travel locations in the United States and an additional 176 locations internationally. The network generates more than USD 11 billion in annual travel sales and is supported by over 15,000 professional travel advisors worldwide.

Membership is generally comprised of luxury and premium travel advisors and agencies, which allows consortia to command significant influence within the industry. These organisations facilitate collaboration among agencies and provide access to high-value supplier relationships, further enhancing their members' ability to deliver exceptional travel experiences.

Travel Advisors
Travel advisors act as the front-line sellers and storytellers within the distribution channel. They are responsible for designing, booking, and managing travel itineraries for clients, often drawing on the resources provided by host agencies and consortia. Advisors are increasingly valued for their expertise and ability to curate immersive, bespoke travel experiences. Many advisors are affiliated with large networks, meaning a single advisor often represents a much broader organisation behind them. The demand for ready-to-use itineraries and destination training underscores the need for advisors to stay informed and adaptable in a rapidly evolving market.

The U.S. travel market’s distribution channels are structured to maximise both reach and quality of service. Host agencies underpin the advisor network with essential support, consortia amplify buying power and access to luxury travel products, and travel advisors provide personalised service to consumers. Large travel management companies round out the channel by offering direct consumer sales and supporting independent contractors. This multi-layered approach ensures travellers benefit from both expertise and value, while suppliers gain access to a broad and well-organised sales network.

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.

Seat capacity & forecast for Flight arrivals during Mar-Aug 2026
The number of seats available from the USA to Finland is slightly decreasing between March and August compared to last year. Although there will be a slight reduction in seat availability compared to last year over the next six months, the forecast for flight arrivals from the US to Finland remains positive. - +5,5%.

Finland travel USP's

The northern lights, nature, culture&design and saunas 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.

Because U.S. travelers tend to search Alaska, Iceland, and Norway first for northern lights, we must do more to position Finnish Lapland as a competitive choice.

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.

Future outlook and upcoming season

Recent data from the first quarter shows that growing income gaps are now clearly visible in how people book travel. In practice, there are two very different types of travelers in the US market at the same time.

Higher–income travelers, whose after tax pay rose about 5.6% over the past year, are heading into summer feeling relatively secure. They’re still willing to spend on longer trips and premium international experiences. Middle- and lower income travelers, on the other hand, are under more pressure from slower wage growth, rising prices, and limited savings. Many of them are delaying bookings, choosing shorter trips, or shifting to cheaper destinations and budget options.

The outlook for the upcoming summer season is strong for Finland. Interest in Finland among U.S. travelers remains strong and is clearly visible in our daily work with travel advisors and tour operators. Helsinki continues to be the main Finnish destination for U.S. visitors in the summer and is expected to maintain this position. At the same time, we are seeing a clear rise in interest in other regions of the country.

A key indicator of this trend was our first Finland only roadshow in the United States in March. The roadshow visited three cities—Los Angeles, Dallas, and Boston—and generated very strong trade engagement:

• More than 200 buyers registered across the three cities, significantly exceeding the target of ~50 registrations per city.
• Los Angeles and Dallas reached full capacity well in advance of the event dates.
• Demand was strong and consistent across all three markets.

The quality of the attending advisors was also high, with strong representation from leading premium agency networks:

• Virtuoso: approximately 28+ advisors (largest single segment)
• Signature Travel Network: strong presence across cities
• Travel Leaders / Internova: consistent participation

Many advisors reported affiliations with more than one network, further increasing their potential value and reach for future Finland sales.