Felicity Long
It seems that Iceland and Denmark are getting the lion's share of attention in the travel press these days, the former because of its beautiful blue lagoons, fiery volcanoes and northern lights and the latter for, among other attractions, its sophisticated design aesthetic and highly touted cuisine.
But as hot as these destinations are, they don't hold a monopoly on pretty scenery, the aurora borealis or great Nordic food. Case in point: Finland, one of Northern Europe's often overlooked destinations.
What's frustrating about Finland's reputation among Americans is that, for some of the traveling public, it only appeared on their radar because of a terrorist incident last August, in which two Finnish women were killed in the southwestern city of Turku.
But the idea that anyone would consider Finland a hotbed of danger strikes me as absurd.
Finland is beautiful, serene and appealing, not just in the summer months, which represents high season, but also in winter, when the locals show off their ability to fend off darkness with a riot of sparkly lights and an atmosphere of cozy friendliness.
What's interesting is that while Americans aren't exactly flooding the country yet, travelers from other destinations are. In fact, in 2017 Finland reported a record-breaking number of inbound air passengers, nearly 22.7 million passengers at its 21 airports.
Of those, passengers from the EU represented more than 71% of all passengers on scheduled flights, while the numbers of passengers from Japan, China, Russia and Hong Kong saw the largest growth.
The main point of entry for international travelers is Helsinki Airport, the country's largest, but the airports in northern Finland, where Visit Finland has been working to lure incoming travelers to avoid overcrowding in Helsinki, also reported a record year in 2017.
Lapland's Rovaniemi Airport, for example, known affectionately as the official airport of Santa Claus (the Santa Claus Village theme park is located a little more than a mile from the airport), served more than 570,000 passengers in 2017. That's up 18% from the year before.
Part of that 2017 growth can be attributed to the special events and exhibitions connected to Finland's 100th anniversary of independence from Russia. Another factor is that Finland is doing backflips in its marketing efforts to international travelers, touting its appeal as a tourist destination and its status as a key Northern European hub for long-haul passengers traveling on to Asia.
Infrastructure improvements include the debut of a long-awaited metropolitan subway system in Helsinki, which opened to passenger service on Dec. 18, comprising eight stations, each designed by Finnish architects. Also new is a series of road trips created by Visit Finland for travelers who have time to explore the country in depth.
Finavia, the company that provides airport services in Finland's 21 airports, isn't resting on its laurels, either. Helsinki Airport, the leading long-haul transit airport in Northern Europe, offers the kind of over-the-top entertainment, dining and service amenities that you might expect in Qatar or Hong Kong.
Finnair, especially in business class, features some of the best accommodations in the industry -- including flat-bed seats and Marimekko-designed amenities -- and offers nonstop service from New York, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, tour operators and other travel sellers are getting on board. Travel Impressions, for example, which launched Iceland itineraries last year, has added several properties in Finland, including the Hilton Helsinki Strand and the Radisson Blu Plaza.
And soft-adventure specialists Off the Map Travel is offering an Aurora Floating Experience that takes passengers, outfitted in ultrawarm gear, to Rovaniemi to watch the northern lights while taking a dip in a frozen lake.
These signs suggest that this could be the year that U.S. arrivals to Finland take off. In fact, according to preliminary data by Statistics Finland, overnight stays by Americans were up 20% in September 2017 over the same period in 2016, so the word already is getting out.