Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Visit Finland

Ready to trade crowds for clarity and noise for nature? In episode four of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor (and co-host) Gabe Saglie head to Finland with Visit Finland’s Tarja Koivisto to map out a year-round escape shaped by wellness, design, and wild beauty. Think 188,000 lakes, 3 million saunas, and four regions that make trip-planning effortless: Helsinki for architecture and food, Lakeland for serene, water-lined landscapes, the Coast and Archipelago for island-hopping freedom, and Lapland for snow-soft winters and glowing summer nights.

We start with the practicals: nonstop flights from major U.S. cities, smooth trains, easy roads, and English spoken widely. Then we lean into the good life. Tarja breaks down sauna culture - how it works, what to expect, and why Finns swear by the heat-and-plunge ritual. We explore Everyman’s Right, Finland’s open-access tradition that lets you walk, paddle, and forage respectfully across nature. And of course, the flavors: forest-to-table meals, legendary “coffee breaks,” Karelian pies, and soul-warming salmon soup.

All eyes turn north in 2026 as Oulu becomes a European Capital of Culture, hosting a full year of music, film, visual arts and Indigenous Sámi heritage, an inspiring pairing with a Helsinki city break or a Lapland adventure. For slow-travel days, we spotlight the Archipelago Trail from Turku: ferry-linked islands, small inns, Baltic breezes, easy by car, unforgettable by e-bike. Families, solo travelers, women’s groups, and soft adventurers all find their rhythm here, supported by safe cities, marked trails, and a cultural pace that treats silence as a luxury.

If you’ve done Europe’s greatest hits and are craving something fresh, Finland offers a clean, creative, and deeply restorative next step.

New episodes drop every Tuesday, each featuring local experts who bring these Best Bets to life. Become a member at travelzoo.com to access exclusive offers.

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Transcript

Welcome Back & Travelzoo Offer

SPEAKER_00 0:04

So we have like I mentioned we have 5.5 million people living in Finland and we have more than 3 million touners. So there are more touners than cars in in Finland, and that actually makes Finland a really great self-drive destination because there are no traffic jams anywhere.

Series Setup And Subscription Reminders

Meet Tarja From Visit Finland

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Hello everyone and happy new year and welcome back to our Travel Zoo and Travel Trends Best Bet Destination Series for 2026. This is your host, Dan Christian. I hope everyone had a great break over the holidays. One of the gifts that I decided to get for our entire Travel Trends team was the gift of Travel Zoo, which was a nice surprise for everybody. We had a gathering just before the holidays, and I got everyone a gift, but I sent them over the holidays a membership for Travel Zoo for 2026 because I want our entire team to be able to take advantage of the travel deals that we are highlighting in this series and that will be available to them now throughout the year. And I just wanted to encourage anyone else, if you haven't given that gift yet or you want to give your gift to yourself of travel for 2026, then there's no better gift than to sign up for Travel Zoo. You can get a membership for as little as one dollar for the first month. So I highly encourage you to take advantage of a Travel Zoo membership in 2026, especially because it will unlock deals to all the destinations we're going to be focusing on. I'm about to bring in my co-host, Gabe Saglier, who will introduce our guest for today, who is from Visit Finland. But before I do, I just wanted to highlight that we do post new episodes every Tuesday on our Travel Zoo Travel Trends series for Best Bets Destinations for 2026. So make sure you're subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when new episodes go live. And we do post clips and highlights from these conversations on our social channels, which you can find us on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram at Travel Trends Podcast. Now, let's bring in my friend and co-host back to this series, Gabe Saglier. Gabe, great to have you back. Tell us, have you been to Finland? And if you wouldn't mind introducing our next guest.

Why Finland Makes The Best Bets List

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah, listen, Dan, great to be back. We're making our way around the globe with this Best Bets 2026 list. And as you mentioned, very excited about uh jumping now abroad and uh and heading to Finland. Now, as you probably as I think you know, Dan, I was actually raised in Chile, as we've spoken in the past, but actually born in Norway. Went back when I was in ninth grade, spent most of my ninth grade year studying in Norway. And I feel I think Finla for a lot of folks, Norway and Sweden become uh at the end of the day a bit of a uh of a threshold to Finland. It's it's there, it's right next door, uh, and yet it's just a little bit more far-flung compared to maybe it's uh a couple of its Nordic neighbors. So excited to kind of jump the border and head into Finland now. Uh and as you mentioned, this is one of our ten best bets uh destinations for 2026. Six of them are in international, and Finland is uh our European representative. Uh and very excited to to join Tarja Coivisto. She is the country manager for the U.S. for Visit Finland. She's based in New York City, which means she's only about an eight, eight and a half and a half hour flight nonstop from NYC to Helsinki. So she's home is not that far away. But Tarja, uh, welcome to the show. Uh, thrilled um uh to have Finland on this best bets list. Tell us a little bit about you, about Visit Finland and uh and about what it means to to be on this on this list and just on the on the radar in growing numbers for American, Canadian, uh North American travelers in general. Uh I think 2026 holds some great potential for sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Thank you so much, and thank you so much, guys, uh having me here. It's it's really really my pleasure. And like you uh mentioned, Gabe, I'm I'm the uh country manager for Visit Finland, uh based in New York. But I'm a Finn and uh sent from the headquarters to to US, so kind of an expat status here here. Um I my work is mainly working with the travel trade, so travel advisors and tour operators. Uh there is a small team in Helsinki uh who takes care of uh consumer marketing and and PR. And as you mentioned, it's true Finland is not so well known yet among the uh North American visitors, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland they are more known. But um that's also it makes it so awarding and and exciting to work in this market because then really like increasing the awareness of Finland and what we do in in Visit Finland, we are measuring the uh overnights, and the overnights from from US market they have increased year after year. So it's it's a great time now working here. I really I really enjoy my work.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

That's fantastic. It's really terrific to have you here. And as Gabe highlighted, I mean, uh Gabe, every time we have these conversations, I learn more about you, and clearly you're a man of the world, and so you speak multiple languages, you've lived in multiple countries, and so I'm more impressed every time we have these conversations because you have that context, and I know you are well traveled, but neither of us have been to Finland, and here we are having a conversation in 2026 with really over the last few years, Scandinavia, so Norway, Sweden, and Finland have been on the hot list, or as some of the charts would say, the cool cations list. And many travelers are discovering this region for all the right reasons. But I have a lot of questions today because I'm intrigued about getting to Finland, so we'll have to see between the two of us who can get there first. But I think it's I think it's gonna be me, just so you know, because I am I'm really keen to go and I want to make plans right after this. Um, of course, I want to bring it to life for our listeners, but uh if you're looking at the map, obviously that's one way to get started with this conversation. But now, Finland itself, though, is such a uh a unique and uh but surprisingly approachable place to be able to travel to. So even though people may see it as more aspirational, my sister traveled to Finland recently and had the most incredible time. And I keep hearing more and more about Finland. And one of the things that stood out to me, and Gabe, you mentioned it there in the introduction, is the number of direct flights that are available to get you to Finland. And so obviously that's one of the reasons I know in speaking to the Travel Zoo team that they consider the flight capacity is one of the considerations for making a destination, one of their best bets. But would you mind uh giving us an overview of Finland and why you think it is such a compelling destination and and deser and obviously I think it well deserves a spot on the list, but why you think it was chosen this year?

Flights And Year‑Round Access

Four Regions Of Finland Explained

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Oh wow, that that's a lot. That that's that's a really big big uh question. First of all, uh I just want to get back to the uh flight capacity. That's true. Our national carrier finair, they have non-stop service from Los Angeles, uh, Dallas, and JFK year-round. But then also the seasonal services from Seattle, Chicago, and then during the winter from Miami. But I think that most of the Finns want to go to Florida during the winter, so that could be the reason for that uh that flight. But anyhow, uh Finland is really a year-round destination. We have so much to offer every season. It's also a um we have four four regions. When when I talk about Finland, um I usually um talk about Lapland, uh Lakeland, Archipelago area, coast and archipelago, and then Helsinki region. And all these four regions, they have also something uh unique and and special to offer. So if you have been once in Finland, for example, in Helsinki and Lapland, there is still plenty to discover. Lakeland is totally different. That's actually the largest lake area in entire Europe, and then the coast and archipelago, that's the uh largest archipelago area in the entire world. We have more islands than anywhere else.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

That's amazing. When you mentioned the Lakeland, how many lakes? Because I've I I've seen some figures that are pretty impressive when I look at the number of lakes across Finland.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

To be exact, uh 188,000. Oh wow. Lakes. Yep. And when you think about it, that Finland is a size of Germany, uh, and there is like what 84 million people living in Germany, and in Finland it's 5.5 million people. So there is a lot of room to roam for visitors. 70% of the country is covered by forests, and then you have all these almost 200,000 lakes. So, yeah, there's plenty of space to everybody.

Lakes, Forests, And Room To Roam

SPEAKER_01 8:40

I do think that for the adventure travel of the outdoor enthusiast, this is a major calling card. The amount of open space and the fact that the vast majority is in fact untapped, raw uh land out there and water uh as well. Now you mentioned that Finland is a four-season destination, but I I would imagine the personality of of the of this country is a little bit different in February than it is in July. Uh, and although as travelers, we have the opportunity to travel, you know, throughout the course of the year. Give us a a glimpse as to what it's like when you're there in the throes of the winter season, uh and the and even then the facility of getting around the country versus what it's like in the summer when things have thawed out a little bit, the northern lights become more of a uh that kind of uh an attraction. Uh how how but what what would would we see differently? How would we experience the country differently depending on uh which part uh you know in which month of the calendar we're actually there?

Seasons: Winter Magic To Midnight Sun

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Yeah. Uh traditionally summer has been and still is the most uh popular season for North Americans to come to Finland and and especially the the Helsinki area. So uh summer is great. I mean the air is fresh, and like I said, we have a lot of water all around, uh a lot of uh festivals during the summer. You know, we have also these kirky festivals like your wife carrying festival, or then when Nokia started with the mobile phones that were it was this like uh mobile phone throwing festivals and all these kirky things, but also normal ones, so don't worry, it's not just the kirky ones. And and then but um for when I'm thinking about winter, of course, winter is uh it's so exotic. Winter in Lapland also for us from the southern part of Finland, it's totally different. The amount of snow, and then don't be afraid if you think it's dark. Yes, it's dark, but the darkness is also it's not scary. It's really beautiful because you have all this snow and the light is a little bit different. You have all these outdoor activities: the hot skis, uh snowshoeing, ice fishing, of course, visiting the reindeer farms, and of course Santa Claus, but Santa Claus you can visit year round, so he's there in his office all year round. So um different things. And if I was a first-time visitor, uh thinking what season when should I visit Finland, then you think like what are the things I want to experience? If you want to experience the winter, I would go to Lapland because that is really the true thing where you can experience all these things. The summer is all over. You you can you can come to Finland anytime, and we if you go to the north to to Lapland, the midnight sun, it really doesn't set at all. It's there for three months and it's really shining. If it's like 80 degrees uh Fahrenheit during the day, it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the night as well, because the sun is really shining up there. So a lot of things to do.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Well, Taria, you've already given me another reason why it must be one of the happiest places in the world. You've talked about festivals like carrying your wife and throwing away your phone, and I think the combination of those two things can lead to a much happier life. So I love that. I have no idea that those two festivals existed. Um, but this is wonderful. This is exactly why we're having this conversation. I am I'm learning so much about Finland. But I want to speak about that particular topic, about being the happiest country on earth, because you know, in preparing for our conversation, I've been doing my research on Finland, and then what what happens when you do that is you start getting retargeted with ads on social media. So the number of uh uh videos I've seen about Finland and continuously these amazing articles that highlight how many saunas you have in Finland. So tell everyone that number because you were kindly sharing that with us at the beginning of our discussion. I want all of our listeners to know because that is a huge highlight. People connect Finland to the sauna and that culture now that people are so intrigued by of wellness and even kind of luxury, but the idea of doing uh a cold plunge after a hot sauna. So tell everyone what saunas are how many saunas are in Finland, and also give us a little bit of your take on what you think makes Finland the happiest country on earth.

Happiness, Saunas, And Wellness

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Okay, uh, first the saunas. Yes, uh sauna is in our DNA. I mean, everybody has a sauna or even two saunas. So we have, like I mentioned, we have 5.5 million people living in Finland and we have more than three million saunas. So there are more saunas than cars in in Finland, and that actually makes Finland a really great self-drive destination because there are no traffic jams anywhere, so you know, and and the infrastructure also uh everywhere in Finland, the roads are good and all that sort of stuff. Anyhow, yes. Uh it's very um how would I say um normal for Finnish families, for example, uh to have this one special day a week when when you go to sauna and and it in history it used to be Friday, you know, at the end of the week, the working week. Friday was like, you know, you are calming down and relaxing and and doing sauna. But you can do sauna every day. So and some people uh they ask, oh, how many minutes should I stay in sauna and all that? Don't worry about that. Uh as long as you feel comfortable, then you know, and then you go and have a plunge in in the lake or uh in the ice ice plunge, and that is so healthy, also. It is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

The the sauna tradition in Finland goes back thousands and thousands of years. Walk us through just the mechanics of it. We're talking about sitting in a in a place where we're just sweating out the stress of the day. This is a salubrious, a healthful thing to do, but also talk about the etiquette because I was talking to a couple of folks, mentioned just the vast number of saunas, and they they asked about the nudity factor. And so, you know, nude being nude is a little provocative out here in places like this like the States. But I think because it's part and parcel to the sauna experience, maybe it's a more of a communal thing out in Finland. What should we as travelers know about just some of the etiquette around delving into the sauna scene there in Finland?

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Okay. So uh nowadays uh the saunas are accessible for uh for visitors because we have a lot of these public saunas. And and the public saunas usually they are mixed, but no way go we nude to public saunas. We are not Central Europeans, no way. I remember first time I was in Switzerland and I went to sauna and I opened the door and I see these naked guys, I go like, oh my god! No, we don't do that. So we wear uh swimming suits in in the mixed public saunas. But the nudity is not um how would I say it's it's um natural for us things. So if I go to all women saunas, then women, I mean we are naked among each other or the same thing, men. So but with the mixed, no.

Sauna Etiquette Made Simple

SPEAKER_01 16:02

You know, you want to know before you go in because you know those are the kinds of uh experiences that stay with you forever. So uh but that question kept coming up, you know, around because for us I think the sauna experience is uh is much more diminished compared to the how prevalent it is in Finland, and that is one of the questions that came up. And I said, you know what? Yeah, we should know what the rules and expectations are before we get in. But that's good. I'm glad we got to clarify that.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

Yeah, we I hopefully we save dozens of people a very embarrassing mistake. So that's I'm glad you asked that, Cabe. Yeah, for yourself. I'm asking for a friend, but uh good question. Yeah, um the other thing I wanted to ask you when I look at the geography of uh Finland, obviously Helsinki being the capital, it's uh from an incredibly modern city, and I know it's got a real creative side as well when you think about um uh art and design. So I can't wait to go to Helsinki itself. And I do love big cities. That's actually part of the reason I travel. I love going and visit big cities. I know that's not everyone's preferred style of travel, but what I'm keen to know is that for me and many other people they're planning their first trip to Finland, knowing that we want to balance time in House and Helsinki, but also be able to see some of the beautiful natural landscape like Lakeland, the Archipelago, and uh Lapland. Tell us how someone should actually plan out their trip to Finland for the first time.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

That depends uh how many nights, how many days you have in total. But I would say that of course, when you are the first time visitor, you have to include Helsinki. And Helsinki, uh being a capital and being a city, it's not that big, what uh the typical, you know, London, Paris, and those. Everything is very compact. The public transportation is good, it's very walkable, so all the must visit places they are very close to each other. And and the design and architecture, it's really great. Uh I would say that uh stay at least three or four nights in Helsinki if if you have like limited time and and then you can experience the uh the other regions. But yeah, three or four nights would be enough to kind of uh um experience the main sites in Helsinki, and of course the restaurants, the food scene is unbelievable in Finland as well.

Planning Your First Finland Itinerary

SPEAKER_01 18:22

The um yeah, population of Helsinki, if I'm not mistaken, about 1.3 million. So a sort of an approachable, kind of a quaint big city for sure, uh in your by European standards. Uh architecture in Helsinki is obviously world-renowned, and the cultural draw, I think, is something that Helsinki and Finland has certainly leaned on here as a way to attract uh travelers for the first time. 2026 uh is a big year in Finland, particularly a city. Correct me if I'm wrong in my pronunciation, Oulu, which is to the north, about uh 350 miles north of Helsinki, this little town of Oulu, but it has been now named the 2026 European Capital of Culture. So that means a calendar chock full of cultural events. Uh, but tell us about Oulu, uh, why it would have been chosen of all European cities as the city of culture in 2026, and some of the events that would draw someone to that particular part of Finland in the new year.

Oulu 2026 European Capital Of Culture

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Yeah, that's that's true. Olu is one of the European uh capital of culture, and I think Olu is doing a great job with that. They have uh the whole year from January to December, the calendar is full of different uh events and festivals. You go like from music and performing arts, uh, film, literature, visual arts. Also, uh a lot about the culture, the northern and and indigenous uh cultures. You know that Sami people uh they live in Lapland, and when I'm talking about Lapland, it's Norway, Sweden and and Finland, and Sami. Culture is really really strong there. And then, of course, a lot of festivals around nature, food, and slow travel. Like I said, it's year-round, so the events are there through the year. Summer would be the peak festival season. That's when the major music, film, and community festivals, the open theater and those types of things. And summer, like I mentioned, it's really cool because the nights are light and all that, so that that's something very pleasant. So there are the uh close-by municipalities which are also so you can combine kind of like this urban culture in Oulu and then take the uh day trips out to the nature. Uh, many of the events, like I said, they are outdoors. So if you are there during the winter, so dress for the season, it it can get cold, but uh summer is different. And also, um, like I would say, that they are really paying a lot of attention to um sustainability. So uh you can expect uh walkable routes, public transportation links, public transportation would be very good, low-carbon options, and also very family-friendly uh scheduling. So all that. Yeah, I think that they they it's gonna be a really great year for Olu.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

And to get there from, say, Helsinki, would I I said I think it's about 350 miles. I'm the I am such a big fan of the road trip. So I can see myself driving the I'm assuming six six and a half hours up there, or would you suggest a flight? What are my uh or maybe there are alternatives to to even those two?

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Train. Yeah. You can also you can also take uh take train. Uh we've been uh if we drive, like with my husband uh up up to Lapland, so usually we overnight in Olu. We fly we we drive from Helsinki and the first first stop would be in Olu, but the train connections are really good and also flights. There are a lot of flights. Olu is actually the hometown of uh Nokia, also, so there flight connections between Olu and and Helsinki are plenty.

Culture, Sami Heritage, And Sustainability

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Yeah, I love that Gabe asked that question because being an American and Canadian in North America, we're all about the road trip, and it's not as common in Europe, and the one thing we always forget, and that's why I was gonna tease Gabe about that, is the train. It's like it's not as common for us here in North America, but in Europe, for people uh uh when they're traveling throughout Europe, the train is often the best way to get around in Europe. So instantly that was your reaction, and I just love that that's obviously you know, that's just the cultural difference between our regions and the types of travelers that we have domestically and internationally. Though the other thing I wanted to ask you too, uh Taria, given that you've got people that are going to be traveling to Norway from Europe, and we have a global audience on travel trends, so many people are gonna be listening to this around the world that will be interested in Finland. But speaking directly to Americans and Canadians, one of the things I wanted to try and bring to life or have you bring to life for all of our listeners is the type of travelers that would fall in love with Finland. Because I think people just hold a preconception of a destination based on what they may have seen in the media or what they may have read at some point, and they've trying to figure out is it for them? And so we've talked about adventure, and and Gabe rightly called that out because clearly there's the most beautiful landscape. So adventure seekers are definitely going to be drawn to Finland. I'm assuming culture lovers as well, but families, uh I mentioned wellness and luxury since those are such big trends, and we've been talking about the sauna culture. So tell us a little bit about what type of traveler do you think falls in love with Finland and what are the type of people that would be interested in in traveling to Finland to try and make sure that we we highlight that it, you know, that it is, as you highlighted, a year-round destination and should attract people from all walks of life.

Trains, Road Trips, And Easy Connections

SPEAKER_00 24:03

You just mentioned all of them who are interested in coming to Finland. So that is true. Uh, adventure seekers, uh Finland is great for um soft adventure, a lot of outdoor activities. Like I said, we have 41 national parks. The closest national parks, it's only 45 minutes away from the very city center of Helsinki. So you have the nature all over, and and the trails are well marked and all that. So um, yes, definitely adventure seekers. Also, then the cultural seekers, because uh, like I mentioned, the design and and architecture, it's well known, the the Finnish architecture and and design. Uh I would say that uh the North Americans who are coming to Finland, they are first of all they are well educated, they have already uh traveled to sever several uh European countries and they wanna experience something different. But uh when we were talking about Finland being the happiest country and all that, then what does it also give to the traveler is that English is wildly spoken. It's safe to say that everybody in Finland is speaking uh English because we take it in the school and our educational system is good. Then also us Finns, um I have to say that we are very reliable. Uh so uh you don't need to second quest uh guess when when we are talking and when we are saying something, we mean it. Uh we don't also we are not the masters of small talk. So uh but we are happy to answer when you come and ask the question, but we we are not coming to you, so we keep the distance. But don't think that we are rude or anything like that. No, no, no way.

Who Falls In Love With Finland

SPEAKER_01 26:03

Well, Taria, it's funny you mentioned that because I've actually heard about uh this um kind of pervasive Finnish silence. This uh which which I think sometimes as Americans we feel compelled to chit-chat, to you know, to be that person that sits next to you on the plane and starts the conversation for the next three to four hours. Uh when in fact the Finnish personality is is just quieter. There and this the silence, as you as you mentioned, I think for a lot of us who who who travel uh is something that to keep in mind. It's it's just part of uh it's almost like a cultural thing where the and we we shouldn't confuse that Finnish silence with uh the a lack of desire to engage. Uh it's just part of the way that uh that sort of life is lived in the in this I think just generally in this in this very just a different part of the world, a more remote, more uh sort of long-standing part of the world, no?

SPEAKER_00 26:50

Yeah, and many travelers they they find it very refreshing. They say that it's it's really like Finland is an excellent uh vacation place just to come and and relax. There is no rust, like I say, no forced small talk. We can be quiet among each other and we don't feel like it's awkward or something like that. So yeah, it it's very like I don't know, people like it. Well when they come first they think maybe it's a little bit awkward, but uh once you get the feel of it, you love it. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

You love it. There's a certain stillness in it just being in the moment aspect of it all, which I think can be uh quite appealing, Dan. So when Taria was gonna be our guest, I thought, can we fill 30 minutes? You know, they're famous for that finish silence. But yeah, but at the end of the day, no, I mean obviously engaging with on the ground is is so uh you know pervasive and easy to do, but there is that quality of that Finnish personality, I think, that that I think a lot of us uh just you know want to keep in mind when we go. Now you would you would mention to Dan the different types of travelers, you know, the soft adventurer, the the the wellness seeker. But one thing, one common thread I think among anybody who would travel to Finland is the the food, right? So what we're gonna be eating and drinking when we're on the ground. Um I know that the coffee break is tantamount, is extremely important. A lot of in fact I I've I've read that there's more coffee consumed per capita in Finland than any other destination on the planet. So talk to us about the coffee culture, but also about some of the the dishes and some of the culinary uh sort of unique aspects of the culinary scene there that would open some some doors and perhaps some of the commonality that we might find when we travel from Canada or the US.

Finnish Silence And Social Norms

Coffee, Foraging, And Forest‑To‑Table

SPEAKER_00 28:30

Yeah, I I really have to say that uh Finland is really a food lover's dream destination, and I don't think that we do uh enough to promote that because we take it kind of like self-explanatory that our food because because of our um clean nature, the clean waters and and the air, the forest, the fields, so the food is like it's also not just from farm to table, but it's also from forest to table. Um we are big in foraging. We love to go to the forest and and pick our mushrooms and and berries, herbs, and we have in Finland we have this everyman's right, so it means that you can go in the forest uh and pick everything which is like kind of uh eatable, as long as you don't go and and uh take your Christmas tree from somebody's forest. So that's not allowed, but uh all the mushrooms and berries and and all that uh you you can pick. And we love to do that. And that's also a great thing for visitors because nowadays we have guided tours. You can take part in the guided tour, you go to the forest and pick your mushrooms, and then when you get back to the your hotel, you can cook something, they tell you how to cook those things. Finn is also um the the food um in Finland has kind of a like uh uh special twists. If you go to the east, there are a lot of these hardy stews, and then again, like in the coast and archipelago, it's a lot of seafood we are we are eating. Uh some of the dishes um now we can't show it to anybody but uh the Karelian pies, for example, they are very famous. Uh, when you come to Finland, I'm sure that you you get to uh taste the Karelian pies, salmon soup that's served in many lunch places, so a lot of really great things in in Finland. Oh, can I mention one thing, for example? In in Helsinki we have this uh small restaurant, and the only thing which doesn't come from Finland, what they have in kitchen is salt, because we don't have salt in Finland, everything else, they don't even use pepper in their dishes. It's everything from Finland, so they don't have a printed menu of course not because the day's menu is what the chef finds in the markets that day. So there is a little small um black how do you call it? Uh what you have in the school. Chuckboard. Yes, chuckboard, yes. Yes, and and you have like uh uh choices at two main courses and and and two uh first courses. So really cool things in in Finland. The food scene is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

It's the ultimate for a farm to fork concept, this the the ultimate seasonality-driven menu that's just uh you know part and parcel to the way that people eat there in Finland. And one thing that that uh that Tarya uh touched on, Dan uh was uh when she was talking about this idea of you're in a forage, you're finding finding some berries, you're welcome to to to forage as you as you walk through, is this every man's right concept when you're traveling across open spaces in Finland. You know, you you travel uh across uh you know state parks here in in the in the US, you're gonna see no trespassing signs or private property signs uh quite uh quite a bit. Where in in Finland there is this concept of the land is everyone's right. There's an accessibility uh and a almost a right to be able to commune with and engage and and reap from the land. Um that's a concept that the travelers, visitors, uh Tadayev should be should be aware of as well.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Yes.

Everyman’s Right And Outdoor Access

SPEAKER_02 32:33

For sure. I just I just love that you that uh the finish draw the line at my Christmas tree. Yeah, that's it. That's just like that's where it goes that's where it goes too far. You can wander anywhere, but do not touch my Christmas tree. That's just a left-line voice. Don't come and cut Yeah. Exactly. I'm like, there is an important exception here. And so I love that. I think even hearing about salt and pepper. I was born in England. Obviously, you said you were born in Norway gay, but I think you know, growing up with English parents, our our English spices were salt and pepper. So I'm shocked to discover that those are not gonna be on the table. But it sounds like the food is gonna be so delicious anyway. We're not gonna have to bother about putting salt and pepper on it. I guess that was uh we'll have to save that for why they do that in England to uh to add some spice and flavor to the food. Uh but what one of the other things I want to ask, you you mentioned the sustainability, and I always talk about sustainability on our travel trends podcast because it's so important to me, and it is to every travel company that's very interested in continuing to offer travelers the opportunity to experience uh uh traveling around the world and have this privilege. And uh I know I'm preparing for this that you are on the path to be carbon neutral as a destination by 2035. You've got more than I guess you have 41 protected national parks, and which I have a great appreciation of being Canadian and some of the travels that I've done. I love traveling to national parks. So there's many reasons to travel to Finland, but one of the things that I wanted to call out for our listeners, since so many of them are travel agents, travel advisors, and working with travel agencies, and I know that's probably a big focus for you being based in New York, working with all the consortia groups and and and large travel agencies to help them understand why Finland is such an exciting destination. Tell us a little bit about how you equip them to be able to sell Finland to their clients. So if people are looking at Europe but considering something different, you mentioned these are often uh well-traveled individuals, and then they've discovered that I haven't been to Finland, which is exactly the situation I'm in. So, what are some of the things that you would call out for them to be able to share with their clients for them to consider Finland in 2026?

SPEAKER_00 34:34

That really is uh one of the best things I I love uh working here is working with the travel advisors. It is so rewarding and and and to tell them about Finland. And like you said, a lot of them don't know. They've maybe been selling Norway already and and Iceland for sure, but then they say that you know my client is asking uh about Finland and they want to sell Finland but they don't know yet how to do it. So um I conduct a lot of webinars, for example, uh for travel advisors, and again telling about all the four regions and and and seasons and all that. So webinars are very important. And then we also uh as visit Finland, uh, we arrange roadshows here, we bring uh the Finnish suppliers to meet with the travel advisors and and tour operators so they can have one-to-one meetings, these types of the things. What I do, yeah.

Helping Advisors Sell Finland

SPEAKER_02 35:34

And the other thing I'm also keen to ask you is about what I consider to be hidden gems. So when we have the opportunity for Gabe and I to speak to someone like yourself who's a true local expert, but you clearly, you know, you're in New York, so you have an understanding of the US and Canadian markets, and you know what our travelers are looking for. So this is the reason I want to ask you this, is because it's not only that you know the hidden gems, you also know the hidden gems that when people come back, they're like, oh my God, thank you so much for suggesting that. It really made my trip. So if people are putting an itinerary together, of course, some people are gonna be planning to travel to Finland with a tour operator, and therefore they're gonna be looking at itinery. So maybe some of the things you'll share with us are some of the things they should be looking for in an itinerary. But for those people who are gonna be traveling independently, what are some of the hidden gems, whether they be cities, places, or you mentioned some amazing things to eat, but what what are some of the standout hidden gems that you would recommend people put into their itinerary?

Hidden Gems: Lapland And Archipelago

SPEAKER_00 36:27

Oh my goodness. Oh that's a lot, right? There's a lot of things. I know top five, top five. It's really a lot. Um still, I think that uh Lapland is still a hidden gem for North Americans because summer and Helsinki region has been the most popular. So still, Lapland, I would say it is it it is a hidden gem, and our Lapland it's very accessible. There are five airports, so you're never far away from your destination, but it's not a mass tourist destination. So there are a lot of places where you can just enjoy, you know, being a quiet space and have a lot of nature around you. Uh one thing which the um North Americans don't know yet so much is our archipelago. And and like I said, um it's the largest archipelago between Sweden and Finland in in the world, and a lot of the islands uh people are also living there, so the islands are connected with the little ferries to each other. For example, this August, what uh we did with my husband and a few of our friends, we drove from the city of Turku, which is on the west coast, and you can start driving the archipelago and staying in these really small bed and breakfasts. There are a lot of uh guest marinas because that area is also extremely popular among Finns and Swedes sailing. So you have these guest harbors with nice uh summer restaurants and all that. And it took us like I think we were staying three nights along the way, and then we ended up in this biggest island called Alland Islands, and that's where Finland kind of ends, and and then uh Sweden starts. So that would be something, and you can do that also with bicycles. It's really a popular destination for us Finns doing these uh one week or two week bicycle trips, and you stay overnights in this bed and breakfast, but you can do it also with a car, so you don't need to cycle at it.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

I was gonna say Dan's Dan's a relatively new convert to the biking tour, right? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 38:49

That's the e-bikes. The e-bikes changes everything for global travelers, and now for me as well, because yes, I'm not trading for months, I just want to be able to get on and turn on the setting and just be able to pedal and enjoy the view. So, yes, uh, it's changed the game for me and many others. So, yeah, that's obviously one way.

SPEAKER_00 39:04

Yeah, and you can find in the in the web the archipelago trail, the the local uh destination management organizations, they have really done a nice map where you can kind of uh follow and you know where to go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

Um as as we wind uh wind things down here, I I wanted to just pick uh Taria's brain one more time because you were talking about how you deal uh directly with uh travel advisors. Um and I wonder if when we look at 2026 and we look at you know we sometimes we try to to peg the travel experience to different trends. Um and we've touched on a couple here, you know, wellness and outdoor adventure and culinary. Anything that's new and percolating in the trends department? Are you seeing more solo travelers, or maybe it's more multi generational trips being taken to a place like like Finland? Um are there any trends that you see, you know, perhaps you know helping to drive new travelers? To Finland, that there may be as as travel advisors, as as those who sell travel to a destination like Finland can begin to sort of lean into uh as a way to attract more travelers out of North America? Solo, solo travelers.

Biking The Archipelago Trail

SPEAKER_00 40:11

Because that's yeah, yeah, because Finland being a very safe destination also. Uh so it's it's a great destination for solo travelers, and we see the increase in in that from North America. Also, women, uh small groups, women like 10 to 15 uh people going either for uh kind of a wellness thing or or cultural things, and of course the multi-generation. One thing again I need to make a note for myself because we fins we uh kind of a take it so uh com self-explanatory that Finland is a great family destination. There's a lot of things to do for for children. I just um it's a year ago or something like that, I met one travel advisor um in in New Jersey, and she said that she had a family of uh with two uh young boys. They went first time to Finland, and when they came back home, and the parents because this this family usually travels twice a year to a long haul destination. So then uh the parents asked that where you want to go next, and both boys go back to Finland because they had so much fun. So, yes, and now the advisor was already like uh setting up an itinerary for the next travel to Finland.

SPEAKER_02 41:33

Oh, that's fantastic. Well, you've not only inspired me to travel to Finland, but something I said at the beginning, which was that you know who's gonna go first, Gabe or myself. Well, now that I know that Gabe's gonna keep his shorts on in the sauna, I'm happy to travel with you, Gabe. So you don't as they as they say, Terya, you don't you don't know someone until you've traveled with them. And I feel like I feel like I'm ready to travel with Gabe now. So, Gabe, we can travel together. We can go to Finland for the first time and experience it together.

SPEAKER_01 41:56

I love okay. That that that that reconciles this little competition we had about who was gonna reach the finish line first. Uh I say we'd I say we do it together. I like it. It's great.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

No, uh this has been such an insightful conversation, Teria. It's great to meet you. Thanks so much for joining us for this conversation today. Congratulations on Finland being selected as one of Travel Zoo's best bets for 2026. I know it'll be really exciting for you and the destination to be featured and profiled on the Travel Zoo website, on travel trends, and we certainly hope that many more people discover Finland this year. To make sure that they do, though, where would you suggest that they check out for more information? Your website and your social channels or even resources for travel travel advisors.

2026 Travel Trends To Watch

SPEAKER_00 42:36

Okay, yes, uh, for the visitors, uh, visitfinland.com. That is our uh our website, and there's a lot more. I I only covered like few topics of of Finland. There's so much more to tell about Finland. Uh yes, visitfinland.com. Then um we have really good uh Facebook uh pages also, and that is called I Wish I Was in Finland. Uh, and then YouTube is Visit Finland and Instagram is our Finland. So those are the social media things. And you know where this uh slogan I wish I was in Finland came from. Um, my colleagues, this is many years ago, they were having a uh sales trip in Tokyo, and they were in this um metro which was full of people, and then one girl was just saying, I wish I was in Finland. So now we are using this as a slogan.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

Oh, it's awesome. No, it works, it's great, it's uh it's very appropriate. And uh no, but thank you again so much. It's a real pleasure meeting you, and we look forward to traveling to Finland. So, Gabe and I will for sure to uh be in touch, and I'm sure and I'm sure many of our listeners will as well. So, thank you again for joining us and wishing you all the best for 2026 and beyond.

SPEAKER_00 43:51

Thank you so much for having me here. Thank you. It was such a pleasure.

SPEAKER_02 43:54

You're so welcome. And I just want to bring Gabe in for one last word here as we wrap up this incredible discussion on Finland, and now that we know we're gonna be traveling together, where else are we gonna be going in the next few destinations here?

SPEAKER_01 44:07

Well, yeah, and by the way, this is so eye-opening because Finland became part of the best betslist primarily bec for cultural and um uh sustainable considerations, but clearly we've peeled back so many layers. There's way, way more going on uh in this beautiful destination. So I'm so happy that this is now on our to-do list for 2026. Uh we've got more to go, as you know, Dan. We've got a very eclectic list of four domestic uh for those of us in the U.S. uh and six international uh destinations. We've got Savannah, Georgia on the itinerary. Uh, we've got the city of Chicago to help uh beef up some of those uh U.S. domestic spots. Um and then uh we've got some uh some kind of more far-flung destinations to come as uh around the bend uh that I think are going to be raising some eyebrows in a very positive way here in the next couple of weeks.

Families, Solo Travelers, And Groups

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Thanks again to my co-host Gabe Saglier for joining us for today's conversation and being such a key part of this entire series. And of course, a very special thanks to Tarja for joining us from Visit Finland today. I learned a lot about Finland. I also learned a lot about Gabe and his travel style, as you heard in our conversation. I'm definitely up for traveling together to Finland Gabe now that I know how you travel. And I think many of our listeners, like Gabe and I, have not been to Finland. So I'm really keen to see the results of today's conversation and what an impact it has overall on people visiting Finland in 2026. My sister went a few years ago and had the most incredible time. And now I know so much more about this destination and also when to go. So thank you again to Tarja and the team for Visit Finland for joining us. And also the Travel Zoo team, I just wanted to highlight for all of our listeners to get access to these special offers, you need to make sure that you have signed up for a Travel Zoo membership in 2026, which I got as a gift for our entire team so they can take advantage of not only the destinations we're focusing on, but any of the deals that come up over the course of the year. And one of the big benefits of being a member is you get early access to those top 20 emails that come out each week, and that I've been subscribed to from the very beginning. So make sure you do sign up at travelzoo.com. And then don't forget, we are posting an episode every week on Tuesdays. So make sure you're subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when a new episode goes live. And we are posting clips and highlights on our social channels, which you can find us on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn at Travel Trends Podcast. Thanks again for joining us on this episode. We look forward to speaking to you again next week. Until then, safe travels.