Finland’s vision for the future is clear: to become carbon-neutral and the first fossil-free welfare society by 2035. To reach the goal, Visit Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland programme is dedicated to also making the local travel industry carbon-neutral and accelerate the transition towards net zero. The gem of the north with its pristine views over a landscape of thousands of lakes and the world’s cleanest air, provides travellers with many ways to travel sustainably. 

"We want to offer experiences that allow our guests to slow down and take a deep breath in nature. For example, canoeing on Lake Saimaa, sleeping on the campsites on islands, and biking in the countryside from one guesthouse to another to taste local flavour are the great examples of sustainable and relaxed ways to spend summer holidays in Finland", says Liisa Kokkarinen, Head of Sustainable Development, Visit Finland. 

The new regenerative travel concept “Planet-Positive Conservation Holiday-programme” which will take place as a pilot project this summer for tour operators and media at Haltia Lake Lodge in Nuuksio National Park aims to reverse biodiversity loss by engaging visitors in conservation work. A win-win for both the local nature and those visiting, looking to make a change, fight feelings of climate anxiety – or simply, connect with local nature.  

"Your actions during your holiday can also have a positive impact on the area visited. In this pilot together with The Finnish government owned Metsähallitus Wildlife & Parks, we can learn more about how we can engage with and increase the well-being of our most important resource, nature, through travel. This way we can also provide our visitors with memorable holiday experiences in Finland. This to me is fantastic", CEO & CO-Founder of Haltia Lake Lodge Teemu Tuomarla concludes.  

Nuuksio, the National Park located only 20 kilometres from the capital city of Helsinki, offers now also a chance to dine in the most sustainable way. Haltia Lake Lodge Hotel, awarded the most sustainable hotel of 2022 by Boutique Hotel Awards Europe, is now collaborating with Arctic Farming, an agri-tech startup dedicated to solving global food issues using technology. Also, for the summer season, Haltia launches a campaign with Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) to include a complimentary ticket to the hotel from the city centre and back, so there won’t be a need for a car rental to get to nature.

Annu Huotari, third generation entrepreneur welcomes visitors with the unique chance of building an insect hotel – while having a wonderful stay at Hawkhill Cottage Resort – making space for new. It’s a great way to get to know the most common wild plants that are easy to find in Finnish forests and meadows. You will get the best tips on how to identify, forage, handle, preserve, and enjoy the plants. Available from May to September.

Helsinki-Vantaa, the main entry point into Finland, is becoming the first airport in the world to have its own onsite secondhand store when ReLove, the local, super popular secondhand specialist, launches its airport concept on the premises. Wearing secondhand clothes is the thing right now in Finland.

Join this one-week food tour to dive deep into the Karelian cuisine of Finland. Visitors will bike from guesthouse to guesthouse with daily distances ranging between 15 and 35 kilometres. Plenty of breaks with delicious local foods from fresh berries to Karelian pies tasted during the tour. This is travel at its most scrumptious – and sustainable way!

Saimaa Canoeing routes are some of the most sustainable ways to travel in Finland. The development work of these canoeing routes was rewarded with a win in the Travel Fair sustainable competition in 2023 and the region of Puumala was just awarded with Sustainable Travel Finland label. The astonishing routes include overnight stays on designated, private campsites and cabins

VR, the government-owned railway company of Finland, will re-open its highly popular train routes be taking visitors straight from Helsinki Central Station to the lush greenery of the Repovesi National Park. This year, the Hillosensalmi train connection continues until October, so travellers can also take the train to see the beautiful autumn foliage of Repovesi.

Hotel Krepelin, located in Kristinestad, a town awarded as a second region in Finland with a Sustainable Travel Finland label on the western shore of the Bothnian Sea, welcomes visitors to explore the spectacularly beautiful old town on bikes that are both free of locks and any costs, as the cycles are complementary to use.

A collaboration between Studio Sami Tallberg, the awarded wild food chef and Söderlångvik, a manor, personal history museum and farm, will provide visitors with incredible and sustainable flavours from the surrounding nature of Kimitoön with influences from Tuscan cuisine.

The Finnish Rakkauden Metsä, or Love Forest, invites everyone to come and plant a tree as a symbol of love! Trees can be planted in any licensed location and the funds from the concept are directed at nature protection, to influence and participate in actions against climate change.

Hotel Kasnäs has been working with a sustainability programme for a long time. The business operates on retained heat: the outdoor pools, the spa and the restaurant are all heated with district energy produced from residual heat from its parent company, the Salmonfarm. On top of that, all water you drink, shower and bathe in, is purified seawater straight from the Baltic.

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Visit Finland, a unit of Business Finland, is a national authority on tourism and an active force in promoting international travel to Finland. Its main goal is to develop Finland’s international image as a destination. Visit Finland supports the travel industry through research and helps businesses and groups develop products and services for the international market. For more information, please visit www.visitfinland.com.