France market report

Updated April 2026

Finland's position in the market

Finland is known as a winter travel destination in France. Especially Finnish Lapland has a strong image and position, and there is demand for the whole winter season from December until March/April. Finland as a summer destination is less known, but there is potential, especially among families and outdoor travellers. Promotion and marketing activities are important to push Finland’s summer image, and product development together with tour operators is needed. For the summer holidays, French are looking for nature destinations with outdoor and cultural activities. Competition is harder concerning summer season as French are travelling a lot inside France during the summer and Norway has a strong position and image as a Nordic summer destination. Finland’s image as a sustainable and green nature destination is good and we can offer products which French travellers are looking for (green values). As the summer weather in Southern Europe is getting warmer and warmer, French travellers are also looking for cooler summer destinations.

Our competitor destinations in France are Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, and Canada but also French Alpes. Canada has similar offering than Finland and is attracting French travellers all year around. Canada is very active in communication and marketing in France and has even strengthen their position and activities during last years. They are very competitive concerning the flight prices even if it is a long-haul destination. Norway has a strong position as a summer destination and is the leading Nordic country for summer holidays from France. Norway has also managed to reinforce their winter image during the last years. Norway is active both in B2C communication but also in B2B actions. Sweden is active in B2C communication and marketing and is attracting French especially for Stockholm region. Lately also Swedish Lapland has got good visibility and growing demand (as they have very competitive prices compared to Finnish Lapland). Iceland is doing active sales and promotion work in France and is attracting French travellers all year around.

Accessibility from Paris is good. Air France has daily flights from Paris to Helsinki and during the winter season 1-3 flights per week to Rovaniemi and Kittilä. Finnair has many daily flights (4-5) from Paris and twice a week flights from Nice (daily flights during the summer season). Transavia has winter connections from Paris to Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo. Ryanair is flying from Paris to Rovaniemi during the winter season and Norwegian has their connection from Nice to Helsinki from March to October. Easyjet has direct connections to Rovaniemi during the winter season from Paris, Nice, Lyon and Bordeaux. In addition to regular flights, there are many charter flights during the winter season from France to Lapland. Accessibility is good, but the flight prices are very often higher than for other Nordic countries.

Finland has been quite visible in the French media because of the geopolitical situation, but also through happiness and cultural themes (food, art and music). Visit Finland’s PR work is actively going on and many PR trips are planned for the coming spring and summer season. In social media, Finland has got nice visibility through Visit Finland’s campaigns and cooperation with influencers. The competition for the visibility is tough, and many destinations are very active in social media channels and in French language to get the best visibility among French travelers. Visit Finland is also working together with Embassy and Finnish Institute to promote Finland’s country image and to get more visibility in different channels and for different target groups.

Consumer trends and behavior

French travelers continue to explore their own country extensively, while international travel is steadily increasing each year. European destinations remain especially popular—particularly neighboring countries—though interest in long-haul trips is also rising.

There is a strong preference for nature and outdoor activities, alongside with interest in cultural immersion, gastronomy, and authentic local lifestyles. Experience-driven travel is trendy, with many travelers seeking meaningful activities and learning opportunities during their holidays.

Sustainability is becoming a key priority. More French travelers are opting for eco-friendly, low-impact trips and adopting “slow travel,” characterized by longer stays and fewer destinations. Train travel and agritourism are particularly appealing within this trend.

Safety continues to be a primary consideration when choosing a destination, along with travel costs. Although inflation is influencing decisions, French consumers tend to preserve their travel budgets, often cutting back on everyday expenses such as groceries or clothing instead.

French consumers/travellers are looking for inspiration and information in many different online channels and in social media, but traditional travel agencies and tour operators have still a strong role in purchasing phase as they can have good insurances and guarantees. In a case of a problem, travelers trust that it will be a lot easier with traditional operators, and unsure geopolitical situation has reinforced this even more. With inflation, French are also comparing more than before and are looking for special offers and packages online.

Concerning Finland, most of the French travelers are coming through tour operators, especially in the winter season. During the summer season, people are more confident to book directly. With Air France’s direct flights (to Helsinki, Rovaniemi and Kittilä) and Easyjet’s direct flights (to Lapland) there are now also more French FIT travellers booking directly. French are using quite much different OTA channels and renting platforms (e.g. Airbnb).

Unsure geopolitical situation has changed the direction back to the traditional channels. Different guarantees and insurances have become an important issue and flexibility is demanded. Tour operators and agencies have developed their online channels, and physical agencies have less role than before. Nevertheless, the French are still demanding personal services and tailor-made products, even if the communication is done online or via phone.

French travelers coming to Finland are looking for nature holidays and different outdoor activities. They appreciate good service and are ready to pay for it. It is important that services are available and especially during the main seasons (also in August). Food is also an important part of the holiday experience and French want to taste local specialties. French like out of a common experiences and authentic accommodation.

Finland is attracting many different target groups from France, but the main ones can be considered Nature lover, Lifestyle traveler and Active Hobbyist. There are tour operators specializing in one specific target group, especially concerning Active Hobbyists. It is a target group looking for active outdoor holidays, and operators as Allibert Trekking, Nomade Aventure and Grand Nord Grand Large have many products in Finland for this target group. Concerning Nature lovers and Lifestyle travelers most of the tour operators are serving these two target groups.

Industry update and distribution channels

The French market has shown solid growth, with the number of overnight stays by French travelers in Finland increasing year after year. Accessibility from France is good; however, flight prices to Finland can be relatively high during peak seasons compared to key competitors such as Sweden, Norway, and Canada. There are more and more summer products available in tour operators catalogues and product development continues actively. Tour operators and agencies are looking for alternative products for summer as clients’ demand is evolving (less crowded places and more sustainable travelling).

Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty is creating hesitation among travelers, leading to later bookings for the summer season. Concerns about rising airfares and potential disruptions—such as flight cancellations or connection issues—are influencing travel decisions. As a result, demand is expected to shift toward intra-European travel, with many opting for train journeys or trips by car. Nordic countries are increasingly viewed as attractive alternatives: relatively close, less crowded in summer, and perceived as stable destinations. However, much will depend on how flight prices evolve and how the broader situation develops.

Main tour operators for Finland are Kuoni-Scanditours, Timetours/ La Francaise de circuits, Vivatours, Fram Karavel, NG travel, 66 Nord, Mondial Tourisme, Salaun Holidays/Nordiska, Scandinavia/Hutissen, Comptoir des Pays Scandinaves and Voyageurs du monde. There are also many smaller, and specialized operators, selling actively Finland. Main OTA channels selling Finland are Voyage Privé, Opodo, Veepee and Expedia.

Role of the incoming agencies is important in the French market and French operators are looking for local, Finland based operators. They want to work with local agencies who can find special locations and addresses in Finland and for the different seasons. They also need French speaking guiding services. Lack of suitable DMC operators is often a problem when creating new packages outside of Lapland.

Accessibility from France is quite good. Air France is operating daily Paris-Helsinki flights and during winter season Paris-Rovaniemi (3-5 per week) and Paris-Kittilä routes (1 per week). Air France’s flights are connecting well with other destinations in France (via Paris) and allow better accessibility outside of Paris. Finnair has 4-5 daily flights from Paris to Helsinki and everyday flights from Nice during the summer season (2 weekly flights in the winter).

Finland travel USP's

Most relevant Finland’s USP’s in France are Finnish Happiness – Live like a Finn, Easy access to forests - Reconnect with Nature and Healthy and safe travel. French travellers coming to Finland are looking for outdoors activities with room to roam and clean air to breath. They want to experience Nordic nature and wilderness, including different light phenomena. Culture is also important, especially local cultural aspects and live like-a-local experiences, not forgetting the importance of local culinary experiences.

Finland has got a strong image as a happy country, and it can be used to differentiate us from other Nordic countries. Finnish Lapland has also stronger position than the competitors and it is better known and more demanded.

Outdoors is a strong theme for Finland in France and most of the travellers are coming for outdoor and nature activities. They do want to have also cultural experiences but are combining those with nature activities during their stay. Luxury theme is also getting stronger, and knowledge of Finland’s luxury and high-end offering is better than before. Finnish lifestyle is also getting more and more interest in France as the Happiness theme is popping up every year in French media with the Happiness Report. French travelling to Finland are interested to get to know also how Finns live and how the society works.

Concerning sustainability, France was late with sustainable aspect of travelling, but travellers are now more and more aware of the impact of tourism. Finland is seen as a sustainable destination and expectations are quite high. Nevertheless, with high inflation, travellers are not always ready to pay much more for the sustainable options.

Future outlook and upcoming season

Current travel trends in France highlight a growing interest in discovery and learning-oriented holidays, alongside a strong shift toward more sustainable options such as travel by train. French travelers are seeking a balance between relaxing nature escapes and culturally rich destinations. Despite a clear desire to travel, budget awareness remains high, as inflation continues to impact spending. As a result, many are actively looking for deals and special offers.

The upcoming summer season is looking good, although geopolitical uncertainty is creating some hesitation. Bookings are being made later than usual, with travelers adopting a wait-and-see approach. Accessibility remains stable and about at the same level than recent summers, with good flight connections from Paris and Nice to Helsinki. However, summer tourism remains less developed than in the winter season, both in terms of demand and destination image. This underlines the need for efforts in promotion and marketing. Supporting tour operators in developing and launching new products through collaborative efforts is essential. Competition is also more intense in summer, making differentiation and targeted marketing more important.

Concerning new production, some tour operators are launching new products for this summer season. There are new high-end products for the Lakeland region and also Lakeland fly & Drive tours. Outdoors and hiking packages in Lapland are also in specialized tour operators’ catalogue for this summer. Visit Finland is having joint Promotion campaigns with some of the tour operators to push more new products and to get more visibility to reinforce Finland’s summer image.

There is a lot of potential in the French market during the summer and shoulder seasons, but promotional actions are needed to reinforce Finland’s summer image (what to do in Finland in summer, which cities to visit, what activities are available etc.). Potential target groups, especially for summer season, are incentive groups and seniors who often travel out of the holiday seasons, as well as families looking for less crowded nature destinations. Additionally, as Finland’s high end and luxury profile rises, there is a clear potential to capture the high-end market segment.