Visit Finland joins Atas to showcase ‘wonderful opportunities’

The national tourist board of Finland has become the latest new associate member of the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas).

Visit Finland will be showcasing to UK agents the “wonderful opportunities” of touring and adventure trips on offer across the country throughout the year.

The UK is the top overseas market to Finland during the winter and the fourth market in the summer months.

Another key attraction to promote is the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) programme, which aims to encourage tourism firms and destinations within the country to adopt sustainable practices.

The programme has signed up 900 travel companies, with more than 300 having completed the seven-step process to qualify for the STF label.

Caroline Beaton-Moscatelli, Visit Finland’s sales and marketing manager for Great Britain & Ireland, said raising trade awareness through Atas training and events is important because travel agents are “key to the success of selling Finland, more than ever”.

More: KLM adds Lapland to its network for winter

She said the tourist board can offer online training to agents to help them capitalise current consumer trends, such as the growth in luxury travel in Finland.

The best-selling options for British travellers include tours of the capital Helsinki (pictured) and other major cities; adventure holidays in summer and winter throughout Lapland and Lakeland; and bear-watching in eastern Lakeland and Lapland.

There are also plenty of choices for reaching the destinations, because Finnair and Norwegian Air fly to Helsinki year-round, with connections to regional airports.

Ryanair flies directly to Helsinki and Tampere, and offers seasonal flights to Rovaniemi – the capital of Lapland in northern Finland.

Meanwhile, easyJet operates direct services to Rovaniemi from November to March.

Claire Brighton, Atas account director, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Visit Finland to Atas as it has such a wide range of touring and adventure options for our members to sell.

“Holidays in Finland tap into many current travel trends, such as the growing demand for nature and wildlife, sustainable tourism developments and local experiences such as sauna or viewing the Northern Lights.

“We’re excited to hear more about the wonderful opportunities for the trade.”

Pictured: Helsinki, by Mistervlad/Shutterstock