Historic Turning Point in Kuusamo’s Christmas Tourism

In December, travellers spent a total of 79,500 nights in registered accommodation in Kuusamo, an increase of 4 % from the previous year. What makes this December’s tourism statistics historic is that British travellers became the largest visitor group for the first time, with 28,500 overnight stays. Finnish travellers recorded 23,300 overnight stays. The number of British visitors grew by 13 %, while domestic visitor numbers declined by 18 %. In December 2025, international travellers accounted for 70 % of all visitors. After the British, the largest numbers of travellers arrived from Spain, Germany, and Ireland.

“We are extremely pleased that international tourism continues to grow in the Ruka–Kuusamo region. This is especially important at a time when the general economic situation in Finland is making domestic consumers more cautious. A major factor behind the drop in Finnish visitor numbers is also that Independence Day fell on a Saturday this winter,” says Janne-Juhani Haarma, CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association.

British travellers are annually the largest international customer group in Ruka-Kuusamo. They have been visiting the region for more than 20 years, and there is no sign of their popularity fading.

“Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association and local businesses are working tirelessly to attract new customer groups to enjoy Kuusamo’s stunning nature and the excellent services provided by local companies. It has been great to see that Ruka-Kuusamo has truly found its place in the hearts of British visitors. My own career in tourism began in the Ruka Ski School in the early 2000s, right when the first skiing groups from the UK arrived in the area,” Haarma concludes.

Ruka-Kuusamo’s International Tourism Development Receives Project Funding

The Ruka-Kuusamo region is currently implementing the project Rethinking North – Year-Round Tourism as a Key to Success, which aims to increase international awareness and tourism demand in the area, particularly during the snow-free seasons. The project focuses on developing sustainable and responsible tourism, improving accessibility, and creating new products tailored to international target groups.