Ruka-Kuusamo’s winter season gains momentum as German and Dutch visitors discover the spring snow

Ruka-Kuusamo’s 2025–2026 winter season has been strong both domestically and internationally.

Between October and March, Kuusamo recorded a total of 613,800 overnight stays in commercial accommodation, representing a 3% increase year-on-year. International growth was particularly significant: registered overnight stays by foreign visitors rose by 16.4%, with the strongest growth coming from Germany (+21%) and the Netherlands (+27%).

Published May 8, 2026

In Ruka-Kuusamo, winter appeal has been developed systematically towards a longer season and an attractive late-winter offering, supported by an active tour operator network as well as by strengthening the destination’s awareness through traditional PR and digital marketing. International activity travellers have discovered the experiences Ruka-Kuusamo offers beyond the traditional peak season, and this positive development will be further reinforced going forward. Janne-Juhani Haarma, CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourism, is pleased with the 2025–2026 figures:

“It is very encouraging to see that our investments in the German and Dutch markets have delivered results and that visitors have discovered Ruka-Kuusamo’s spring snow and versatile activities. This shows that the destination’s appeal is increasingly built on an internationally attractive winter product as well.”

Ruka-Kuusamo stands out with its long average length of stay: in registered accommodation establishments, the average stay between October and March was 3.5 nights, and 4.5 nights for international visitors. By comparison, the average length of stay in the Lapland region is 2.5 nights and 1.7 nights in the Oulu region. Longer stays are supported by Kuusamo Airport’s flight traffic. Most routes operate 1-2 times per week, which encourages visitors to stay longer; only the Helsinki-Kuusamo-Helsinki route is operated daily.

Antti Turunen, Sales and Marketing Director at Rukakeskus, which was selected as this year’s Ski Resort of the Year, celebrates the successful winter season:

“The winter season has been exceptionally strong for Ruka. We recorded more than half a million skier days, which is the second-best result in our history. This shows that Ruka is an increasingly attractive destination for both domestic and international visitors. International growth has been particularly strong.
The number of training groups has nearly doubled, and we have established ourselves as one of Europe’s leading training centres for freeskiing and snowboarding. Almost half of our Ski-Inn accommodation is occupied by international guests, and overall the balance between domestic and international visitors is good – making our operations more sustainable and less dependent on individual markets.
Alongside the traditional peak seasons, October-November has increased its share thanks to training groups, and January – with the Polar Night Light Festival – has established itself as one of the season’s highlights. We are pleased with the direction in which Ruka is developing, and we are building an even stronger future with determination.”

Winter 2026–2027: new scheduled flight routes lay the foundation for significant growth

The upcoming 2026-2027 winter season will be built on even stronger international accessibility, as airBaltic and Eurowings open new routes to Kuusamo from Germany, the United Kingdom and Latvia.

“The new scheduled routes for winter 2026–2027 could enable a 20% increase in international overnight stays. If successful, this would mean over 100,000 additional overnight stays in the area next winter. At the same time, it creates significant business growth opportunities for tourism companies,” says Janne-Juhani Haarma.
“Companies are preparing for increasing visitor volumes, and several accommodation investments responding to tourism growth are currently underway in Ruka-Kuusamo. Next to be completed are Rukapalvelu’s new Rukariutta apartments, which will open their doors to holidaymakers in November 2026. With these investments, the destination’s capacity and offering will strengthen as demand grows,” Haarma continues.

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.