”Social media and the content produced there often create interesting and special trends that can also be seen at our airports. Some trends pass quickly and some live longer. Some of the trends may even affect the airport’s operations. Finavia takes changes in travel trends into account as part of the development of the travel experience,” says Hanna Hämäläinen, Director of Helsinki Airport’s service operations at Finavia.
Social media content production and influencers at airports
Finnish airports are seeing more and more travellers posting photos or videos of their trips on social media. Helsinki Airport and Lapland's airports are particularly popular locations. Content is often built around a specific theme, such as travelling alone, family travel, food experiences or lifestyle and luxury travel.
”We like it when people take pictures at the airport and share their experiences on their own channels. However, it is important that other passengers and staff as well as the airport’s rules are taken into account when visiting the airport. For example, loud video blogging, taking pictures or videos of other people without permission and using selfie sticks in waiting situations can bother other airport users,” says Hanna Hämäläinen.
Baggage social media trends
One of the biggest travel tips on social media right now is ”Pack Light”.
”In general, it is more comfortable to wait for your flight at the gate area and to be on board the aircraft when there is not too much hand baggage. If you have a lot of baggage, it’s a good idea to place it in the hold. In addition, it is worth paying attention to baggage packing, as the instructions change from time to time and there are different practices in different countries,” says Hanna Hämäläinen.
There has long been a lot of beauty related content on social media. There are also more and more chemicals and liquids packed for the trip.
”We have noticed this at the security control, where a huge number of oversized lotion containers, spray products and liquids have to be removed every month. Removing prohibited products from baggage slows down the process, so each passenger can promote the smoothness of security control by packing large liquids such as sunscreens, body lotions and cleansing gels in their hold baggage,” says Hanna Hämäläinen.
At Finavia’s airports, liquid packages of a maximum of 100 millilitres are permitted in hand baggage, while larger packages must be packed in hold baggage. For fire safety reasons, power banks and spare batteries must always be packed in your hand baggage. The passenger may carry a maximum of two powerbanks or backup batteries, subject to the technical limitations of the regulations.
Airport walk and night at the airport
One of the biggest social media phenomena related to tourism is presenting travel destinations on video. Today, airports are also presented a lot, which is why many travellers already know well in advance what kind of airport it is before arriving there. Many videos focus on sleeping at the airport and what happens at night, in addition to showcasing the facilities and services.
“It’s nice that passengers have the opportunity to get to know the airport before they travel. The videos often provide good basic information about where the various services are located and how the airport’s processes work. As the airport is constantly developing and there are changes to the services, it is always a good idea to check the information that is important for your trip from the airport’s official channels or from your own airline,” says Hanna Hämäläinen.
The trend of alternative destinations is even reflected in air traffic statistics
Forbes highlighted a phenomenon called Destination Dupes as one of the most significant travel trends in 2025. The term refers to alternative destinations that offer the same experience as world-famous favourite destinations, but are cheaper and allow you to get a closer look at local culture and lifestyle. According to Forbes, the phenomenon supports sustainable tourism and spreads tourist flows. Such destinations in Europe include Verona and Milan in Italy, Porto in Portugal and Reims in Paris.
Finnair, Norwegian and Ryanair fly directly from Helsinki Airport to Milan. Finnair also flies to Verona, near Milan. Scheduled flights from Milan to Rovaniemi are operated by Ryanair and EasyJet. In addition, strong route connections from Helsinki Airport to Lisbon and Paris enable smooth travel to smaller cities in Portugal and Central Europe.
”The number of flights and passengers between Finland and Milan has been growing for a long time. Even though we are only in August, the number of Milan tourists travelling through Rovaniemi has already exceeded last year’s level,” says Petri Vuori, Finavia's Senior Vice President, Sales and Route Development.
The global trend of alternative destinations is also partly visible in Finland. Airlines are closely monitoring which destinations in Finland generate demand in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
”When the popularity of an area or destination is high enough, it can become an attractive destination for airlines, which in turn promotes the development of flight connections,” says Petri Vuori.
In addition to tourism in Rovaniemi, the number of passengers at Kittilä and Ivalo airports, among others, has been increasing for several years. Lapland’s airports are so centrally located that the “secret gems of Lapland” such as Inari, Saariselkä and Ylläs, are easily accessible from there.
Film and series inspired travel
Euronews highlights so-called screen tourism as one of the most significant tourism trends, which is also visible on social media. Today, people are increasingly travelling to the scenes of their favourite series and films. The phenomenon is not new, but streaming services have significantly reinforced it. Finavia’s airports featured in films and TV series, include Helsinki Airport and Rovaniemi. Aviation-related documentaries and productions have also been filmed at Finavia’s two military airports, Utti and Halli.
The attraction of starry skies and night tourism increases
Night tourism and star tourism have become rapidly growing tourism trends. There is a huge amount of content on social media about destinations where you can admire the peculiarities of the night sky. This is also evident at Finavia’s airports, particularly in Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kittilä, Kuusamo and Oulu, where travellers come to experience both the Northern Lights and the midnight sun.
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Route listing: Where can you fly from Finavia airports during the winter season 2026-2027
