Avanti Teams Up with VisitFinland to Expand FIT Offerings in Nordic Region

Avanti Destinations has partnered up with VisitFinland to help promote the Nordic region of Europe. The operator, which sells exclusively through travel advisors, has released a new 18-page brochure entitled “Footprints Across Finland” that features five new customizable FIT itineraries and 10 new experiences, including bear-watching and a ride on an icebreaker. 

The company has also introduced five new northern Finnish destinations and expanded its offerings in current locations. Avanti’s executive chairman, Paul Barry, said the move is in response to customer demand. 

“In the past, many American independent travelers have skipped over the Nordic countries when they travel to Europe. But in the past few years, we have seen a high growth rate in bookings to the region.” 

Barry said that although Finland is probably the least familiar European country to American travelers, it has much to offer, including cutting-edge design and architecture, culture, music, food and outdoor adventures.

Clients traveling to Lapland can visit the home of Santa Claus, enjoy winter sports, view the Northern Lights and travel by husky, reindeer or snowmobile, but now, as part of the revamp, they can also visit Kemi on the west coast (home to the Snow Castle and the Sampo Icebreaker), Ivalo and Inari up close to the top of Finland and Urho Kekkonen National Park. On the eastern side, they can visit Ruka and Kuusamo.

All of the locations are a short flight from Finland’s capital of Helsinki and shorter itineraries have been designed so they can be combined with others. For example, a trip to Finland can be paired with other countries in northern Europe, such as the Baltics, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. 

The five new customizable itineraries include Fantastic Finland, Rovaniemi Regional Highlights, Helsinki Regional Highlights, Finland Summer Adventure, and Finland Winter Adventure.