Finland as a cycling tourism destination: SWOT

Author: Päivi Tommola

Cycling tourism refers to recreational visits away from home, which involve leisure cycling as a fundamental and significant part of the trip (CBI 2024). In the 2020s, this form of tourism has increased in volume and visibility globally, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the longer-term rise of nature-based tourism and sustainability. As a form of slow tourism, cycling offers a good way for visitors to immerse themselves in nature and familiarise themselves with the local way of life. Electric bikes have made it a more accessible hobby, and the commercial potential is now better recognised also in Finland.

Finland’s international tourism marketing tends to divide the country into three major regions, each with distinct pull factors and service markets. Lapland appeals to tourists with its fell landscapes and wilderness, combined with a good variety of activities, while the strongest pull factor for the Coast and Archipelago and Lakeland Finland are the sea and lake landscapes (Visit Finland 2024). The joint pull factors for the country as a whole are its 41 well-maintained national parks and seven hiking areas. Combined with Everyman’s Right, these enable easy access to nature by several modes of transport. A new nationwide pull factor that has received worldwide visibility is Finland’s status as the happiest country in the world, recently confirmed for the seventh time running (World Happiness Report 2024).

All three major regions important for Finnish tourism are also popular as cycling tourism destinations. The Coast and Archipelago region is well known on international markets, for example, for the Archipelago Trail. The Saimaa Archipelago Route in Lakeland Finland is a similar top destination in terms of its pull factors and has quickly become a very popular destination for cycling. Cycling tourism in Lapland has risen strongly in recent years in the ski resorts of Levi, Ruka and Ylläs, which are all seeking new appeal by developing cycling tourism routes and activities for the summer season to supplement their already popular winter seasons (Kittilän kunta 2021, Ylläksen matkailuyhdistys 2022, Ruka-Kuusamo matkailu 2020).

National coordination and international routes

The Finnish Centre for Cycling Tourism has been responsible for coordinating the development of cycling tourism in Finland and for marketing since 2020. It endeavours to harmonise development work nationwide (Pyöräilykuntien verkosto 2020, Bikeland 2024). In its first years of operation, the Finnish Centre for Cycling Tourism has invested in developing national cycling routes, concepts for cycling-friendly services, and international cooperation.

Four international EuroVelo routes currently pass through Finland, each with a distinct theme. The Iron Curtain trail (EuroVelo 13) along the eastern border highlights Finland’s history as a neighbour of Russia, and the Baltic Sea Cycle Route (EuroVelo 10) showcases the coastal landscapes of the Baltic Sea. The East Europe Route (EuroVelo 11) and the Sun Route (EuroVelo 7) run north-south across Europe, one connecting the countries of Eastern Europe and the other focusing on the sun as a theme (EuroVeloFinland 2024). Overall, the EuroVelo routes currently have fairly poor visibility in the domestic cycling tourism market. However, they have succeeded internationally in raising interest in cycling in Finland, at least among active cyclists. Better productisation and marketing of the routes could increase their use substantially and expand the target groups they appeal to.

In addition to the EuroVelo routes, Finland currently has three routes under the Finnish Centre for Cycling Tourism’s branding: South by Cycle, Arctic by Cycle, and Lakeland Cycle (Bikeland 2024). The “by Cycle” routes all showcase local nature and cultural sites as well as cycling-friendly services along the routes, each related to a distinct theme. From a tourism perspective, the regional “by Cycle” routes are important tools for local branding, offering good opportunities to highlight attractions such as local cultural heritage, cuisine or geological stories in Finland’s five UNESCO Global Geoparks.

Welcome Cyclist attitude

Finland already has a pretty good offering of cycling routes for long-distance cycling. However, only the northern ski resorts have strong networks of signposted mountain-biking routes and international standard Bike Parks. In Southern Finland, greater investments have been made in building mountain biking routes over the past five years. In this context, many of Finland’s national parks and hiking areas have begun including alternatives for cyclists in their route offerings.

The areas near larger Finnish towns and cities offer interesting opportunities to promote cycling tourism to mountain bikers: signposted cycling route networks have recently been developed in Lahti and Rovaniemi, for instance (Lahden kaupunki 2024, Rovaniemen kaupunki 2024). Developing mixed routes that use several modes of transport could also offer a new avenue into cycling tourism.

Alongside mountain biking, gravel biking is a fashionable form of cycling in Finland – the Ruka and Lahti regions have made major investments in this. Gravel biking also benefits from two international cycling events taking place in Finland: FNLD GRVL, launched by Valtteri Bottas, and the Nordic event series Falling Leaves (FNLD GRVL 2024, Nordic Gravel Series 2024). The Saimaa Cycle Tour is an interesting newcomer among tourism cycling events, having rapidly become Finland’s largest cycling event and an important asset when advertising cycling tourism in the region (Saimaa Cycle Tour 2024).

Alongside its work to develop routes, the Finnish Centre for Cycling Tourism has engaged in nationwide development work for cycling tourism by launching the Welcome Cyclist badge, which marks cycling-friendly services. Over 400 operators currently use this badge throughout Finland, but there are major differences between the regions in terms of the use and visibility of the badge.

Challenges and opportunities related to the conditions

Cycling tourism is an outdoor activity, so the natural conditions and weather greatly influence the experience. With its thousands of lakes, small elevation differences in altitude, and peaceful, well-maintained network, Finland offers the best opportunities to make this experience even more appealing.

The conditions for cycling tourism are expected to become more challenging this century as the climate heats up and summer rainfall volumes decrease in Southern Europe (Ilmatieteen laitos 2024). Amid this change, Finland, where excessive heat is rarely a concern, will likely become a more interesting destination for cycling tourists. This is especially so if the special characteristics of the country’s climate are better taken advantage of, such as four clearly distinct seasons, the northern lights and the dark autumn. Winter cycling has already been recognised as an opportunity, and related services are being offered to tourists in various parts of Finland. However, the offering and maintenance of routes do not fully allow for large increases in cycling tourism in the winter.

Alongside the natural conditions and climate, safety considerations affect Finland’s attractiveness as a cycling tourism destination. Safety in general has been considered one of the country’s strengths, although, in recent years, a feeling of uncertainty has bubbled up, especially near the eastern border, in relation to the war in Ukraine. This has also been reflected in tourism.

Figure 1: Finland as a cycling destination: SWOT. Figure by Päivi Tommola

References

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Author

Päivi Tommola works as RDI specialist in LAB University of Applied Sciences. She is specialised in nature-based tourism.

Illustration: Winter cycling is nowadays a strong pull factor for cycling tourism in Finland. Photo: Päivi Tommola.

Reference to this article

Tommola, P. 2024. Finland as a cycling tourism destination: SWOT. LAB Pro. Cited and the date of citation. Available at https://www.labopen.fi/lab-pro/finland-as-a-cycling-tourism-destination-swot/