The first half of 2025 strengthened the status of Oulu and the Pohjola Route as attractive tourist destinations, especially in the eyes of international travellers. Although there has been a slight decline in domestic tourism, the number of foreign travellers and their length of stay are clearly on the rise.
Tourists from Central Europe, North America and Asia in particular have found their way to Oulu and Northern Finland, and new flight connections are further strengthening this trend. Overnight stays by German tourists increased by 27% in the first half of the year, the number of visitors from the United States rose by 28.4%, and overnight stays by Chinese tourists increased by 183% compared to the previous year. The number of tourists from the Netherlands, England and Austria is also growing significantly. Oulu has strengthened its position as an attractive and accessible destination, especially for European tourists.
In June, Oulu recorded 70,700 paid overnight stays, of which 50,500 were in hotels and other registered accommodation establishments. Despite the decline in the total number of overnight stays in June, it was still clearly the busiest month of the first half of the year in Oulu.
New flight connection: Discover Airlines brings Frankfurt closer to Oulu
Oulu Airport celebrated on Monday, 9 June 2025, when Discover Airlines launched a new connection from Frankfurt to Oulu. The Lufthansa Group company expanded its year-round Frankfurt–Kittilä route by adding a stop in Oulu. The flight is a direct connection from Frankfurt to Oulu, but when departing from Oulu, the plane makes a short stopover in Kittilä.
Discover Airlines has confirmed that from 16 January 2026, the route from Oulu to Frankfurt will be flown directly twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. This will create a direct, non-stop connection between Oulu and Frankfurt in both directions – an important addition for the smooth flow of both leisure and business travel.
The German flight connection will be particularly significant in 2026, when Oulu will be the European Capital of Culture. The direct connection to Frankfurt will improve accessibility and provide even better conditions for the Capital of Culture year to attract visitors from Central Europe, especially from German-speaking countries.
Pohjola Route: growing international appeal
In the Pohjola Route area, the number of registered overnight stays by foreign visitors increased by +14.5% between January and June 2025, and their share of all overnight stays rose to 20.4%. This indicates strong appeal among foreign tourists.
- There has been a clear increase in the number of visitors from the United States (+7.7%), England (+17.7%), France (+11.8%), Denmark (+87.1%) and China (+61.7%).
- The total number of registered overnight stays by foreign visitors was almost 96,000, which indicates continued growth in the Northern Finland tourism market.
Although the overall statistics for June show a decline compared to a year ago, the trend for the first half of the year is encouraging: demand from abroad supports the long-term recovery and development of tourism in the region.
