The international World Happiness Report has released its annual listing of the happiest countries in the world. Finland has been named the happiest country in the world in 2024 for the seventh year in a row.
What makes Finland the happiest place in the world?
“You must experience the secret to Finnish happiness first hand. Year after year, Finland has been selected as the happiest country in the world, and it is nice that there are excellent flight connections to Europe's northernmost destination. The sights of Helsinki, a city filled with experiences, and the archipelago of the Gulf of Finland, as well as the peace and quiet of mythical Lapland, are only a few hours away,” says Petri Vuori, Vice President, Sales and Route Development for the airport company Finavia.
There are six direct routes for flying to Helsinki from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Finnair flies to Helsinki Airport from London Heathrow Airport, Manchester, Edinburgh in Scotland and Dublin in Ireland. There are flights from London also by Norwegian from Gatwick Airport and by Ryanair from Stansted Airport. The average flight time is about three hours.
Over 1,2 million people flew between the British Isles and Finland last year
Studies show that European passengers appreciate Helsinki Airport, as it has received high ratings for its customer experience.
“In a recent survey, air passengers rated Helsinki Airport as the best airport in Europe in the size category of 15–25 million passengers. In addition, Helsinki Airport ranked as the world’s fifth best airport among business travellers. We are proud and grateful for the feedback,” Vuori says.
Image: Lapland's popularity as a travel destination within Finland has increased among Europeans. Suvi Mansikkasalo / Visit Finland
Lapland's airports are a gateway to the north
If you are already familiar with Helsinki as a tourist destination, head next to magical Lapland to experience its nature. In the last few years, Lapland's popularity as a tourist destination has increased.
“The past winter season 2023–2024 was record-breaking and European airlines opened almost 20 new direct flight connections to airports in Lapland. We believe that demand will continue to be strong in the coming years,” Vuori says.
Finnish Lapland also offers experiences during the summer season, especially for travellers who enjoy nature and outdoor activities.
You can fly to the fells of Lapland from Helsinki Airport with a connecting flight that will take approximately one hour.
“We offer excellent connections from Helsinki Airport to four different destinations in Lapland. Kittilä, Ivalo, Kuusamo and Rovaniemi airports are gates to the Nordic region and are all located close to favourite destinations,” Petri Vuori says.
In the summer of 2024, you can fly to Lapland from the UK via Helsinki Airport, and there will be direct flight connections for the winter season of 2024–2025. For example, the Finnish airline Finnair flies to Helsinki Airport, with connections to four destinations in Lapland.
Article's main image: Jussi Hellstén / Visit Finland
Read about Finland as a travel destination
Travel to the top of the world: Ivalo
Rovaniemi is much more than just the hometown of Santa
Are you already familiar with the experiences Kittilä has to offer?
