The number of leisure flights from Finland to the US fell by a quarter in 2025, part of a wider decline in interest across Europe. The reason is higher prices, more expensive ESTA and long waiting periods when entering the country.
The number of leisure flights from Finland to the United States will decrease by about 25 percent in 2025, data from the Finnish Association of Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies (SMAL) shows. TASR writes about it according to the website of public broadcaster YLE.
“I just heard from Denmark that travel from Denmark to the US is down by 50 to 60 percent and from Sweden and other countries by 30 percent, so it’s a wider European phenomenon,” explained SMAL CEO Heli Mäki-Fränti. The USA has been a very popular destination for tourists from Finland until now.
Reasons for the decline in flights
He attributes the decline, for example, to a higher price level in the United States. Another factor is the fee for the so-called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which increased from $21 to $40 in September. People fill out the ESTA form well in advance to ensure that the document will be in order at the time of travel.
According to her, visitors should also prepare for long waits at entry points at US airports. “It could take several hours,” she said, adding that the current political tone could reinforce the feeling that visitors are not welcome in the US. As vice president of the European Association of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators (ECTAA), Mäkiová-Fräntiová has a global overview of the tourism industry.
Tourism
People’s desire to visit the US was also affected by negative news from this country. “Of course, as a professional in the tourism industry, I sympathize with my colleagues in the United States. They are also going through quite difficult times there at the moment, and there will certainly be a lot of unemployment in the tourism industry. It will affect tourism revenues,” said Mäkiová-Fräntiová.
