The trip is called the Finnish Dinner Date. It covers accommodation, meals and a hosted programme of activities. The main event is a group dinner in a surprise setting, where each group of eight is joined by two local Finnish singles. Winners will not know whether they are going to the capital or to Tampere until their place is confirmed.

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Each city offers a different version of Finland. Helsinki has its waterfront, its architecture and city life. Tampere, on the western edge of the Finnish Lakeland, is surrounded by forests and lakes and is known for its sauna culture. Each dinner will serve an official regional tasting menu. Chef Adele Kinnunen will cook in Helsinki and chef Henry Tikkanen in Tampere.

The idea comes from a Finnish custom called the sinkkukori, or “single basket”. In some grocery stores, shoppers can pick a pink basket to show they are open to meeting someone new. It is a quiet way to start a conversation in a country known for valuing personal space.

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The dinner date is the latest part of Visit Finland’s “Have some Finnish” campaign. The campaign aims to make Finnish food a reason to visit, rather than something secondary to the scenery. Earlier in 2026, people across Finland were asked which dishes best represent their regions. Leading chefs then turned the answers into four official tasting menus. Two were served to a first group of travellers in September. The Helsinki and Lakeland menus are the last two.

Visit Finland calls Finnish food “Europe’s last undiscovered cuisine”. It admits that most visitors could not name a single Finnish dish. Examples include creamy salmon soup, fried vendace and Tampere’s black sausage with lingonberry jam.

How to apply

There are two steps. First, applicants record a short video in English answering one question: what would you serve on a dinner date, and why? They post it on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube with the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate and tag Visit Finland’s account on that platform: @ourfinland on Instagram, @visitfinland.com on TikTok or @VisitFinland on YouTube. Instagram and TikTok profiles must be public. YouTube videos can be uploaded as unlisted for anyone who prefers not to apply publicly.

Second, applicants fill in the online form on Visit Finland’s website and include the link to their video.

The trip is open to single adults who are not Finnish citizens. The deadline is Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 11:59 am Finnish time. Visit Finland will announce the winners on 1 December 2026 on its Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Romance is not guaranteed, but every participant will at least get to know Finnish food.

L’article Finland wants to fly 16 singles to a blind dinner date in February 2027 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Finland introduced its own restrictions on non-essential Russian travel in 2022 and now wants other countries to follow. The Schengen area allows travel between participating European countries without routine internal border checks. A standard Schengen visa generally allows its holder to visit several countries during the same trip, subject to entry conditions and national restrictions. This means the effects of a visa decision can extend beyond the country issuing it. “It is not right that Russians can travel to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians,” wrote Valtonen. Finland’s foreign ministry says Schengen countries granted Russians close to 500,000 tourist visas in 2025. 

We must stop issuing tourist visas for Russian citizens across the EU. I have invited other EU Member States to join a letter addressed to the European Commission. I am calling for a complete EU ban on Russian tourist visas for as long as Russia continues its war of aggression. It is not right that Russians can travel to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians. Issuing visas to Russians for non-essential travel was banned in Finland already in 2022. The same must finally happen at the EU level. I am also calling for a ban on Schengen visas to Putin’s inner circle, visa restrictions for Russian athletes, and the effective implementation of the visa ban on Russian combatants. The EU must act together. https://t.co/y8eYYNu1lw

— Elina Valtonen (@elinavaltonen) October 12, 2026

Beyond tourism, Finland wants binding visa restrictions targeting President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and people supporting individuals or organisations under EU sanctions. Another request concerns Russian athletes and sports team members with close ties to the Russian government. Their return to international competitions has become a further point of political disagreement. Helsinki also wants effective implementation of restrictions on current and former Russian combatants. Finland’s foreign ministry describes that measure as agreed by EU member states during the summer, although the arrangements for putting it into practice remain an issue.

Security concerns have added urgency to the debate over who receives permission to enter Europe. An alleged drone bomb plot in Germany in August reportedly involved a Russian passport holder who had entered using an Italian tourist visa. The reported case has intensified concern about how visas issued in one Schengen country can affect security elsewhere. It has also increased pressure on governments that continue to issue tourist visas to Russian citizens. Finland’s proposals seek both broader restrictions on holiday travel and targeted measures against people considered a security risk.

Finland is urging the EU to completely stop issuing tourist visas to Russians. PM Petteri Orpo will propose it at next week’s European Council, citing sabotage fears. The EU issued 800,000 such visas last year; Finland issued none. Finland already stopped issuing them in 2022 and closed its Russian land border in December 2023. #Finland #EU #Russia #TouristVisas #VisaBan #PetteriOrpo #EuropeanCouncil #BorderClosure #SabotageThreat #Sanctions #Snnfinland

— SNN Finland (@snnfinalnd) October 10, 2026

The EU has already made Russian travel more difficult through tighter rules on Schengen visas, introduced in November 2025. Those measures restricted access to multiple-entry visas for Russian nationals applying in Russia, requiring most affected travellers to make a fresh application for each journey. Some exceptions remained, including for certain family members and transport workers. Existing valid multiple-entry visas were not automatically cancelled by that decision. The changes followed the suspension of the EU’s visa facilitation agreement with Russia in 2022, which made applications more expensive and complicated. Finland’s latest proposal would go further by stopping visas for tourism altogether. 

However, European countries have remained divided over Russian visa restrictions. Finland and several countries close to Russia have pressed for tougher measures, while France, Italy and Spain have opposed previous attempts to introduce a tourist visa ban. France has previously defended continued contact with Russian citizens, arguing that cultural exchanges and personal ties can support dialogue. That position distinguishes the Russian government from its population, including civil society and opponents of the war. Finland is now seeking wider support for restrictions that would apply consistently across the bloc. 

One option under discussion is a German proposal for visas with limited territorial validity, allowing travel only within specified countries. Valtonen would support this approach as an interim measure. Finland also wants the European Commission to propose changes to the EU Visa Code, which sets the rules for short-stay visas. The aim is to allow binding restrictions to be imposed more quickly when relations with another country deteriorate severely on political or security grounds. The Commission is expected to present a proposal in January 2027 addressing visa-related threats from hostile countries.

L’article Finland calls for EU-wide ban on Russian tourist visas est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

What does the world’s happiest country need to make it an even happier place? As it turns out, not a mainstream festival with amplifiers, gigantic stages, or expensive entry tickets. Instead, the Finnish municipality of Pyhtää, located some 90 minutes from Helsinki, aims to attract visitors with an event where natural beauty and the sounds that come with it take centre stage.

Hiljaa Fest is being marketed as the world’s first Festival of Nature Listening and even as ‘Quietchella’, in reference to the more worldly, California-based, star-studded event. According to the organisers, 13 unique nature stars of Valkmusa will show their talents across four different stages. 

“Valkmusa’s beauty can be found in its small details: how the wind whispers, how the moss faintly rustles, how the birds sing to you. We have planned the first-ever Festival of Nature Listening so that visitors get to tour the national park and really listen to the music nature creates. It is a festival trip designed to nurture one’s soul and one’s mind,” said the creative director of Hiljaa Fest, wilderness guide Simo Peri.

At the Räme Stage, closest to the main entrance, visitors will encounter the fragrant marsh Labrador tea and windswept gnarled pines of the mire – the festival’s aromatic opening stage.

At the Neva Stage, the festival’s main stage and the heart of the open bog, attendees will be able to meet the Sphagnum Moss, Sundew, Cloudberry, Cranberry, Morning Mist, and the ever-changing scents of the wind.

At the Simonsaari Stage, offering an elevated viewing stage overlooking the entire festival grounds, birdwatchers and boardwalk wanderers alike might catch a sight of the Black Grouse, Common Crane, and Common Lizard.

Finally, at the Moronvuori Korpisuo Stage, festival-goers will be able to enjoy the area’s finest viewpoint and most dramatic scenery, with the magnificent Moronvuori Cliffs to take their breath away.

@visitkotkahaminaofficial What if the stars of the festival were… nature itself? Welcome to Quietchella – the world’s first festival of nature listening at Valkmusa National Park. Here, the headliners aren’t pop stars but black grouse, cranes, wind, peat moss and the sounds of the mire Instead of rushing from one act to another, slow down, listen and explore Valkmusa at your own pace The festival continues throughout the autumn as a self-guided experience. Come for the nature. Stay for the silence Valkmusa National Park, Pyhtää – just a 1-hour drive from Helsinki #finland #nature #mire #pyhtää #thingstodo ♬ original sound – Visitkotkahaminaofficial

“We wanted to place the spotlight on our beautiful national park. We believe in the Hiljaa Fest being our own little Quietchella: it encourages visitors to stop, truly enjoy the silence, and take in the vast surrounding nature with all their senses. Valkmusa is an enchanting place to experience all year round, but especially in the fall as the foliage changes colour and the leaves shine in a rich spectrum of shades,” Terhi Lindholm, municipal director of Pyhtaa, shared in a press release.

Hiljaa Fest will start off on 10 October during a free but invitation-only event. However, afterwards, visitors can continue to enjoy the festival grounds until 31 October 2026 as a self-guided festival experience, open to everyone. The festival area is accessible via boardwalks and forest trails, and the event is therefore currently not suitable for visitors who require mobility aids. Festivalgoers are asked to follow Finland’s outdoor code: respecting nature, leaving no trace, and treating the environment and its performers with care.

L’article Finland to organise Festival of Nature Listening, dubbed ‘Quietchella’ est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Saunasaari, or “sauna island”, can be reached from Helsinki’s Market Square in minutes via a water taxi. Matching wooden cottages form a quaint wellness village on the island’s shores, which boasts uninterrupted panoramic views of the city’s entire eastern profile.

Making Saunasaari a stand-out experience is the island’s large traditional smoke sauna, the only such sauna in Helsinki. It sits alongside two traditional Finnish wood-fired hot tubs, called palju; separate male and female changing cabins; and several separate saunas. Paths gently wind between them and to the refreshing waters of the Baltic Sea.

Launching the venture, Nina Stenros, one of Saunasaari’s creators, noted how important the connection with the capital is, saying: “the Finnish archipelago, traditional smoke sauna, open-fire cooking, and genuine hospitality are all deeply rooted in our identity. We wanted to create an experience where visitors can step into that world without leaving Helsinki.”

The Finnish capital’s foodie reputation is not left behind either. Nina and partner Riky Stenros, are combining a restaurant experience with the island’s saunas, so visitors can indulge their skin, their senses, and their stomachs thanks to a char-grilled dinner menu cooked at the island’s summer kitchen called ‘Rök.’ They also offer a full dining hall capable of accommodating large dinner parties and a smaller, more intimate dining space.

A package including boat transfer, and a ‘sauna and dine’ experience gives access to two smoke saunas and the palju, for €128. Guests can also reach the island with their own boats. For private events, the entire island can be rented out. Reservations can be made for Fridays and Saturdays until the season ends on the 8^th of August.

Saunasaari taps into two wider travel and trends: the success of the spa and wellness sector which is currently valued by the Global Wellness Institute at a record $6.8 trillion, and is growing at around nine percent annually; and the premium leisure experience market, which is performing so well it is credited with propping up aviation during the recent oil crisis, has been recognised as a key area of growth in the US hotel sector, and even has luxury goods brands like LVMH partnering with Orient Express to launch the world’s largest mega yacht.

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While observing the shore from the exclusive distance of a luxury sailing vessel may be one way to travel, Stenros also emphasises that authenticity is a vital part of what visitors want. “Fresh air, the beauty of the archipelago, local food, respect for traditions and the scientifically recognised health benefits of sauna culture are all becoming more relevant than ever. At the same time, visitors want experiences that feel real. They want to understand how people actually live, eat, and relax in Finland rather than simply observing it from the outside.”

L’article Finland opens new “Sauna Island” with unique smoke sauna and dining experience est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The tourist office in Levi, a popular Nordic skiing destination and viewing point for the Northern Lights, has hidden a gold bar worth €20,000 somewhere among the area’s local trails, service venues, and landmarks.

Coinciding with the season of the midnight sun in Lapland, from 18 June 2026 until 22 August (or until the gold bar is found), a trail of clues will be gradually revealed by the destination manager as part of a “Midnight Sun Hunt,” allowing guests in the region to hunt the treasure. And if they find it, no matter how many clues they solved in order to do so, it’s theirs.

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While not everyone can come away from their Lapland adventure with their very own gold bar, the idea is that everyone who visits the region will be a winner, having discovered some sort of gold of their own. ”Levi is known above all for its winter, but the northern summer is still undiscovered by many,” Satu Pesonen, the CEO of Visit Levi, said. “We want to give travellers a new reason to visit Levi when the sun never sets, and the fell landscape reveals a completely different side of itself.”

At the time of writing, the Levi Midnight Sun Hunt website is counting down the days and hours to the first clue reveal, while a social media campaign backed by an atmospheric, ancestral score portrays northern summer outdoor pursuits such as canoeing and walking, set against radiant 24-hour daylight and pristine local forest landscapes. “Read the land, until it gives up its secrets,” a slogan urges.

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The goldrush concept is a joint venture by Visit Levi, Agnico Eagle Mining Company, and Levi Ski Resort. However, the organisers are keen to emphasise that participants in the hunt should not dig or disturb any terrain and must stick to exploring permitted zones only, respecting the natural environment. “The hunt has been designed to encourage responsible exploration of the area while showcasing the unique character of the Arctic summer,” the official website says.

Named Outdoor Destination of the Year 2025 at the Scandinavian Outdoor Award Travel at ITB Berlin last March, Finnish Lapland is set to receive a boost to its connectivity by the end of 2026, thanks to five new direct European routes operated by AirBaltic to and from the region.

L’article Finnish Lapland promotes summer tourism with €20,000 gold bar treasure hunt est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Kruunuvuorensilta bridge not only stands as Finland’s longest at 1,191 metres across, but also marks a new record for the country’s tallest at 135 metres, beating the highest residential building by one metre. It connects the waterfront residential neighbourhood with the island of Korkeasaari, the district of Laajasalo, and central Helsinki.

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City mayor Daniel Sazonov said: “Kruunuvuorensilta bridge is the new, unique and exciting landmark for Helsinki. A sight that will draw visitors from near and far. The new bridge reshapes how we look at Helsinki. It attaches the areas of Kruunuvuorenranta and Laajasalo in a completely new way to the larger central city area. The bridge reflects our commitment to sustainable solutions and embraces Helsinki’s unique maritime setting.”

Started in 2021 and coming in at a cost of around €326 million, according to official figures, the bridge now cuts the distance between neighbouring city districts by nearly six kilometres, and by 2030, it is predicted to be serving around 23,000 tram trips and 3,750 cycling trips per day. Work on a light rail system is ongoing.

@markhactar #helsinki #finland #suomi #kruunusilta #urban ♬ Eshgam (Love) – Khrystalist

Helsinki is implementing a long-term vision to prioritise public transport, walking and cycling in urban mobility. The majority of journeys in Helsinki are made using sustainable modes: around 41% on foot, 25% by public transport and 11% by bike, while only about 20% are made by car.

With a design life of 200 years, Kruunuvuorensilta aims to boost tram and active mobility for future generations. The bridge’s sustainability credentials can also be seen in a carbon footprint of approximately 129,000 tCO₂e, of which 76% originates from construction and 24% from operation and maintenance over a 50-year period. Emissions have been reduced through the use of low-emission materials and renewable energy sources.

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The structure also features weather-proofing approaches suited to Helsinki’s cold, coastal location, with stay cables that the wind keeps in constant, slight motion, preventing ice formation. Combined with a special coating, it means the bridges can shiver away flakes of ice as they form. Like the best of Finnish design, in a country known for the happiness of its citizens, it combines practicality with a sense of fun and joy, with different colours of LED lighting up at different times of day.

For fans of Finnish architecture, one of the oldest indoor swimming pools in the Nordics re-opened in the capital earlier this year, combining Classicism and Art Deco and offering not just a place to do laps, but a heritage taste of Finland’s sauna culture.

L’article Helsinki inaugurates world’s longest pedestrian bridge capable of shivering away its own ice est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

At a time when the aviation sector remains under pressure from soaring jet fuel prices, rerouted flights and ongoing geopolitical tensions, rail is quietly reasserting itself as a more stable alternative. Travel demand has not disappeared but shifted, with many travellers avoiding routes linked to the Middle East while still looking for ways to move across Europe.

For those heading north, there is an added incentive. Finland has once again ranked as the world’s happiest country, while neighbouring Sweden also sits firmly in the global top tier. This new link effectively allows travellers to experience both in one seamless journey.

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The long-awaited connection hinges on the reopening of the Tornio–Haparanda rail link, on the Finnish-Swedish border. From Tornio, passengers will be able to cross into Haparanda and connect onwards to the wider European rail network for the first time in decades.

The project follows a bilateral agreement confirmed last week, with Finland investing €1.9 million to restore the line. The service is expected to be fully state-financed by the 2030s.

No exact date has yet been confirmed, but the launch is expected in late June, in time for the summer holiday season. Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Lulu Ranne, said, “The goal is to get the train service started during the summer”.

In practical terms, the link will enable a rail journey of roughly 5,000 kilometres, stretching from Kolari in Finnish Lapland to the Algarve in southern Portugal. It would make it the longest continuous rail route in Europe, a major draw for Interrailers.

From https://t.co/xTTbt1eQQQ :
“Anyone want to set a new record?

When Tornio – Haparanda services start this summer, a new longest train journey in EU is possible.
Geodesic 4000km
Kemijärvi – Lagos , surpassing previous best 3855.54km Riksgränsen – Lagos ” pic.twitter.com/DxWZ4j6I8W

— Chris Ogilvie (@Ogilvie_CJ) April 17, 2026

The journey, however, is not for the time-pressed. A full trip between Helsinki and Stockholm by rail will take around 24 hours, compared with roughly 18 hours by ferry or a much shorter flight. Those choosing rail will be trading speed for a slower, more scenic journey.

The reconnection restores the Tornio–Haparanda route, a line that dates back to the early 20th century but fell out of use for passenger traffic in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

To mark the reopening, Haparanda’s historic station is being revamped as the meeting point between the two systems. Finnish operator VR trains will run to Tornio and terminate at Haparanda, where passengers can simply walk through the station building to connect to Swedish Norrtåg services.

From the outset, the main obstacle has been the different track gauge systems used by Finland and Sweden. Sweden uses the standard European 1,435 mm gauge, while Finland, then part of the Russian Empire, adopted the broader 1,524 mm gauge.

A solution was found early on. After the rail bridge over the Torne River opened in 1919, shortly after Finland gained independence, engineers implemented a dual-gauge, four-rail track system. That same approach, updated with modern infrastructure, remains in use today and will support the return of passenger services in 2026.

The reopening will also mark Finland’s first regular international passenger rail connection since services to St. Petersburg were suspended in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to Ranne, the link is expected to strengthen “security of supply and resilience in times of crisis”, while supporting cross-border mobility for work, study and tourism in the Bothnian Arc region.

Beyond passengers, the route carries clear strategic weight. Rail corridors have historically regained importance in periods of geopolitical tension, offering a more stable channel for goods and connectivity when other routes become uncertain.

L’article Finland rail link to Sweden ends isolation and unlocks Europe’s longest journey est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Latvian flag carrier is launching new connections to the major winter sports destination of Kuusamo, flying from Berlin, Hamburg, London, Manchester, and Riga. Direct flights from Düsseldorf, Zurich, and Frankfurt to Kuusamo are already on sale, and elsewhere in Finland, inside the Arctic Circle. The airline also flies to Kittilä.

New winter route: Riga – Kuusamo Chase the Northern Lights, wander through snow covered forests, and experience the quiet magic of Lapland.
From December 11, fly direct from Riga to Kuusamo and discover a winter escape that feels truly different: https://t.co/b9MBwYzpdQ pic.twitter.com/rTzE6ceCqe

— airBaltic (@airBaltic) March 24, 2026

Commenting on the reasoning behind the newly expanded offer, Mantas Vrubliauskas, vice president of Network Development at AirBaltic, told Finavia, “Ruka-Kuusamo is a growing winter destination that offers excellent skiing opportunities and a unique northern natural environment. Together with our existing route to Kittilä, these new additions provide our customers in Finland, Latvia, Germany, and the United Kingdom with even more options for planning their winter holidays.”

Welcoming the development, Teemu Ahola, Director of International Operations at Visit Finland, said the “new connections offer an excellent opportunity to make Ruka-Kuusamo’s attractive winter activities and beautiful natural landscapes accessible to an increasing number of European travelers.”

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Публикация от Ruka Ski Resort (@rukaskiresort)

Named the Outdoor Destination of the Year 2025 at the Scandinavian Outdoor Award Travel, at ITB Berlin last March, the Ruka-Kuusamo region in northeast Finland boasts the Ruka Ski Resort—one of Finland’s largest, with a season from October to May. But with the waterfalls, forests, and canyons of the Oulanka National Park and two others too, it is increasingly a year-round destination, offering prime Northern Lights viewing, in addition to bear watching, canoeing, hiking, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and white-water rafting.

Kuusamo attracts around a million tourists every year on average. The expanded AirBaltic schedule is expected to cater to an extra 11,840 foreign tourists annually. If the connectivity is right, it’s a spot likely to attract not only winter holidaymakers but also those seeking to avoid extreme summer temperatures with “coolcations.”

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Публикация от Ryan Resatka (@ryanresatka)

Citing the collaboration between airBaltic, local businesses, the City of Kuusamo, Finavia and Visit Finland, Juhani Haarma, the CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association, hailed the “business opportunities for local tourism companies” that are anticipated to stem from such “significant tourism investments made in our region.”

The Finnish routes are not the only recently announced network expansion for AirBaltic. The carrier is also launching new routes to Katowice,  Poznan, and Warsaw from Gran Canaria, plus connections to Liège, Ljubljana, and Palanga from Tenerife.

L’article Finnish Lapland air connectivity expands with new AirBaltic routes est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

If once is a charm and three times a pattern, then after nine consecutive wins, the rest of the world might want to start paying attention, and perhaps emulate what makes this Northern European country such a consistently happy place.

The report’s rankings are based on data from over 100,000 individuals in more than 140 countries who were asked to rate the quality of their lives on a scale from 0 to 10.

The findings from World Happiness Report 2026, published today, paint a complex global picture of social media and happiness.

Explore now.

1/2 pic.twitter.com/zZz4HzqYQb

— World Happiness Report (@HappinessRpt) March 19, 2026

Finland has held the top spot since 2018. This year’s top five is broadly similar to last year’s, with one notable, albeit expected change: Costa Rica climbs to fourth place (up from 23^rd in 2022). Iceland ranks second, Denmark third, and Sweden fifth.

So what makes Finland so special?

While GDP and social support remain the strongest predictors of happiness, another pattern stands out: countries that rank highly in altruism also tend to rank highly overall. Donations, volunteering and helping strangers are all strongly associated with higher levels of happiness, a finding that is consistently supported by research.

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Публикация от Travel Tomorrow (@traveltomorrow.eu)

For many Finns, however, the explanation is more intuitive. “I love the fact that Finland is safe and that I can trust the average person here”, Helsinki local Olli Salo told the BBC. “Children walk to school from the age of seven, and you can trust that if someone makes a promise, they will keep it.”

Nature also plays a defining role. ‘”Being able to step outside and reach the sea, a park or a forest for an evening walk within minutes is special”, says Helsinki’s mayor, Daniel Sazonov.

Although taxes are high, the trade-off is high-quality public infrastructure, from transport to education, which removes the ‘everyday stress’ of modern life.

Finland performs strongly across nearly all these indicators. Not only has it secured first place again, but its score has also increased by 0.4 points compared to last year. Of the top ten countries, only Iceland, Costa Rica and Luxembourg have improved their scores, while the others have seen slight declines.

One of the more concerning findings is the decline in happiness among young people in North America (the US is 23^rd) and Europe (the UK is 29^th, France is 35^th, and Portugal is 69^th) over the past fifteen years. This period coincides with the rise of social media, whose use among younger teenagers surged dramatically during the global pandemic. Can all of this be attributed to screens?

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Публикация от Gallup (@gallup)

The report suggests that social media does play a role, particularly among younger users. Heavy use has been linked to an increased number of psychological complaints and lower life satisfaction in all 43 of the countries studied, with the strongest effect observed in Anglo-Celtic countries. Those spending five or more hours online daily, particularly girls, report significantly lower wellbeing, while the highest levels are found among those using it for less than one hour daily.

“We should look at ways to make social media more social again”, says Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an Oxford professor and co-editor of the report.

Australia has already taken action. The country’s landmark ban on social media for under-16s is being watched closely, and next year’s report could reveal whether this bold policy or Nordic winters hold the key to happier, healthier young people.

L’article Finland remains the world’s happiest country for ninth consecutive year est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Boasting a long-held record as the world’s happiest country, Finland is sometimes known as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes” though in reality it possesses hundreds of thousands of them. Its “Lakeland” region, or Järvi-Suomi, in the central and eastern parts of the territory, is Europe’s largest lake district, extending from just north of Helsinki up towards Kainuu. Every summer Finns flock there to live out the national mantra of nature, space, and silence that is such a vital part of what has made them the happiest nation on Earth for the last eight years running.

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Everyone can learn how to “chill like a Finn” though, and Visit Finland is proposing a complimentary chance to do just that, with a giveaway that could see six lucky pairs of visitors relaxing in country cabins, unwinding in saunas, plunging into crystal waters, staying active with kayaking, rafting, and cycling, and, of course, filling up on Finnish cuisine. The holiday offer is also a roadtrip with a rental car, so that winners can fully explore the Lakeland region.

“An increasing number of international tourists come to Finland searching for the secret to happiness, yet Lakeland is still an undiscovered gem for many,” Heli Jimenez, senior director for international marketing at Business Finland, said, adding: “It’s the region Finns themselves return to when they want to relax truly, and the perfect destination for anyone looking to step away from the noise of everyday life.”

Participants will need to be available to arrive in Helsinki, on 11 June 2026. On 12 June, they will head to Lakeland for seven days “chilling like a Finn,” before travelling back to Helsinki on 17 June where they’ll catch a return to their home country on 18 June, or continue their own itinerary, perhaps enjoying nature and design in the Finnish capital, or undertaking a coffee odyssey.

To seize this opportunity, candidates need to be at least 18 years old at the time of application, and at least one of the pair must possess a valid driver’s licence. Conditions include completing a social media challenge imagining the delights of Finland on TikTok or Instagram. The next step is to fill an application form before 29 March 2026 by 11:59PM (EEST). Winners will be contacted during April 2026.

L’article Visit Finland invites travellers to experience Lakeland with free nature retreats est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.