What’s Really Going on With Finnish Travellers?

Did you know that travelling with a dog in Estonia has been made easy? Almost all restaurants and even some museums welcome four-legged companions.

Last year, newspapers wrote that travel by Finns to Estonia had declined. According to Statistics Estonia, Finns stayed overnight in the country 55,000 times last October, the highest number of any foreign nationality. Still, this figure was 4% lower than a year earlier, and the decline has continued for six consecutive months.

But does this really show in everyday street life? At least here in Tallinn, it doesn’t feel that way. Perhaps the statistics do not tell the whole truth. They do not include, for example, Airbnb accommodation or the thousands of Finns who visit the city only on day cruises.

Travel habits are changing, too. What attracts visitors to Estonia now? I spoke with two Finnish travellers at the Surf Café in the Balti Jaama market. They visit regularly. Their usual programme includes restaurants, museums, exhibitions, and cultural experiences.

And what will 2026 bring? In this issue, we tell you where it is worth heading in Estonia right now. We explored the restaurants in the new Golden Gate building in the Rotermann Quarter, listed Tallinn’s best vegan restaurants, and toured the city’s second-hand shops. We also travelled with Stella the dog. She and her owners talk about what it’s like to travel to Tallinn with a four-legged friend.

A trip would be nothing without culture and nightlife. We present the most interesting destinations in Tartu and Pärnu, and also reveal where to find Tallinn’s LGBTQ bars.

In addition, this reading package includes two personal interviews: writer Ville Hytönen shares his thoughts on Estonia and Estonianness, and jazz musician Oleg Pissarenko opens up about his journey from guitarist to composer and concert organiser.

Susanna Poikela
Editor-in-Chief

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