Finnish luxury travel firm offers $35,000 Lapland trips to Oscar nominees

A Finnish travel company is offering Oscar nominees a $35,000 luxury holiday package in Lapland as part of this year’s nominee gift bags, reports Finnish broadcaster Yle. The move aims to boost the company’s visibility, particularly in North America.

Hideout Villas, a luxury travel provider, has included a three-night stay at either Villa Viima in Levi or Villa V in Ylläs as part of the annual Oscar nominee gift bags, valued at over $300,000 in total. The package includes a private chef, chauffeur, and exclusive nature activities.

Tommi Lehtonen, CEO of Hideout Villas, acknowledged that while the offer is generous, few recipients may actually use it. “Hollywood people are busy, so only a small fraction of gift card recipients will likely redeem it,” he said.

The company’s inclusion in the gift bags has already generated international media attention, with Lehtonen noting early inquiries from potential customers. “Time will tell what the overall impact of this visibility will be,” he added.

Johanna Frösén, a marketing professor at Aalto University, called the strategy a “brilliant marketing idea,” emphasizing the difficulty of reaching high-profile influencers even with financial incentives. She explained that celebrities act as “extreme influencers,” whose lifestyle choices—including travel destinations—can spark broader consumer interest.

Frösén also noted that while the $35,000 price tag may seem extravagant, the actual cost to the company is likely lower. “This reflects the retail value a regular consumer would pay. The production costs for the firm are probably much smaller, and achieving similar visibility through other means would be far more expensive.”

Hideout Villas, founded two years ago, manages and rents luxury villas rather than owning them. The company reported over €3 million in revenue last year, with a profit exceeding €600,000—a more than 300% growth since its launch in 2024.

The firm was recommended for inclusion in the Oscar gift bags by a Hollywood-based client, simplifying the selection process. “We didn’t need to extensively prove the quality of our service,” Lehtonen said.

Lapland has seen a rise in high-profile visitors in recent years, with celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo drawing attention to the region. Eerik Rusanen, Lehtonen’s business partner, observed that such visits inspire other affluent travelers. “Some clients specifically mention wanting to stay in the same place as Ronaldo,” he said.