Oulu draws more foreign tourists despite service gaps

Oulu’s overnight stays rose 8% in May as other Finnish cities saw declines, driven largely by international visitors.

According to tourism data collector Visitory, Oulu recorded 70,000 overnight stays in May 2026, an increase of eight percent compared with the same month last year. The growth outpaced every other major Finnish city, with Tampere down four percent, Turku down six percent and Rovaniemi down four percent. Nationally, Finland’s overnight stays fell three percent in May.

Visit Northern Finland chief executive Y.T. Anderson attributed Oulu’s rise to sustained marketing, expanded hotel capacity, new air routes and a growing range of experiences. The city’s designation as a European Capital of Culture for 2026 is also expected to boost arrivals.

International arrivals at Oulu Airport jumped 31% in May, according to Visitory. Anderson said the city’s tourism sector has benefited from systematic development over several years.

Chinese visitor Fang Jian Guang, en route from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and then to Norway’s North Cape, said he stopped in Oulu to see the Toripolliisi statue and to experience local life rather than tourist traps. He praised the city’s calm atmosphere, nature and cool summer weather.

Fang, who flew from Shenzhen, said Finnish service culture lagged behind Asian standards. He cited separate hotel parking fees as an example of what he called excessive proactivity toward guests. He also said clearer, culturally adapted communications would improve the experience for Asian visitors.

Coco Xuning, a resident of Milan, Italy, traveling with her family on a month-long European tour, described Oulu as small, quiet and charming. She highlighted the red wooden houses along the Torinranta waterfront and the Toripolliisi statue. The cool weather, she said, contrasted sharply with Milan’s summer heat and made Oulu an appealing stop.

Anderson noted that northern destinations offering cooler conditions could attract more international tourists as global temperatures rise.