Photo by: Elina Manninen & Keksit & Visit Finland
THE OVERVIEW
Visit Finland
CLIENT Business Finland
INDUSTRY Tourism and food exports
SOLUTIONS Market research, category insights
Business Finland is the Finnish government organisation for innovation funding, exportsupport, tourism and investment promotion. In a region where Nordic countriescompete on similar values, Business Finland partnered with Nepa to better understandhow Finland and Finnish food are perceived globally – and how to stand out.
The goal was to sharpen Finland’s international destination strategy by moving fromassumptions to evidence, and turning food into a stronger pillar of the national brand.One example from this partnership shows how deep insight helped define a clearerbrand narrative for Finland in a crowded, competitive category.
Photo credits for images in this case:
Elina Manninen & Visit Finland, Harri Tarvainen & North Karelia & Visit Finland, Jaska Poikonen & NLUX Northern Luxury Consulting & Visit Finland, Elina Manninen & Keksit & Visit Finland
Photo by: Jaska Poikonen & NLUX Northern Luxury Consulting & Visit Finland
THE CHALLENGE
Breaking through the noise in a crowded Nordic landscape
Food and nature are core elements of Nordic tourism storytelling – and that makes it hard to stand out. While Sweden, Norway and Denmark had already established strong culinary narratives, Finland was less present in the conversation.
The challenge was to identify what sets Finland apart, understand how travellers experience food in the context of tourism, and uncover which messages resonate across key international markets.
Photo by: Harri Tarvainen, North Karelia & Visit Finland
The approach:
Mapping the competitive space and the traveller mindset
To uncover clear opportunities, Nepa combined two sources of insight. First, a digital and content audit across Nordic tourism channels revealed how food was communicated – in words, visuals and tone. Then, a multi-market traveller study explored Finland’s brand image, the role of food in destination choice, and how perceptions differ between countries and traveller types. Together, these insights connected consumer expectations with market realities – and showed where Finland could carve out its own space.
The insight
Shared values, but untapped storytelling potential
Travellers associate Finland with fresh, natural and pure food – but these are also the pillars of the broader Nordic narrative. The audit showed that competitors leaned into signature dishes, emotional storytelling and consistent use of food as a content pillar.Finland had the right ingredients, but lacked a distinctive voice and underused food as a driver of engagement. The gap wasn’t in the product – it was in the story.
Photo by: Elina Manninen & Visit Finland
The impact:
Elevating food from generic feature to brand builder
The work gave Business Finland a clear direction: integrate food more deliberately into the national brand, grounded in real, relatable experiences – like lakeside meals, sauna snacks, coffee rituals and seasonal traditions. These moments not only reflect Finnish culture, but differentiate it. With stronger creative, bolder tone of voice and strategic use of creators, Finland could move from generic attributes to emotional relevance and brand distinctiveness.
Nepa’s insights helped Business Finland clarify its brand narrative, elevate food as a strategic asset, and build a more emotionally engaging story for international travellers.
The result: stronger creative focus, clearer priorities and a competitive advantage rooted in culture, not just claims.
Client perspective
“The research gave us exactly what we needed: a clear, data-driven view of how different international markets perceive Finland and what actually motivates them to visit or engage with our food offerings. By understanding how our Nordic neighbours are positioned, we could see both where we have unique opportunities and where we need to strengthen our storytelling. The insights have informed how we will develop our international food tourism strategy – from the content we create to the stories we tell.”
Terhi Hook, Manager, Industry Development at Business Finland Oy Visit Finland
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