USA attracts Finns with new experiential themes

The Discover America Nordic Roadshow began in Helsinki on 21 September and will continue to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo during the week. According to Brand USA, approximately 720,000 travellers from the Nordic countries visited the United States in 2025. Together, the Nordic countries formed the United States’ sixth-largest European source market.

At the Helsinki event, US destinations and travel companies met Finnish tour operators, travel agencies and travel media. Participants included Choose Chicago, Visit California, Visit Dallas, Travel South USA, Wyoming Office of Tourism, North Dakota Tourism, I Love New York, Universal Destinations & Experiences and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Chicago celebrates Route 66 centenary

In Helsinki, Choose Chicago’s Matt Guillory particularly highlighted the centenary year of Route 66. The historic road begins in Chicago and offers the travel industry one of the most prominent US road trip themes of 2026.

Chicago is also highlighting the city’s other current attractions. According to Choose Chicago, the city has been voted the best large city in the United States in Condé Nast Traveler’s readers’ choice awards for nine consecutive years.

Guillory also said at the Helsinki event that the Barack Obama Presidential Center is one of the city’s major new attractions this year.

In Florida, the focus is on space

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex brought a very different perspective on travel in the United States to Helsinki. On Florida’s Space Coast, rocket launches, meetings with astronauts and space history are a central part of the tourism offering.

Philip Britton of the Kennedy Space Center pointed out that there are numerous rocket launches in the area, some of which can be viewed during a visit. The visitor complex’s autumn 2026 programme also includes astronaut encounters, special tours and other space-themed events.

New York is much more than Manhattan

Heather McCauley of I Love New York encouraged Finnish travel industry professionals to look beyond New York City when considering New York State.

The state offers highly varied travel experiences, from Niagara Falls to the Adirondack Mountains and the Great Lakes region. The message to Finnish tour operators was clear: New York City can serve as a gateway to a much broader tour of the United States.

North Dakota highlights presidential history and Indigenous culture

Fred Walker of North Dakota Tourism highlighted the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and the state’s tourism offerings related to Indigenous peoples.

North Dakota also aims to position itself as part of broader multi-state touring itineraries. In Helsinki, Walker presented routes that combine North Dakota with itineraries via Denver, Minneapolis or Salt Lake City, for example.

Nashville grows from a music city into a versatile events destination

Hannah of Nashville Music City highlighted the city’s sports and year-round events offering alongside its music scene.

Peter Warren of Travel South USA also highlighted Nashville as one of the rapidly developing travel destinations in the southern United States. However, Travel South covers a considerably wider area, where Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans and Memphis form an appealing framework for road trips.

According to Travel South, road trip travel is one of the southern states’ key products for international markets.

Dallas also attracts Finns with ice hockey

Liliana Rivera, Senior Director of Tourism at Visit Dallas, reminded the Helsinki audience of the city’s surprisingly diverse offering.

In Dallas, travellers can combine activities such as horse riding, food culture, events and professional sports. For Finns, a particular connection can be found in the NHL team the Dallas Stars, whose roster includes several Finnish players.

In Dallas, 2026 will also be marked by events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The city’s programme includes exhibitions, cultural events and other initiatives related to the anniversary throughout the year.

Texas is also home to a cluster of more than one hundred wineries

One of the smaller but still relatively unknown destinations for Finns at the Helsinki roadshow was Fredericksburg, Texas.

Located around an hour from Austin, the town is one of the centres of the Texas Hill Country wine region. According to Karen, Fredericksburg’s representative, the area is home to more than one hundred wineries and vineyards.

The destination is marketed to international travellers particularly in connection with Austin, allowing a city break to be combined with the Texas countryside, wines and gastronomy.

Wyoming is developing a classic western road trip

Wyoming Office of Tourism and Sheridan presented the landscapes of the American West and road trip opportunities in Helsinki.

Among Wyoming's best-known tourism attractions are Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, as well as Jackson Hole. Sheridan, meanwhile, is conveniently located on the route between Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, making it a natural stop on a multi-state road trip.

Universal highlights the new Epic Universe

Universal Destinations & Experiences presented both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort.

Orlando's major new attraction is Universal Epic Universe, which expands the offering at Universal Orlando Resort and brings a significant new theme park destination to Florida. In Hollywood, the main attraction remains the Studio Tour, which offers visitors a look at a working film studio.

SAS seeks growth in US traffic

Flight connections were also strongly featured. Mia from SAS Scandinavian Airlines explained that travellers can fly from Helsinki to several US destinations via SAS's Copenhagen hub.

The company will invest in new aircraft over the coming years, creating opportunities to develop its US network as well.

California, Miami and thousands of hotels complemented the offering

Represented by Atlantic Link, Visit California presented the state's extensive tourism offering in Helsinki. The event also featured, among others, Miami Beach's hotel offering and WebBeds, whose representatives said that the company's platform includes around 80,000 accommodation properties available for sale in the United States.

The overall offering clearly reflected the breadth of the United States’ tourism product: within the same country, city breaks, road trip itineraries, national park holidays, wine and food trips, sports holidays, theme park packages, and beach and space tourism can be created for Finnish travellers.

Discover America Finland’s mission is to promote travel to the United States, particularly among travel industry professionals. Its membership includes airlines, hotels, car hire companies, cruise lines, tour operators and tourism organisations, among others, and it works in cooperation with Brand USA.

After Helsinki, the Nordic Roadshow continues to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo until 24 September.