Tourism, flying, and climate: How Helsinki tackles the hardest and biggest part of the climate challenge in tourism.

The City of Helsinki has committed to strong climate action by signing the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, which aims to halve tourism emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050. The declaration supports Helsinki's wider climate policy, which targets an 85 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2040.

Helsinki has already taken major steps to reduce emissions. One of the most significant actions has been the closure of two large coal power plants that previously heated the city. These closures have reduced emissions on a massive scale not only locally but also at the national level in Finland.

Tourism, however, presents a distinct challenge. A carbon footprint calculation completed in 2025 showed that about 92 percent of tourism emissions in Helsinki come from travel to the destination, mainly air travel. These emissions total around 2.3 million tonnes of CO₂e, almost the same amount as the emissions from the two coal power plants that were closed. For comparison, Helsinki's current Scope 1 and 2 emissions are estimated at 1.1 million tonnes of CO₂e.

At the same time, Helsinki aims to grow tourism. This follows global trends. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that leisure travel will triple by 2040, while IATA predicts that air travel will double within about 20 years. This creates clear tension. Helsinki wants to reduce emissions, but tourism growth usually means more flying.

This raises difficult questions. Can strong climate goals and tourism growth coexist? Is it realistic to meet the targets of the Glasgow Declaration? It is also important to recognize that flying is essential for Helsinki and Finland. Finland is geographically remote, and air connections are critical not only for tourism but also for business, trade, research, security of supply and family connections. Without leisure travel, many flight routes would disappear, with serious consequences for the Finnish economy.

Several scenarios were examined to understand how aviation emissions could be halved by 2030. None of the options are realistic on their own. Cutting international travel by half would reduce emissions, but it would also reduce tourism income too much (18 %). Shifting most air travel to land and sea routes or relying mainly on nearby markets such as the Nordic and the Baltic countries would require very large changes in travel behavior. Replacing long-haul visitors with European visitors would reduce emissions, but not enough to reach the target alone.

Extending visitor stays is another option. The average stay in Helsinki has remained almost unchanged since the mid-1990s, about 1.7 nights. To offset fewer flights, the average stay would need to double, which would be difficult to achieve in practice.

For these reasons, a combined approach is the most realistic path forward. A mix of measures could include modest shifts to land and sea travel, a stronger focus on domestic, nearby and European markets, increased domestic tourism and slightly longer stays. Together, these actions could reduce emissions by about 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂e over the next five years, effectively halving tourism emissions compared to pre-pandemic levels without intentionally reducing tourism revenue.

Whether this can be achieved remains uncertain. The calculations are indicative and include uncertainties, but they help illustrate the scale of change required. The key challenge for Helsinki is to balance ambition with realism and to take practical steps toward more climate-smart tourism while protecting the city's economy and connectivity.

This blogpost is based on a white paper written by Atlas Juvakka and Jukka Punamäki from the Helsinki tourism and destination management unit.

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Tourism, flying and climate: How Helsinki can tackle the challenge

Tourism sustainability in Helsinki | City of Helsinki

- written by Guest Blogger, Jukka Punamäki 

About Jukka: For the last three years, we at Place Generation have had the joy of working with Jukka after winning VivaCity. Jukka doesn't just talk about sustainable tourism, he practically breathes it (CO₂ free, of course), and still somehow manages to keep Helsinki one of the world's most attractive places to visit. 

While most destinations are still arguing about whose emissions count, Jukka and his colleagues have already moved on to tackling tourism's biggest climate challenge. Together with his colleague Atlas, put all their thoughts into a white paper, because when Finns get serious, they write it down in detail. And if sustainability had a fan club, Helsinki would be the chair, secretary, and unofficial bouncer – kindly but firmly asking unnecessary emissions to leave the room.