Young women lead travel trend shift in Finland, surpassing young men in adventures

In the early 2000s, the travel agency Kilroy in downtown Helsinki frequently welcomed young men eager to backpack through Asia or embark on round-the-world adventures. Pia-Noora Rautio, who worked behind the counter, listened to their enthusiastic plans for exhilarating journeys similar to those of the adventurous duo in the TV series Madventures. At that time, long trips were primarily undertaken by young men, while women typically opted for group weekend trips to London. Rautio, now Kilroy’s sales manager, notes a significant shift over the past two decades, with an increasing number of young women packing their bags for travel.

According to Statistics Finland, as of 2012, young men aged 24 or younger traveled more than their female counterparts. However, since then, this demographic of women has outpaced men in leisure travel, while men’s travel patterns have remained relatively stable for over a decade.

Kilroy, the largest travel agency for youth and students in the Nordic countries, has observed this trend, with 58 percent of its clients being women since 2019. Many of these women are also choosing to travel solo. Rautio states that young women are now noticeably more proactive than men in seeking adventures, driven in part by inspiration from numerous travel accounts on Instagram and TikTok.

Antti Kivijärvi, a researcher at the Youth Research Society, explains that young women have historically been more inclined than men to relocate for education and job opportunities. He highlights that this increase in travel among young women correlates with broader societal changes regarding gender roles. While men’s travel rates have not declined in parallel with the rise in women’s travel, Kivijärvi cautions against making overly radical conclusions.

Kivijärvi also indicates that for young people, the opportunity to travel and explore the world has become increasingly significant, especially among women. Rautio adds that responsible travel is a priority for youth today, as they recognize the importance of travel experience in a rapidly evolving world.