The award ceremony was held for the first time in Helsinki on June 2, 2025, attracting 250 professionals from across Finland’s travel industry.

The Grand Travel Awards are a prestigious recognition within the global travel industry. Originally launched in Sweden in 1992, the Grand Travel Awards have since become a major institution in Norway and Denmark. This year, Finland joined the tradition with an emphasis on transparency, service excellence, and – crucially – the desire of travelers to return to winning destinations.

The award was accepted on behalf of Greece by Ms. Natalia-M. Karageorgou, Greek Ambassador to Finland, and Ms. Eftychia-Christina Aivalioti, Head of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Office responsible for the Northern and Baltic countries.

In the hotly contested World’s Best Travel Destination category, Greece prevailed over fellow finalists Spain and Italy.

In recent years, Greece has consistently ranked as the top choice among Finnish travelers. Arrivals from Finland exceeded 220,000 in both 2024 and 2023, according to the Association of the Finnish Travel Industry (SMAL).

The award reaffirms the strong demand and continued enthusiasm of the Finnish market for Greece, securing its place as a leading global destination, according to the GNTO.

This article was previously published in Greek at moneyreview.gr