According to 2018’s World Happiness Report, Finland is the happiest place on Earth. The report ranked 156 countries by happiness levels, based on factors such as life expectancy and social support. And for the first time, the annual report published by the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network also evaluated 117 countries by the happiness and well-being of their immigrants.
CEO of the Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute, bestselling author, and frequent Airbnb guest, Meik Wiking, said Finland and the other four Nordic countries that reliably rank high in the index “are doing something right in terms of creating good conditions for good lives” and that “free healthcare and university education goes a long way when it comes to happiness.”
And travelers on Airbnb have noticed: The number of guests traveling to Finland has increased by 68% from 2016 to 2017.
Superhost Riikka thinks the ranking could be due in part “because we have four very distinct seasons: you can do so many different activities here: from swimming in the lakes in summer to cross country skiing in winter. Another reason I feel Finns are so cheerful is because most homes come with a sauna!”
And host Teemu says, “as an Airbnb host I’m always pleased when my guests all over the world notice the beauty of the Finnish nature. You can get in touch with it even in the city center. I think that is the one thing that makes us Finns so happy. Another thing is that we’ve had the privilege to live in a peaceful and free society over 70 years. Our excellent health care is also a vital factor in our happiness. Guests from around the world, just as we Finns, appreciate our comfortable homes.”
And with nearly 12,000 homes in Finland on Airbnb, here are just some of them that will give you a chance to live like the Finns do – in saunas, in the outdoors, and happy.
