Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - 'Aurinko!' (sun) exclaimed the excited Finns who arrived in Puerto Vallarta last Thursday afternoon, which is not surprising given that they had finally reached this paradise on the Mexican Pacific after their long flight from Finland.

That's right, Finnair has resumed its seasonal nonstop flight from Helsinki, operated with the modern Airbus A350 XWB. This is the first destination in Mexico to receive, for the second year in a row, the most modern plane in the world carrying Finnish and other Nordic tourists who are eager to explore the many tourist offerings in this region of the country.

The inaugural flight of the 2018-2019 season arrived on December 13 with 295 passengers on board, all of them excited to discover Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, and many of them came on the recommendation of those who visited the destination last season.

The airline estimates that more than 5,000 tourists will arrive from Finland and other Nordic countries on this seasonal flight that runs through March 18. This falls in line with Finnair's global strategy to increase connectivity and expand into new markets.

The weekly flight follows almost three years of close cooperation and partnership between Finnair and the Mexico Tourism Board. Representatives of Finnish travel agencies have visited the region several times to close negotiations with local hotels and strengthen room sales.

The Finnair sales agents commented that the Finns are very happy with the reopening of this flight to Puerto Vallarta, saying "the Banderas Bay region offers more possibilities to experience the 'Real Mexico' than other national beach destinations."

In addition to promoting the service in Finland, marketing and publicity efforts have expanded to include neighboring and nearby countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France and Germany, where passengers will be able to make easy connections to the Mexican Pacific Coast.

According to the director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, Javier Aranda Pedrero, Northern Europe is a strong growth opportunity for Mexico. Annually, the region offers 40.7 million overall potential tourists based on their travel tendencies, and Finland accounts for 21% of the market.

Nordic travelers who visit the Banderas Bay region seek sophisticated offerings going beyond sun and beach; their interests include culture, gastronomy as well as sports such as golf. Length of holiday stays average fourteen nights at hotels with 3 stars or higher during their busy travel season from November through March.

According to statistics, 70% of these travelers will stay in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit for two weeks, and 30% for one week, either of which represents a boost to the local economy.