500+ agency partners12+ years on the ground24 European nations
Lapland Destination Management Company
Lapland Is Sold by the Sled, Not by the Room
A Lapland DMC is a destination management company that runs Arctic programmes on the ground for the travel trade: holding husky, reindeer and snowmobile capacity, contracting lodges and glass igloos at net rates, sizing thermal clothing in advance and placing a coordinator beside your group, under your brand.
Lapland is the Arctic north of Finland and Sweden, and the region most agents mean when a client asks for snow, Santa or the Northern Lights. Finnish Lapland carries most of the trade: Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle, the fell resorts of Levi, Ylläs and Saariselkä, and Inari, the centre of Sámi culture in Finland. Swedish Lapland adds Kiruna, Abisko and the Icehotel at Jukkasjärvi. In winter, flights land straight into Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo and Kiruna, so a group can be on a sled the afternoon it arrives.
What makes Lapland different is that the hotel is rarely the constraint. Husky teams, reindeer farms and snowmobile fleets each take a fixed number of guests per departure, and the best weeks are committed a year ahead. We hold that capacity first and build the stay around it. As a wider Europe DMC we run Lapland on the same contract as Helsinki and the rest of Finland, Stockholm, Tromsø and the fjords, or a wider Nordic circuit.
One Europe DMC · 24 Nations
Christmas, the Aurora and the Midnight Sun
Lapland is three products on one map: a December built around Santa and families, an aurora season for couples and incentive groups, and a summer of light that never quite ends. Each has its own suppliers, its own booking window and its own risks. We run all three, and connect them to the Nordic capitals without a second agreement.
24
Nations Covered
24h
Trade Response
100%
Trade-Only
12+Years On the Ground
Built by Operators
Every Safari Has a Seat Count
A husky sled carries two guests who take turns to drive. A snowmobile carries two, and whoever drives it needs a valid driving licence, so a group of non-drivers changes the whole costing. Young children ride in a sledge towed by the guide, and operators set their own age and height limits. Then there is the cold: January regularly falls below -20°C and can reach -30°C, so thermal suits and boots are issued on site and sized from the passenger list. And the light: around the solstice the sun is up for only about two hours in Rovaniemi, and further north, in Saariselkä and Inari, it does not rise at all for several weeks. We plan the day around the light that exists.
Airport handling at Rovaniemi (RVN), Kittilä (KTT), Ivalo (IVL) and Kiruna (KRN)
Husky, reindeer and snowmobile slots held by party size, a season ahead
Thermal clothing sized from the passenger list before arrival
Several aurora evenings in every winter stay, never just one
Trade-Only Lapland DMC Services
What We Run Above the Arctic Circle
Christmas & Santa Programmes
Rovaniemi family departures from late November to Christmas, with Santa visits, reindeer farms and kennels committed the January before. How we run group series.
Aurora & Glass Igloos
Glass igloos, aurora cabins and dark-sky lodges near Rovaniemi, Levi and Saariselkä, with several hunting evenings built into each stay.
Safaris from one hour to a full day, matched to the group's ages, fitness and how many guests hold a driving licence.
Icebreaker & Icehotel
The icebreaker cruise from Kemi while the sea ice holds, and the Icehotel at Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna, rebuilt every winter.
Midnight Sun & Ruska
Summer programmes under the midnight sun, and the autumn colours the Finns call ruska in September, at quieter rates than winter.
Who We Work With
The Trade Behind Our Arctic Files
Travel Agents
Family Christmas trips, honeymoons and FIT.
Tour Operators
Winter series and aurora departures.
Wholesalers
Contracted lodges, safaris and net rates.
OTAs
Packaged aurora and Santa products.
MICE Agencies
Arctic incentives and reward trips.
Where We Operate
Six Corners of Lapland
Rovaniemi & the Arctic Circle
The capital of Finnish Lapland and the home of the Santa product, ten minutes from its airport. Santa Claus Village sits on the Arctic Circle and opens all year.
Levi & Ylläs
Finland's best-known fell resorts, a short transfer from Kittilä airport. Ski slopes, long husky trails and lodges far enough from town for a dark aurora sky.
Saariselkä & Inari
The far north, about half an hour from Ivalo airport. Glass igloos, deep polar night around the solstice, and Sámi culture in Inari, best introduced at the Siida museum.
Kemi & the Bothnian Bay
The icebreaker cruise, with the chance to float in the sea ice in a survival suit, and the SnowCastle. Both depend on the ice, roughly January to April.
Kiruna, Abisko & the Icehotel
Swedish Lapland: the Icehotel at Jukkasjärvi, and Abisko, known for some of the clearest aurora skies in the region. Reached by air or by overnight train from Stockholm.
Tromsø & the Norwegian Arctic
Not Lapland on the map, but sold alongside it: a coastal Arctic city with aurora chases and a whale season roughly from November to January.
How We Work
How a Lapland File Is Built
1
Brief & Season Check
Send dates, group size and ages. We reply within one business day with what each week can still take.
2
Safaris Before Beds
Husky, reindeer and snowmobile departures are held first, because they sell out before the rooms do.
3
Flights, Sizes & Licences
Flights into the right airport, clothing sizes collected, and the number of licensed drivers confirmed.
4
Operate & Reconcile
A coordinator on the ground under your brand, then reporting and reconciliation in one currency.
Why Partner With Us
Why Arctic Programmes Hold Together
Capacity Held Early
Christmas kennels and reindeer farms committed long before the enquiries arrive, so a late brief still has options.
Dressed for -30°C
Suits, boots and mittens sized from the passenger list, because one cold guest shortens the day for everyone.
Weather in the Plan
Several aurora evenings, indoor alternatives for cloud, and a fallback for wind or extreme cold already costed.
One Europe DMC
Helsinki, Stockholm, Tromsø or a Nordic circuit on the same contract as the Arctic leg.
"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better for our business partners' ultimate satisfaction."
The HCG Operating Standard
What Agents Sell
Three Lapland Formats That Work
Family · December
Christmas Lapland
Three or four nights in Rovaniemi with Santa, a husky ride, a reindeer farm and a snow day for the children. The most demanded week in the Arctic.
Book by January for the following December.
Incentive · January to March
Aurora Reward
A lodge or glass igloo base in Levi or Saariselkä, a snowmobile convoy, a wilderness dinner and three aurora evenings for the best odds.
Darker nights and more snow than the autumn.
Group · June to September
Midnight Sun & Ruska
Hiking, river boats and lakeside saunas under the midnight sun, or the red and gold of ruska in September with the first aurora nights.
Quieter and better value than December.
Sample Programmes
Lapland Programmes by Season
4 Nights · Christmas
Rovaniemi Christmas Week
RVN arrival, thermal clothing issued the same day
Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle line
Husky ride and a reindeer farm on held slots
An aurora evening away from the town lights
4 Nights · Incentive
Levi Aurora Incentive
Kittilä arrival and a lodge or glass igloo base
Snowmobile convoy with a wilderness lunch
Husky safari and a private sauna evening
Three aurora evenings, one by snowmobile
4 Nights · Winter
Saariselkä & Inari
Ivalo arrival and a glass igloo night
Siida museum and a visit with Sámi hosts
Reindeer sleigh ride through the fells
Polar night photography with a local guide
Answers for the Travel Trade
Lapland: What Agents Ask First
What is a Lapland DMC?
A Lapland DMC is a trade-only partner that runs your Arctic programme on the ground: designing the itinerary, contracting lodges, glass igloos and safari operators at net rates, holding husky, reindeer and snowmobile capacity ahead of demand, sizing thermal clothing, and coordinating the group on site. HCG does all of it under your brand, as your single point of contact.
Is Lapland in Finland or Sweden?
Both. Lapland is the Arctic north of Finland and Sweden, and the Sámi homeland it belongs to also reaches into Norway and Russia. Most agents sell Finnish Lapland (Rovaniemi, Levi, Saariselkä and Inari), and Swedish Lapland adds Kiruna, Abisko and the Icehotel. We often combine the two, or add Tromsø on the Norwegian coast.
When is the best time to bring a group to Lapland?
It depends on the product. December is for Christmas and families, and the most expensive month. January to March brings the deepest snow, darker skies and the best value for aurora and incentive groups. September gives the autumn colours and the first aurora nights, and June and July bring the midnight sun.
How early should a Christmas Lapland group be booked?
A year ahead is normal for the Christmas weeks. The husky kennels and reindeer farms carry a fixed number of guests per departure and run out before the hotel rooms do. An enquiry in the autumn for that December is working with whatever is left.
Can you guarantee the Northern Lights?
Nobody can. The aurora depends on solar activity and a clear sky. What we can do is plan several hunting evenings rather than one, choose lodges away from town light, and keep an indoor alternative ready, so a cloudy night is still a good night.
Who can drive a snowmobile?
Only guests with a valid driving licence. Two people share each machine, so a group with few licence holders needs more guide-driven places or a sledge towed behind the guide. Tell us at the brief how many guests can drive, because it changes both the costing and the size of the convoy.
How cold does it get, and what should guests wear?
January regularly falls below -20°C and can reach -30°C. Thermal overalls, boots, mittens and balaclavas are issued for the safaris, sized from the passenger list we collect in advance. Guests should bring warm base layers, wool socks and a hat, and leave cotton at home.
Can we fly direct to Lapland?
In winter, often yes. Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo receive seasonal direct flights from several European cities alongside the year-round connections through Helsinki, which is about an hour and twenty minutes from Rovaniemi. For Swedish Lapland, Kiruna is reached through Stockholm or by overnight train.
How quickly do you reply to a Lapland enquiry?
Within one business day, and for December dates the first reply already tells you what capacity is left. Group size, dates, ages and the number of licensed drivers are enough to start.
Put Your Lapland Dates to Us
Submit an RFP or request net rates. Our Lapland desk replies within one business day.
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