Lapland Tours expands into Ivalo and acquires Lapin Tunturiliikenne’s bus fleet

Charter and scheduled transport operator Lapland Tours is expanding its operations to
the Ivalo and Saariselkä region through the acquisition of the bus fleet of Lapin
Tunturiliikenne. The transaction strengthens the company’s position in northern charter
transport services and supports its goal of providing comprehensive coverage across all
major airports in Lapland.

LaplandTours Oy, a charter and scheduled transport company belonging to Lapland Safaris
Group, the largest programme service company in the Nordics, has acquired the bus fleet of
Lapin Tunturiliikenne Oy in a transaction completed on 28 May 2026. Through the acquisition,
Lapland Tours will expand its operations to the Ivalo and Saariselkä area.
A total of 14 coaches will transfer to Lapland Tours as part of the deal.

– Lapland Safaris had already strengthened its passenger transport business at the end of
2024 by acquiring the coach operations of its long-term partner Liikenne O.
Niemelä. The transaction brought 18 coaches and the entire staff into the group.
In spring 2026, the business began operating under the name Lapland Tours.

– Since the acquisition of Liikenne O. Niemelä’s business operations, we have been planning
the expansion of our charter transport services into the Ivalo region. Lapin Tunturiliikenne has
been our main partner in the Ivalo and Saariselkä area for many years. When entrepreneur Jari
Pajari informed us of his plans to find a successor for his coach business, it was natural to
begin discussions about transferring the fleet to Lapland Tours, says Rami Korhonen, CEO of
Lapland Safaris.

– Back in the day, Mika Harri, then destination manager at Lapland Safaris, encouraged me to
buy my first coach and begin providing services for Lapland Safaris among others. That was
how the business started and gradually grew over the years. Now, twenty years later, the circle
closes as 14 coaches are transferred into the ownership of Lapland Tours, which is owned by
Lapland Safaris, says Jari Pajari, entrepreneur and CEO of Lapin Tunturiliikenne.

Comprehensive service across Lapland’s main airports

According to Korhonen, the goal is to develop Lapland Tours into the leading charter transport
company in northern Finland.
– We want to serve our customers comprehensively within the catchment areas of Ivalo,
Rovaniemi and Kittilä airports, as well as elsewhere in Northern Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Lapland Tours provides charter and scheduled transport services particularly in the
Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo regions, while also serving tourism customers in destinations
across northern Sweden and northern Norway. For international tour operators, the company
also organises multi-day round trips throughout the Nordic region. Lapland Tours additionally
acts as a transport partner for the public sector and international operators. The company is a
Hansel contract partner and a NATO NSPA- and ACO-registered service provider.

– We make sure that groups travel reliably and on schedule throughout Lapland and the wider
Arctic region. Above all, we are able to combine transport, accommodation, programme
services, restaurant services and guiding into one seamless package. For the customer, this
means a single partner, a clear overall solution, and confidence that the entire journey works
smoothly from start to finish, says Korhonen.

Lapland Tours is part of the Lapland Hotels & Safaris tourism group based in Lapland. The
group includes Finland’s largest privately owned hotel chain Lapland Hotels, the Nordic
region’s largest programme service company Lapland Safaris, and the five ski resorts of
Lapland Ski Resorts. Altogether, the group employs approximately 1,950 people.