Twice-weekly flights from Stansted will operate on Mondays and Fridays starting 18 December, flying to the Swedish coastal city of Lulea.

By flying direct rather than via Swedish capital Stockholm, and by operating the route using a more fuel and carbon efficient Airbus A320neo aircraft, Sunvil says the route be 18%-20% more carbon efficient.

Lulea, in northern Sweden, is a gateway to Bothnian Bay, the Lule and Rane river valleys, and the country’s Arctic north.

Hotel options include the newly-opened “floating” Arctic Bath hotel, homely Brandon Lodge, and the Treehotel at Harads, which offers a range of unique woodland accommodation.

Sunvil will also offer multi-centres, twinning Swedish Lapland with other areas of the country and neighbours, including Finland.

Activities include exploring the lifestyle of the region’s Sami people; learning new skills; dog-sledding; snowmobiling; and ice sculpture.

There will also be opportunities to explore Lagom, Sweden’s pursuit of harmony and balance.

Sunvil is also offering travel to the twinned towns of Haparanda, which is in Sweden, and Tornio in Finland, both around 90 minutes from Lulea. Together, they straddle the border between the two countries along the river Torne.

The towns also occupy different timezones allowing guests to celebrate New Year’s Eve twice.

Chris Wright, Sunvil managing director, says: “Since Sunvil introduced Swedish Lapland in 2009, we’ve been hooked and haven’t stopped discovering and taking inspiration from the local people, their way of life and devotion to nature. We just fell in love with the region: its scenery, the people, the food, the wildlife and the fascinating local culture.

“We’re delighted to launch the first direct flights to Lulea and, in line with our ethos of introducing undiscovered destinations, we’ll be launching itineraries to smaller, lesser-known parts of this region ahead of the inaugural flight in December.

“For us, it is about offering our guests an enriching holiday experience, one in which they’ll learn about the region’s heritage and traditional Sami culture, explore the remarkable Lappish countryside and ultimately, find the real country.”

Flights on Mondays will depart Stansted at 5.55pm, arriving Lulea at 10.00pm, while flights on Fridays will depart Stansted at 9.50am, arriving Lulea at 1.55pm.

As previously reported by TTG, Sunvil will host a Swedish Lapland educational for six to eight agents departing 23 March, followed by a second to coincide with the new flights.