Why you need to go to Finland in January

One of the biggest travel industry events in Northern Europe – Matka Travel Fair, is coming to Helsinki, Finland this 16-20 January. 

Have you heard of Matka? In this interview, Eva Kiviranta – Communications Manager at Matka Travel Fair, tells us why travel professionals should go to Finland this January. 

 Exhibit or register as a trade visitor at the largest travel industry event in Northern Europe – Matka Travel Fair, coming this 16-20 January 2019.

What is Matka all about and why is Finland an interesting location?

Matka is the biggest event for the travel industry in the whole of Northern Europe, and brings the whole travel world into Helsinki in January. The word Matka loosely translates to “journey.”

Matka shows destinations from almost 100 countries and offers valuable networking opportunities and workshops for travel professionals.

Matka is organized annually in January at Messukeskus Helsinki. For the first two days, the fair is open only for travel trade professionals to conduct business in various forums. Then, the fair opens up to the public and offers a great opportunity for travel brands to reach Finnish and Nordic consumers.

Every year, the fair features 1,000 tour operators, destinations, and tourism service companies. In addition to that, more than 50,000 consumers and 20,000 travel industry professionals visit the event.

Who can you meet at Matka and what will attendees see and learn?

As Matka brings the whole world together, you can meet exhibitors from almost 100 different countries. Attendees can visit the stands, participate in networking events and learn from other travel professionals through the educational program that touches issues attendees face in their work in today’s world.

The fair is open for trade visitors on January 17th through MatkaPro, which provides a platform for travel trade professionals and B2B exhibitors to develop their professional expertise, grow business and network in a productive and efficient manner. For January 18-20th Matka is open for consumers.

Matka also welcomes bloggers from around the world to join the coolest travel fair and make meaningful connections.

Why should travel professionals attend?

Matka is the industry leader and offers the world to travel professionals in an easy-to-grasp setting that doesn’t involve running from hall to hall.

Interesting presentations and discussions on the professional program make sure attendees leave cool (in more ways than one) Helsinki inspired and connected.

Also, if you are looking for lucrative consumers with purchasing power, then Matka is for you. With over 50,000 annual consumer visitors, the fair gives travel professionals access to highly travel-minded Finns.

Forecasts by Matka Travel Fair shows that almost 50% of Finns planned to travel abroad for a city holiday during 2018. Some 35% of Finns are planning to take a city break in Finland. One fifth is planning to travel to the Nordic or the Baltic Countries, and almost half to elsewhere in Europe.

Some 59% of Finnish consumers book their trips through the websites of airlines, ship companies, railway companies and bus companies, and nearly 40% use the websites of travel agencies for booking.

What makes Matka different from other travel fairs?

Just like Finland, Matka functions well and offers attendees everything they would ever need. To attendees, Matka offers insight and contacts to the trending Nordic destinations and companies.

Matka Travel Fair is compact and manageable.

What are your tips for getting the most out of Matka?

Sustainability is a big theme in Matka 2019, so make sure you don’t miss the sustainability presentations and panel discussions. Let yourself be inspired of the hidden treasures of the Nordic travel industry and come with an open mind.

Leave time in your schedule to explore Matka’s home town, Helsinki. It is an up-and-coming destination and has a booming city culture with evolving restaurant and event scene. Helsinki was just awarded the European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2019, and Finland has also been ranked as the happiest country in the world.

January can be chilly, but the atmosphere at Matka is warm.

Eva Kiviranta is in charge of making sure that Matka is the reason the who-is-who of the travel industry will come to Finland in January. In her spare time, she is into good stories and long distance hiking. 

You can connect with Eva on Travel Massive and learn more about Matka Travel Fair.