HELSINKI - The international Matka travel and tourism was held in Helsinki for the 37th time. This year, 850 companies from around 70 countries participated in the fair, and over 56,000 visitors, including trade visitors, were in attendance from 15 to 19 January 2025. "The number of visitors to the Matka Travel Fair increased by 11%, demonstrating people's desire to turn travel planning into an experience, discover destinations and meet professionals face to face. Year after year, Matka proves to be the most important meeting point for professionals, the public and industry operators. The event presents the most attractive destinations and the most interesting operators, bringing together visitors who are interested in travel and who spend money on it", comments Noora Haatainen, Business Manager at Matka.    

 The new operator Neckermann Nordic was launched at the fair; for its director Berk Ercan Matka is a very important place to meet customers face to face and for a new entrant and a unique opportunity in terms of brand building adding that Neckermann received a warm welcome from Finnish visitors, who requested trips to Turkey, Greece, and the Canary Islands in particular.

The city of Kuopio returned to Matka after a break of several years. A prominent stand in a central location reminded visitors of the Tahko Ski Resort complex and that Kuopio has four busy travel seasons. "We felt very welcome after many years and the 250th anniversary of the city served as an attractive theme for the fair visitors. In the words of Minna Canth: anything but a sleeping and half-dead life," says Salima Peippo from Kuopio Tourism.

The head of tourism in the capital, Nina Vesterinen, gave an interesting overview of the city's tourism development prospects, recalling how Helsinki has achieved its goal of being the most sustainable destination in the world, having been ranked first in the latest Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index, published on last October. The city invests in improving the social sustainability of tourism by supporting local companies on their path to sustainability and increasing resources for the development of tourism destinations. "International studies show that travellers are increasingly looking for more sustainable services and destinations. There is no doubt that in the future there will be a growing demand for the most sustainable tourist destination in the world according to Vesterinen. The city of Helsinki has several projects and measures in the field of sustainability. In terms of tourism, the most important are the development of inclusive tourism and additional investments in the participation of local residents in tourism development. Helsinki measures the carbon footprint of tourism, promotes its Climate Action Plan for Tourism and supports tourism companies on the path to sustainable travel. The city of Helsinki is also interested in close cooperation with other tourist destinations at national and international level.

Unlike other previous editions, ENIT did not feel it needed to be present for Italy; however, and for the second time, Bologna Welcome, an agency from Bologna that deals with the development and management of tourist reception activities, as well as the promotion of Bologna and its territory both nationally and internationally, was present with its own space. The real-time demonstrations of Bolognese and regional cuisine, organized during the four days of the fair, attracted considerable interest among the public, as did the presentation made on stage regarding the bike itinerary Ciclovia del Sole, which connects Verona to Bologna. The representative at the fair of Bologna Welcome, Francesco Palmieri, reported that the Finnish national airline, Finnair, has confirmed the start, from late spring throughout the summer, of scheduled flights from Helsinki to Bologna and vice versa. The new Italian ambassador to Finland, Nicola Todaro Marescotti, also visited the lively Bologna pavilion.

According to data released during the Fair by SMAL, the Finnish tourism industry association, among the destinations of Finnish air travel packages abroad, Italy ranks 5th, with 24,545 packages sold, 1.2% less than in 2023. and is preceded by Cyprus, Turkey, Spain and Greece. Probably, a renewed Italian participation in these events could reverse the downward trend in this specific segment. Among the related events, the Helsinki Caravan Fair 2025 presented about 200 caravans and trailers, highlighting the opportunities for travel with these vehicles. "At the Caravan Fair, we do not only reach car travellers, but also people interested in travelling who have no previous experience of travelling with a caravan. The coincidence with the Matka Travel Fair is important for us. This year, the fair had a programme on how to get started with a caravan and filled the stands. Companies were very satisfied with the event and business was good," says Mika Jokinen, Executive Director of the Association of Tourist Vehicle Importers. A total of 685 professionals attended the Matka Workshop Day sales event on 15 January 2025, organised in cooperation with Matka. The Workshop was the most important buying and selling event for travel services in the Nordic countries. Nearly 250 companies from 45 different countries presented their destinations and over 250 international buyers visited the event. A total of 4,000 meetings were organised. The Destinations Breakfast, a morning meeting formula between foreign and Finnish operators, was also very crowded, ideal for developing collaborations of mutual interest. (gn)

Matka Travel Fair, the largest event in the sector in Northern Europe, will be held from 15 to 18 January 2026 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The international travel purchasing event Matka Workshop Day will open Matka Travel Fair on 14 January 2026. The Helsinki Caravan Fair will be held from 16 to 18 January 2026.