HELSINKI - The 33rd edition of the Matka Nordic Travel Fair, the largest travel fair in the Nordic countries, is scheduled in Finland, from Jan. 16 to 20, 2019, at the Messukeskus, Helsinki. The Matka Workshop Day international sales event will kick off the Matka on Jan. 16, while on Jan. 17 the trade fair will be open to professionals only, and to the public from Jan.18 to 20, 2019. The Helsinki Caravan Fair is held concurrently. Italy too, like last year, will be present with a stand set up by ENIT, Italian State Tourism Board.

 The day before the opening of the Matka, the sellers and buyers of the travel industry will meet for negotiations, which for many participants are the main event of the year. A total of 289 buyers and 189 sellers in the travel industry, from Finland and international markets around the world, will arrive in Messukeskus for the Matka Workshop Day, Jan. 16.

 At the Matka Workshop Day, travel vendors and buyers get together for a one-day event, which includes intensive meetings where participants can be able to sell a significant portion of next year's offer. In addition to these meetings, almost 100 buyers, for example from the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and the Asian countries, will participate in the Hosted Buyers program organized by Matka, Finnair and Visit Finland.

 The rapid growth of tourism in Finland and around the world is also reflected in greater investment in the travel industry.

 "The travel industry is of considerable importance to the Finnish national economy, which is around 2.5% of Finnish GDP, which is roughly equivalent to the share of the forest industry, with every euro spent on tourism generating more than 50 cents of revenue in other sectors through the multiplier effect, it means that the total gross tourism value for the Finnish state is over 20 billion a year. Matka is a key instrument to promote the Finnish travel industry, and the Meet Finland section, set up in the Workshop Day, co-implemented with Visit Finland and Finnair, is an important meeting point for tourism sellers and international buyers, "says Visit Finland Executive Director Paavo Virkkunen.

 Finnair, together with Visit Finland, is transporting international buyers for the Workshop Day to examine the Finnish destinations. For example, buyers are taken to Vaasa and the Levi and Ruka ski resorts, but Helsinki is also attractive from the point of view of international buyers.

 "Also this year, we are happy to be involved in facilitating the workshop day, which is an important event for the tourism sector.The various meetings between international buyers and Finnish and international sellers are also important for Finnair and support our goals future growth," confirms Finnair's global sales vice president, Mikko Turtiainen.

 Even the travel industry in Finland attracts international interest, as some of the buyers arrive at the event independently and at their own expense.

 "For many of the destinations on show, the Workshop Day is the most important selling day of the year, and indeed, many exhibitors might be able to sell next year's offer," says the sales group manager at the Matka fair, Anna Suominen.

 "For us, the Matka Workshop Day is one of the most important sales events in the travel industry of the year," adds Harriniva's sales and marketing director, Hanna-Mari Talvensaari. "The event allows us to create new contacts and make new business, especially from the point of view of tourism throughout the year, it is important that this event takes place in Finland and that companies have the opportunity to present their offer to potential buyers who are already enthusiastic about Finland, Harriniva will have two representatives at the event and, with over 100 new contacts, will be able to do business for tens or hundreds of thousands of euro, "adds Talvensaari.

 On the official opening day of the Matka, the event will also include the Mobile Business Forum, which involves professional visitors and will present business travel agencies, travel technology companies and car rental companies, among others. This year, the area will be bigger than before, and the stands have been sold in record time. There will be a total of 80 exhibitors in the area, with more non-Finnish participants than before, and for many this will be their first time in Finland.

 The Italian operators currently registered for the Workshop Day are Agamatour, Blueberry Travel Company, Boscolo Tours, Giver Travel, Il Diamante, Norama, The Vie del Nord, Stop in Italy.

 More information:

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