The Matka Nordic Travel Fair, the largest travel fair in Northern Europe, scheduled to take place in January will be postponed until May 2021.
This will enable us to put on an international event and to offer travel businesses a new way to meet customers. The Matka Nordic Travel Fair will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki from 19 to 23 May 2021.
The past year has been challenging for the travel industry both in Finland and internationally, as the global pandemic and travel restrictions have affected people’s travel plans, which, in turn, has affected the businesses and organisations in the industry. The Matka Nordic Travel Fair, which was scheduled to be held in January, has been postponed, with new dates from 19 to 23 May 2021.
Messukeskus decided on the postponement with its client, the Association of Finnish Travel Agents, AFTA, and its other collaboration partners.
“The Matka Nordic Travel Fair is an internationally significant event, and the new date in May will ensure that buyers and representatives of international destinations will be able to attend. Last January, the Matka Nordic Travel Fair featured 90 countries, and it is the high exhibitor numbers that contribute to the international and inspiring atmosphere at the event. It is also a major sales event for businesses in the travel industry, and it is important for international buyers to be able to explore Finland’s travel offerings”, says the sales group manager at the Matka Nordic Travel Fair, Anna Suominen.
The travel industry looks to next year with optimism
The past year has been challenging for the travel industry, but it is believed next year will be better.
“The industry has struggled over the past few months, but we believe that by May, the worst will be over in terms of both case numbers and travel restrictions. We believe that January will come too soon for the industry, and it is important to give businesses in the industry time to recover after a tough year. This summer, there has been a growing interest in domestic travel in Finland, and the trend is likely to continue next summer. Holding the Matka Nordic Travel Fair in May is a great way of kicking off the summer season of travel, and the new date will also enable the presentation of various foreign destinations to a new audience”, says the managing director at the Association of Finnish Travel Agents, AFTA, Heli Mäki-Fränti.
The Matka Nordic Travel Fair exhibitors can automatically participate in the event on the rescheduled date. The partner country of the Matka Nordic Travel Fair, rescheduled to May, will be Greece. Both the online and on-site content will highlight, for example, sustainable tourism.
