In January 2026, the City of Helsinki will come to the Matka Travel Fair, bringing along topical themes of tourism, interesting discussions, specialists of the field and a wide range of urban experiences.
The Helsinki Lounge, the City's own living room, will bring together professionals to discuss and network and visitors to discover all the experiences, events and urban culture Helsinki has to offer.
Helsinki invites fair visitors to discover experiences
The Professionals’ Day of Matka Travel Fair on Thursday 15 January will bring together the most topical themes in the areas of tourism, climate and sustainability, as well as within the fields of hospitality and travel services.
During the days the Matka Travel Fair is open to the public, on 16–18 January, Helsinki’s own stand will offer a varied programme and addresses for visitors interested in urban culture, events, food and family activities. The programme also teaches more about Helsinki to the local residents. Some top professionals from Helsinki will take to the stage, such as a representative from the Helsinki Tourism Company of the Year, the Chef of the Year, the Waitress of the Year and the Ikilomalla couple from social media.
On Friday, the students of tourism can discover topical research information and learn more about their career prospects. Sunday is the fair’s Family Day, where the Helsinki seagull mascots Tuula and Börje will delight and entertain the fair visitors. The programme will also feature a Helsinki bingo with Helsinki-themed prizes.
Sustainable tourism growth comes from cooperation
Tourism in Helsinki is enjoying a record-breaking era: last year, 4.55 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments, and the record is expected to be broken again this year. In recent years, Helsinki has emerged as an international trailblazer in sustainable tourism, ranking top in the Global Destination Sustainability Index for the second year in a row and achieving Green Destinations GSTC certification as the first city in the world with over half a million inhabitants.
Helsinki aims to provide good conditions for tourism, events and experiences all year round. These enrich local services, provide thousands of jobs and plenty of tax revenue, and maintain extensive connections with the rest of the world.
“The wellbeing of Helsinki residents and their enjoyment of their hometown is the starting point for all development and decision-making,” says Nina Vesterinen, the City of Helsinki’s Tourism Director.
The Helsinki Tourism and Events Programme, currently under preparation, sets out common guidelines for the period 2026–2029 and links directly to the City Strategy finalised in the autumn. The programme will focus on sustainable growth of tourism.
“Growth comes from cooperation between the City, the businesses, other operators and local residents. It is important to Helsinki that its residents also find the growth of tourism sustainable,” continues Nina Vesterinen, Tourism Director.
The largest tourism event in Northern Europe will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki, 15–18 January 2026. The doors will be open to the public from Friday 16 January to Sunday 18 January 2026.
Representatives of the City of Helsinki are available at the Helsinki stand (6a50).
