From 16 to 18 May 2018 the focus at the marketplace for China’s travel industry taking place in Shanghai will be on its partner destination Finland.
“Finland has proven that it is attaching a great importance in enhancing Chinese tourists’ travel experience. Finland is running a multitude of visa centers in China, working on e-visa solutions for Chinese tourists and has opened up for Chinese mobile payments systems adding a lot of convenience for Chinese visiting Finland. These are just some examples clearly proving Finland’s devotion to the Chinese travel market, which is a perfect precondition to being ITB China’s Partner Destination”, said David Axiotis, General Manager ITB China.
Around 50 delegates from Finland, which has a strong presence on the show floor, will be representing the country at ITB China this year. Finland will be the co-host of ITB China’s official opening dinner with some 600 guests attending and will also organise numerous events during the fair, such as a dedicated networking reception on the evening of May 16, attracting some 300 attendees.
Paavo Virkkunen, Executive Vice President, Business Finland & Head of Visit Finland commented, ”Chinese travellers are a very important tourism source market for Finland, and the growth in visitor numbers has been impressive in recent years. From January to November 2017, the number of overnights from China to Finland has reached to 321,172 with a 34.3% growth compared to January to December 2016.
China represents the 5th largest group of travellers to Finland. We are continually working to enhance our partnership with travel trade partners in China to provide unqiue travel products to Chinese travellers and ITB China provides us with a great platform to present Finland to Chinese decision makers.2018 also marks the EU China Tourism Year for which ITB China is an official partner event of. As a member of the European Union, Finland is thrilled to contribute to this year of cooperation and celebration between China and Europe and we are looking forward to a succesful ITB China 2018.“
Finland appeals to travellers searching for unique experiences in their destinations as well as convenience. Finland is increasingly accessible to Chinese travellers and the great variety of experiences that can be enjoyed make it an exciting destination whether spending a few days or a few weeks. There are 500,000 summer cottages throughout the country, 188,000 lakes, over 3,000,000 saunas (more than the number of cars), 179,000 islands and over 70% of the land covered by forest. Its spectacular natural wonders attract travellers from all over the world.
Finland is an increasingly attractive destination in the summer to spend an active vacation and enjoy the long days of sunlight. Finland is called the Land of the Midnight Sun; in the summer there are places in the Northernmost Finland where the sun never actually sets. It’s the perfect time to enjoy Finland’s natural landscapes and national parks as well. Visitors to Finland love the friendly and easy-going lifestyle of the country and the unique combination of sophisticated urban living and incredible natural beauty. The appreciation of the outdoors is a Finnish national pastime and travelers can easily spend a day cruising through the Finnish archipelago made up of 315 small islands or exploring one of Finland's 40 national parks offering a taste of unspoiled rivers, forests, and lakes.
