DestiNAtioN - Helsinki

D E S T I N AT I O N
winter 2010
Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau’s NEWSLETTER
Northern Exposure is the key
to winter fun in Helsinki
The Tourist & Convention Bureau’s promotional
campaign for winter encourages visitors to expose
themselves to unique experiences. The “Northern
Exposure” website presents the special appeal of winter
in Helsinki and offers visitors a wide range of seasonal
activities from a slightly new perspective. A new attraction
this season is Christmas World, which will open in
December in Narinkkatori Square.
In wintertime visitors to Helsinki can enjoy the buzz of the
capital, top quality cultural offerings, and getting to know
the friendly Finnish people.
“Red cheek guarantee”
Helsinki Ice Park in Railway Station Square is the perfect
place for skating to music or simply relaxing in the café
and watching others on the ice. The skating rink is open
from November to March. Skates can be rented, and
skating schools for children are held daily. The Ice Park also
presents a fun programme of events, from live music to
performances.
At Ylläs-Halli you can cross-country ski all year round. The
spacious hall features a 1.2-kilometre trail over variable
terrain. The temperature is kept at a few degrees below zero.
Other facilities include a curling hall, a skating rink, a biathlon
area and an ice-climbing wall. Children can enjoy their
own 100-metre skiing trail, skiing world and sledding hill.
Exciting experiences
Following the festive New Year’s Eve celebrations at
Senate Square, the Season of Light will illuminate the city
from 1-9 January 2011. Impressive light installations will
brighten up the darkest time of the year, transforming such
landmarks as Helsinki Cathedral into works of modern art.
Exciting Finnish Ice Hockey League matches take place
from September to April. Local matches are played at Hartwall
Arena and Helsinki Ice Hall (Jäähalli).
Those looking for excitement will also get their money’s
worth at the Grand Casino, the only casino in the world
that donates its profits to charity. The “Casino Experience”
is a guided introduction to the world of gaming, while
Promising
growth in
overnight stays
Social programmes
often stay
in the mind
of congress visitors
4 6
New products
for stopover
passengers
7
World Design Capital
info centre to
open alongside
Senate Square
8

Tourism Development Forum
Our development forum will be held in
November. At the event we will present our
revised tourism strategy and development
opportunities for the tourism industry.
For more information, see our website
www.visithelsinki.fi > Trade
Tourism industry
continues to grow
in importance
I had the pleasure of beginning by new job as Tourist
Director for the City of Helsinki at the start of
June, the busiest season for tourism. It did not take
long to realise how much the 34-strong team at my
new workplace had achieved over the years under
the leadership of my skilful predecessors. With
admiration I have noted the care and attention with
which our team members have applied themselves
to their fields of marketing, tourist information,
communications and conventions, as well as to
supporting and administrating these activities. All
of these energetic, creative and enthusiastic professionals
share in common a love for Helsinki. What a
perfect basis on which to continue and build on the
good work!
One of the strategic goals of the City of Helsinki is
to develop tourism to the region and improve the
business environment for the tourism sector. The
growing potential and importance of this sector for
the city has been clearly recognised. In order for the
Tourist & Convention bureau to achieve its targets
effectively, broad co-operation is required throughout
the entire industry.
We cannot get far on the resources of our bureau
alone given the competition and global field in
which we operate. According to our revised tourism
strategy for 2011-2015, co-operation between the
travel industry, actors, regions and internal municipal
departments should be a particular focus area.
Our goal is to achieve a public-private partnership
model for Helsinki tourism. By co-ordinating our
activities we can better allocate our resources and
maximise their impact while making the most of
the positive development in this growing service
industry. The Tourist & Convention Bureau plays a
central role in this public-private partnership model,
both as an actor and as an agent.
The future looks bright. Preparations for World
Design Capital 2012 and regional co-operation are
making good progress. The key figures for the tourism
sector are positive. The number of overnight
stays at hotels in Helsinki in January-July 2010
increased by nine percent year-on-year. Numerous
fine development projects are underway, and we will
present these to regional entrepreneurs at a special
development forum in early November, as well as on
a new development section of our website.
Wishing you a positive autumn!
Katrilena Eklöf
Tourist Director
“Show & Dinner” packages offer an entertaining
evening in the legendary Fennia Salon.
Brave visitors will also try a spot of ice swimming,
or “avantouinti” as it is known locally. Swimming in
a hole that has been cut in the ice is said to prevent
the flu and improve blood circulation. Combined
with a hot sauna it relaxes and refreshes the body
while improving stress tolerance levels. You can try
ice swimming at Rastila Camping.
In wintertime Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress
comes to life with guided walking tours in English.
Tales from the Swedish and Russian periods reveal
the activities in the fortress in times of war and
peace. Guided tours and theme tours are also available
in other languages by reservation.
Christmas magic
Many markets and fairs are held in the weeks
leading up to Christmas where you can buy Finnish
handicrafts, decorations, seasonal treats and
other products that are ideal as gifts or souvenirs.
The St. Thomas Christmas Market in Esplanade
Park has over a hundred booths and is open from
7-22 December. You can also watch as traditional
smiths work their magic, and you may even bump
into Santa Claus himself on the opening day and
on weekends handing out sweets to children.
Narinkkatori Square will be transformed into Christmas
World from 11–21 December. Visitors will get
to meet Santa Claus, ride on the carousel, admire
the nativity scene and enjoy Christmas music. As
well as shopping for Christmas presents, visitors can
also write poetry, create handicrafts and decorate
gingerbread cookies.
See the event listings on the back cover for more
Christmas markets and other seasonal events.
www.visithelsinki.fi/northernexposure
Personnel News
Deputy Tourist Director Tuulikki Becker
has been appointed to the board of European
Cities Marketing for the 2010-2013 term. The
appointment was made at the ECM annual conference
in Las Palmas on 11 June 2010.
Marketing Manager Hanna Muoniovaara
is on maternity leave. Jenny Taipale, now
Marketing Manager, has assumed responsibility
for the Gay Friendly Helsinki campaign. Jenny is
also responsible for the Russian and Nordic markets
and the family tourism campaign in abroad,
and she assists in cruise marketing. Carolina
Laaksonen is now Marketing Assistant. For
more information, go to:
www.visithelsinki.fi > Trade
Visithelsinki.fi website
offers tips for visiting on a
shoestring, exercising and
finding new attractions
The Tourist & Convention Bureau has come to the
rescue of backpackers and other budget travellers.
Our website now features a new Budget travellers
section that provides information about how to visit
the nation’s capital without spending too much.
The new section gives tips about couch surfing,
sightseeing by tram, free attractions, inexpensive
meals and how to find affordable local bars.
For visitors who want to maintain their condition
while visiting, our website also features a new Exercise
and recreation section. The proximity to nature
and excellent recreational facilities in Helsinki
offer you unlimited possibilities to enjoy a wide
range of healthy activities throughout the year.
New attractions are being introduced all the time
in Helsinki. An easy way to keep up to date is to
refer to the What’s new? section, which lists all the
newcomers. Find out more about our new tourism
blog too on the back cover!
www.visithelsinki.fi
Tourist & Convention Bureau staff members
received further training in the Chinese
market last spring.
Marketing Director Kari Halonen and Marketing
Manager Anne Relander from the
Marketing Unit and Information Officers Meeri
Stanley and Edoardo Barbieri completed the
“Certified China Outbound Tourism Quality
Host” course.
www.china-outbound.com
2 DESTINATION HELSINKI

Helsinki offers easy
access to St. Petersburg
BEST OF HELSINKI AWARDS
St. Petersburg is within easy reach of Helsinki
thanks to excellent train and new ferry connections.
The magnificent palaces, priceless art
treasures in the Hermitage, and buzz along
Nevski Prospekt offer visitors to this part of the
world unforgettable experiences.
New high-speed Allegro trains will begin
operating between Helsinki and St. Petersburg
on 12 December, reducing the travel time from
the current almost six hours to just 3.5 hours.
The modern trains will offer comfortable travel
for city break vacationers, as well as an excellent
working environment for business travellers. The
route will be served by two daily connections
from each city, increasing to four daily services
for the summer season.
For the past half year it has also been possible
to sail from Helsinki to St. Petersburg aboard
the ferry M/S Princess Maria operated by St.
Peter Line. The travel time is around 13 hours
in each direction, and the cruises are visa-free if
the stay in Russia does not exceed 72 hours. The
ferry operates year round and offers entertainment,
restaurants, a shop and a casino, as well
as new services that include a sauna department,
cinema and supervised children’s playroom.
To stay in St. Petersburg overnight, a booking
confirmation must be presented. Sokos Hotels
packages are available from Nordic Ferry Center
and other outlets.
www.vr.fi
www.stpeterline.com
Have you voted yet for
the Best of Helsinki?
Online voting to select the most popular destinations
and services in Helsinki will continue until
the end of October at www.bestofhelsinki.fi.
Voting began in January, and the winners will
be announced at a special VIP gala at City Hall
in November. This is the fifth year in a row that
Helsinki’s travel “Oscars” will be handed out.
Submit your vote at: www.bestofhelsinki.fi
The fast and modern Allegro trains will cut the travel
time between Helsinki and St. Petersburg to just 3.5
hours.
D E S T I N AT I O N
Destination Helsinki is intended for tourist
professionals, affiliates of the Helsinki City Tourist
& Convention Bureau and the media. Destination
Helsinki is published twice a year.
Editor: Laura Itävaara, laura.itavaara@hel.fi
tel. +358 (0)9 310 36336, fax +358 (0)9 310 13301
Translation: Crockford Communications Oy
Publisher: City of Helsinki Economic and Planning Centre
Economic Development Division, Tourist & Convention Bureau.
Design: Marita Haukemaa. Layout: Rebekka Lehtola
Pohjoisesplanadi 19, PL 28, FI-00099 City of Helsinki
tel. +358 (0)9 3101 3300, fax +358 (0)9 3101 3301
Tourist Information is open
2 May-30 Sept. Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
and 1 Oct.-1 May Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm
www.visithelsinki.fi, tourist.info@hel.fi
Convention Unit
tel. +358 (0)9 310 36152, fax. +358 (0)9 310 36091
www.meethelsinki.fi, convention.bureau@hel.fi
DESTINATION HELSINKI 3

tourism Statistics
Promising
growth in
overnight stays
The number of overnight stays in Helsinki have
grown faster than originally forecast in the first
half of this year. Whereas growth of four percent
had been forecast, the actual increase was nine
percent. The figures for March, June and July even
exceeded those set during the record year of 2008,
and a slight increase in the second half of the year
will be enough to set a new record. According to
European Cities Marketing, the average growth in
overnight stays among European tourist destinations
has been eight percent.
In the period January-July 2010 domestic overnight
stays grew most strongly by 13 percent.
Among our main markets, overnight stays by
visitors from Sweden increased by 13 percent, from
Japan by 12 percent and from Russia by 8 percent.
Overnight stays by visitors from Norway increased
by 26 percent, largely due to the introduction of
low-cost flights between Oslo and Helsinki by the
budget airline Norwegian at the end of April.
Helsinki has been the market leader among Nordic
capitals in the Japanese market since 2006 and
continues to be overwhelmingly the leader in the
Russian market. According to European Cities
Marketing, Russians stay overnight more than in
Helsinki only in Prague, Rome and Vienna. Monthly
statistical reports can be read on our website:
www.visithelsinki.fi > Media > Statistics
Helsinki photo
competition on Flickr
The Tourist & Convention Bureau’s competition
on the Flickr.com website has already attracted
over 800 photos of Helsinki. The competition was
kicked off in June. According to the rules, all the
photos that are submitted may be used by the City
of Helsinki to promote tourism. The three best
contributions will be awarded gift certificates to
the international online shop Pixmania.com. The
competition will run until the end of the year, and
the winners will be announced in January 2011.
www.flickr.com/groups/helsinkicompetition
Monthly bednights in Helsinki
400 000
350 000
300 000
250 000
200 000
150 000
2007 2008
2009 2010
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Suomenlinna
hones its brand
and tourist appeal
Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress introduced a
project at the start of 2010 to focus its brand as
a unique and attractive UNESCO World Heritage
Site. The “Suomenlinna Tomorrow” project
is being carried out by the Governing Body
of Suomenlinna together with Haaga-Helia
University of Applied Sciences and the Helsinki
City Tourist & Convention Bureau.
What do you think about Suomenlinna as a
place to visit? You are invited to express your
views on the project website:
www.suomenlinnahuomenna.fi
4 DESTINATION HELSINKI

Hotel News
What’s New
in Helsinki?
Hotel Fabian (Fabianinkatu
7), part of the
internationally renowned
WORLDHOTELS chain, opened
for business in August. The
hotel’s specialities are its
loft-style rooms at rooftop
level and its “extended stay” rooms for guests
staying in the city for longer periods. The boutique
hotel has 58 rooms and is housed in a in a
1930s property whose unique Functional style is
reflected also in the hotel’s interior décor.
www.hotelfabian.fi
The third Omena Hotel
in Helsinki (Yrjönkatu 30) has
opened in the city centre and
offers 82 rooms, each of which
can sleep four persons. Omena
Hotels offer a new type of
affordable accommodation.
There is no reception, but the remote reception
is open 24 hours a day.
www.omenahotels.com
The international
Marriott chain is building its
first hotel in Finland in Espoo.
The new hotel will open in
2012 and offer over 270
rooms by the sea, close to the
headquarters of Nokia.
www.marriot.com
In Brief
The maritime event
production company Fregatti
Oy has an impressive
new twin-mast schooner that
can be rented for special
functions. The Briggen Gerda
is almost 50 metres in length,
making it the largest sailing vessel in Finland.
This venue will satisfy the desires of even the
most demanding groups, who can enjoy the
fresh sea air, breathtaking archipelago scenery
and fine dining. Briggen Gerda is ideal for organising
exciting excursions and special events.
The ship can accommodate up to 120 guests and
sleep 40. www.fregatti.fi
The historic tugboat
Furön has been fully
renovated and can now be
chartered for cruises. The
tugboat can even sail through
thin ice, allowing for exciting
winter cruises. The tugboat is
over a hundred years old and can accommodate
12 guests. www.furon.fi
An international group of
architectural students under the
mentorship of American architect
Travis Price has designed
and constructed an installation
on Seurasaari Island entitled Kalevalakehto
– Shaman’s Haven
of the Kalevala. Kalevalakehto is intended for use
for small gatherings and meditation. The installation
will be on display until August 2013. Similar installations
have been created around the world.
www.seurasaarisaatio.fi and
www.spiritofplace-design.com
The new design
nightclub LeBonk (Yrjönkatu
24) offers a unique setting
for evening entertainment.
Designed like a factory and
housed in an impressive
granite building, the club also has a nice rooftop
terrace. www.lebonk.fi
At Club Neo (Vuorikatu
2), which opened at the
beginning of October, you
can enjoy music styles ranging
from reggae to dubstep,
indie to synthpop and house
to heavy metal. The club is
run by local DJ Eliot Ness, a legendary name in
electronic music. www.neohelsinki.fi
Birdland Jazz Club
(Mannerheimintie 6)
offers live jazz music from
Wednesdays to Saturdays. The
house band is the renowned
UMO Jazz Orchestra.
www.birdlandjazzclub.fi
Rough Guides has published its
first edition specifically for Finland. “The
Rough Guide to Finland” also features
a comprehensive section on Helsinki.
Travel writers Roger Norum and James
Proctor did extensive background
work for the new book, spending over
one year getting to know the sights
and offerings in Finland.
www.roughguides.com
The Tourist & Convention
Bureau’s Helsinki Helpers
served almost 130,000 customers
this summer, which is slight
more than the previous record
set in 2000. Approximately 80
percent of customers served by
the Helsinki Helpers were foreign visitors.
www.visithelsinki.fi > Helsinki > Tourist Information
Event production
companies Go Experience and
Fregatti have carried out Eco
Compass environmental audits. Both companies
create programmes that do not burden the environment
unnecessarily.
www.goexperience.fi, www.fregatti.fi and
www.ekokompassi.fi
The Helsinki Tourism Material Bank has
been expanded with many new images. By registering
with the service you can receive free access
to print-quality photos of Helsinki organised by
theme. www.visithelsinki.fi/materialbank
DESTINATION HELSINKI 5

Little big
Helsinki
We are faced with a positive new situation, as
Helsinki is now attracting the biggest international
association meetings. For a long time
the 1997 World Diabetes Congress maintained
its position as the largest congress ever held
in Helsinki until final relegated last year by the
European Congress of Clinical Microbiology
and Infectious Diseases. This meeting attracted
8000 delegates to Helsinki, and as usual all the
arrangements were very successful.
An estimated four percent of international
association meetings are big events with over
3000 participants. As a result, the number of
general secretaries for these major congresses
is rela-tively small. These decision-makers regularly
meet each other, and they even have their
own association – ESAE – within which they can
exchange information.
The word about Helsinki as a venue for major
congresses has indeed been communicated
to the world through many channels, and this
year we successfully hosted such big meetings
as Euroanaesthesia 2010. Including exhibitors
this event attracted around 8000 participants,
and numerous reservations for other major
congresses have already been made for the
coming years.
However, there is a limit to everything, as the
saying goes, and I believe that we have reached
ours in terms of the size of congresses. This
is reflected quite clearly by the fact that the
venue for the 2012 European Hematology
Congress, which was initially expected to attract
around 7000 delegates, was switched from Helsinki
to Amsterdam once the organisers realised
that 10,000 delegates would attend. Helsinki
quite simply lacks the accommodation capacity
for such a large congress.
In all other details Helsinki would be able to
host even bigger events, but our accommodation
capacity is 8500 rooms – 11,800 rooms
including Espoo and Vantaa. This is our limit.
The hotel occupancy rate in Helsinki was 62
percent last year and as high as 70 percent in
July of this year. Indeed, I have often thought
to myself in summertime how wonderful it
would be if the good fairy would wave her wand
and create more hotels for Helsinki!
Leena Sipilä
Convention Director
LEENA SIPILÄ
Convention Director
Social programmes often stay in
the mind of congress visitors
The social programmes that are organised
alongside the official programmes of congresses
play a big part in the success of the event. Blue &
White Conferences Oy, part of the international
CONGREX chain, is one of the leading conference
service agencies in Finland. The company has
organised many of the international association
meetings that have been held in our country,
including their social programmes.
The recreational activities that are organised
alongside congresses traditionally include excursions
and evening entertainment for delegates and their
spouses. “The demand for excursions for spouses
only and post-congress excursions has clearly decreased
over the years, as it has become less popular
for spouses to accompany the delegates,” reveals
Jussi Saari, Managing Director of Blue & White
Conferences Oy.
Differentiation is the key
The most popular activities in Helsinki include city
sightseeing tours and special excursions related to
architecture, design, culture and music. “Sometimes
we also organise professional visits to places related
to the theme of the event. The evening programmes
usually involve opening ceremonies, official receptions
by the City of Helsinki, dinners and concerts,”
Saari continues.
Congress delegates are experienced professionals
for whom excursions and evening entertainment
are routine matters. In order to set apart Helsinki
from other cities, its proximity to nature and unique
character are often highlighted. “I believe that the
regular favourites will remain popular, but bolder
alternatives are also needed. In addition, the importance
of social legacy will also continue to grow,”
Saari predicts.
Easy online search
engine for conference
and banquet facilities
The Convention section of Helsinki’s official
tourism website now features a new search
engine for banquet facilities in addition to
the search engine for conference facilities.
The new search engine has been designed to
make it easy for event organisers to find the
ideal venue for their banquets. The search
engine calculates how well each venue corresponds
to your requirements. The service is
extremely fast and easy to use – try it!
www.meethelsinki.fi
Congress
Services
White summer nights and the sea are attractive
Most of the congresses held in Helsinki take place in
summertime. Organisers are often keen to highlight
the Finnish nature, cleanliness and white nights in
their social programmes.
The most popular dining venues include restaurants
along the coast and on the nearby islands. “In
connection with the biggest congresses, banquets
and other evening events have been organised for
hundreds of participants at Kalastajatorppa, for
example. Restaurants in historical and architecturally
interesting buildings are also popular,” Saari adds,
mentioning such places as Finlandia Hall, Wanha
Satama and the Restaurant Pörssi.
An element of surprise is a bonus
Cultural and culinary experiences play a big role
in evening programmes. “Cuisine made from local
ingredients is popular, and visitors tend to remember
these meals. National traditions and Finnish performers
are often highlighted in musical and other
performances,” Saari says.
Surprising elements are often sought for evening entertainment.
“One chairperson performed a Sibelius
composition on piano at the opening of a congress,
which was very popular. I myself have picked up the
trumpet whenever an appropriate opportunity comes
along!” Saari laughs.
www.congrex.fi
Top
3
Congrex / Blue & White
Conferences Oy Managing Director
Jussi Saari’s
best of Helsinki
Suomenlinna. This historic and maritime
UNESCO World Heritage Site is fascinating for
both visitors and local residents.
Market Square. The
central location of the
market, right beside the
sea and circled by historical
buildings, typifies the
charm of Helsinki.
Architecture and
design. Helsinki’s
diverse architecture and
Finnish design have
worldwide appeal –
after all, Helsinki has
been designated World
Design Capital 2012!
6 DESTINATION HELSINKI

Helsinki travels
the world
KARI HALONEN
Marketing Director
October, sales tour, Sydney & Melbourne,
Australia, Kari Halonen
10-13.10. Nordic Marketing Workshop,
Hamburg, Frankfurt, Germany, Mari Lihr
11-12.10. Nordic Countries Workshop,
Paris, France, Anne Relander
13.10. Workshop Brussels, Belgium,
Johanna Grönberg
13-14.10. Visit Finland Workshop,
Stockholm, Sweden, Jenny Taipale
15-31.10. Kirikiri Workshop, Yuru-Chara mascot
event, Hirameki, Japan, Mari Lihr
23-27.10. ICCA World Congress, Hyderabad,
India, Leena Sipilä, Johanna Grönberg
25-28.10. Sibos convention, Amsterdam,
Netherlands, Ines Antti-Poika
26-28.10. M&I Forum workshop,
Cannes, France, Leena Lassila
27-28.10 Scandinavian Travel Workshop,
New York, USA, Anne Relander
28-29.10. Cruise Baltic Steering Committee,
Copenhagen, Denmark,
Katrilena Eklöf, Tuija Aavikko
2-5.11. Finland Workshop,
Madrid & Barcelona, Spain, Mari Lihr
5.11. ETOA GEM10, London, UK, Anne Relander
30.11-2.12. EIBTM fairs, Barcelona, Spain,
Leena Lassila, Johanna Grönberg
14.12. Workshop London, UK, Ines Antti-Poika
Leading filmmakers
get to know
Helsinki and Lapland
Helsinki again hosts the
biggest travel fair in
Northern Europe
The Nordic Travel Fair Matka 2011 will take
place at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention
Centre from 20-23 January 2011. The theme
of Matka 2011 is “Future It!”. The travel fair
is expected to attract around 1000 exhibitors
and 80,000 visitors, including 18,000
representatives of the international and
domestic travel trade. In addition, over 1200
media representatives will attend.
Headed by the Tourist & Convention, the
Helsinki Region Stand will present many of
the most interesting attractions and service
providers.
The Meet Finland Workshop will be held
in conjunction with the fair on 19 January.
This international event is being organised
by Comma Group Oy on behalf of the Tourist
& Convention Bureau and the Finnish Fair
Corporation.
See you at the fair!
Helsinki Region Stand: 1 B 23
www.matkamessut.fi
New products for
stopover passengers
Helsinki Airport served over 12 million passengers
in 2009. The airport has developed into a major
hub for passenger flights between Europe and
Asia. The tourist bureaus of Espoo, Helsinki and
Vantaa have initiated a new regional tourism
project in co-operation with Culminatum Oy, the
development company for the Greater Helsinki
region. The aim of the project is to develop new
excursion packages that would allow stopover
passengers travelling between Europe and Asia
the chance to see Helsinki.
Initially these new stopover products will be
introduced according to the needs identified by
Helsinki Region Tourist Information, which is situated
at Helsinki Airport. From 15 to 20 products
would be offered for both individual travellers and
small groups.
The regional tourist bureaus have drawn up quality
criteria according to which the products will be
selected and developed. These include capacity,
reservation channels, utilising service networks,
customer orientation and suitability for foreign
markets. In addition, the target groups will have
to be defined and their special needs taken into
consideration.
A product development period of three years has
been set for the project, although it is likely that
the first products will go on sale at Helsinki Region
Tourist Information already in summer 2011.
The strengths of each of the municipalities within
Greater Helsinki will support each other, offering
a diverse and interesting choice of excursions for
stopover passengers.
Kari Halonen
Marketing Director
Film Location Finland and the Finnish Lapland
Film Commission organised in September a
familiarisation tour of potential filming locations
in Helsinki and Lapland for five leading film and
television professionals. The invited guests have
worked as filming organisers for numerous major
film productions that include Mission Impossible
3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Devil
Wears Prada and Catch Me If You Can.
According to Sanna Kultanen, Project Manager
at Film Location Finland, the guests were extremely
satisfied with their visit to Finland.
“The objective was to increase awareness of
Finland among professional filmmakers in order
to attract more foreign productions to film here.
Films that reach a wide audience have a major
impact on popular conceptions about locations,”
Kultanen says.
The filmmakers were interested in both urban
and nature locations within Finland. Over the
past two years three French productions, three
German productions, one US production and one
Dutch production have been filmed here.
Film Location Finland is a two-year EU-funded
project whose aim is to augment the benefit to
Finland in terms of income, image and professional
skills from foreign audiovisual productions.
www.filmfinland.fi
DESTINATION HELSINKI 7

Event calendar
Here we present a selection of events that
are ideal for visitors to Helsinki. For many
more events and more information about
exhibitions, concerts and fairs, go to:
www.visithelsinki.fi > Event calendar
21–24.10. Helsinki International Horse Show, Hartwall
Arena
30.10–7.11. Moving in November Dance Festival,
contemporary dance
4.11–9.1. Winter Circus Sika/Pig, Dance Theatre
Hurjaruuth, Kaapelitehdas
10–14.11. Etnosoi! Festival, world music
11–14.11. Karjala Tournament, ice hockey, Hartwall Arena
17.11. Finland vs. San Marino, UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier,
football, Olympic Stadium
17–21.11. Baltic Circle, international theatre festival,
Q-teatteri
21.11. Opening of the Christmas Street, Aleksanterinkatu
21.11–2.12. International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition
27–28.11. Suomenlinna Christmas Event
1–6.12. (preliminary) Ladies Christmas Market, Finnish
handicrafts, Wanha Satama
4–11.12. World Floorball Championship, Hartwall Arena
6.12–6.1.Stable Elf’s Christmas Path, Helsinki Zoo
7–22.12. St. Thomas Christmas Market, handicrafts,
pastries and other seasonal treats, Esplanade Park
11–21.12. Christmas World, seasonal shopping, Santa
Claus, carousel, music events, Narinkkatori Square
12.12. Seurasaari Christmas Path, Seurasaari
13.12. Lucia parade starting from Helsinki Cathedral
13–23.12. Old Student House Christmas Fair, Vanha
Ylioppilastalo
31.12. New Year’s Eve celebrations, music, fireworks,
Senate Square
1–9.1. Season of Light, Senate Square
5–6.1. Strauss Concert, Finnish National Theatre
20–23.1. Nordic Travel Fair Matka 2011, Helsinki
Exhibition & Convention Centre
25–30.1. Docpoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival
3–11.2. Musica Nova Helsinki, new music festival
5.2. Jokerit vs. HIFK, ice hockey, Olympic Stadium
5–6.2. Apassionata Horse Show – By the Light of the
Stars, Hartwall Arena
10–13.2. Disney On Ice – Disneyland Adventure,
Hartwall Arena
17–19.2. Helsinki Metal Meeting, Kaapelitehdas
Winter Fest, rides and activities, Linnanmäki Amusement
Park
6.3. Shrovetide sleigh rides, Seurasaari
11–12.3. Viapori Winter Blues, Suomenlinna
25.3–4.4. Church Music Festival, various churches,
incl. Helsinki Cathedral and Temppeliaukio
8-9.4. Helsinki Beer Festival, Kaapelitehdas
8–9.4. ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships,
Jäähalli
17–25.4. Easter events at Suomenlinna
22–23.4. Via Crucis – Stages of the Cross, Kaisaniemi
– Senate Square
23.4. Easter bonfires at Seurasaari
30.4. May Day Eve celebrations – Students give Havis
Amanda a wash and her graduation hat, 6pm, Market
Square
World Design Capital info centre
to open alongside Senate Square
The public information centre for the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 theme year will be situated on the
eastern side of Senate Square in the historic Remander House (Aleksanterinkatu 16). Other activities related
to the theme year will also be housed in the same quarter. The preliminary programme for 2012 will be
published in spring 2011.
The main international and national organisations behind the World Design Capital project met in Helsinki
for the first time at the end of September. The International Council of the Societies of Industrial Design
(Icsid) participated in the meeting under the leadership of its president Mark Breitenberg. Icsid confers the
World Design Capital designation in co-operation with the International Council of Graphic Design Associations
(Icograda) and the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers.
The World Design Capital designation is conferred to one city at a time every two years for mer-its in using
design as a tool for economic development, as well as social and cultural improvement. Participating together
with its neighbouring municipalities of Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti, Helsinki will be the third
World Design Capital after Torino (2008) and Seoul (2010).
www.wdchelsinki2012.fi
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blog.visithelsinki.fi
The next edition of
Destination Helsinki
will be published in april 2011
Tourist Information’s
five-star tip
Can touch this!
The following museums permit children – and
why not adults too – to actually touch, handle
and play with the items on display:
The Theatre Museum at the Cable Factory
(Kaapelitehdas) invites visitors on an adventure
to new theatre cultures and the magic world of
the performing arts. Visitors play an active role,
creating, experimenting and playing with theatre
and searching for information. Go ahead,
make a scene!
The Museum of Natural History reveals the
secrets of the Finnish nature and the four seasons.
Visitors can crawl through a snow tunnel,
peak into a talking garbage can, and travel from
the archipelago in Helsinki to the Saana fell in
Lapland in just minutes.
Päivälehti Museum presents exhibitions of
favourite cartoon characters. Recent stars have
included the Moomins, Peanuts and Mickey
Mouse. All special exhibitions are free of charge
and designed especially for young visitors. The
permanent exhibition “Time of the News” describes
the history of Finnish journalism.
www.teatterimuseo.fi
www.luomus.fi
www.paivalehdenmuseo.fi
Feedback AND Changes of address: tourist.media@hel.fi