HELSINKI

DestinationHELSINKIWINTER–SPRING 2007THE NEWSLETTER OF THE TOURIST & CONVENTION BUREAUHelsinki Visitors Guide perfectfor planning city breaks ............ 3Accommodation capacityon the rise ................................ 4Best of Helsinki Awards 2007competition underway .............. 5New Ice Park proves popularamong visitors .......................... 12KAMPPI213MannerheimintieRAILWAY STATION4 5AleksanterinkatuSenate Square7The Esplanade Park will be filled with the famous Las Meninasgirls sculpted by Spanish artist Manolo ValdésHelsinki prepares for the biggest ever Eurovision Song ContestThe highlight ofthis spring’s eventcalendar in Helsinki,the EurovisionSong Contest will pack the city with Eurovisionmania from 2-13 May. Residents and visitors alikewill get to enjoy a fantastic range of related eventsthat will take place throughout the city centre.A true festival atmosphereThe Senate Square will be transformed into avirtual living room where Eurovision fans will beable to watch the semifinals and finals on a bigscreen. The square will also host other musical performances,as well as fashion shows. One of thehighlights will be a concert of Eurovision songsperformed by Finnish military bands on 11 May.The EuroVillage will be erected in the NarinkkatoriSquare outside the Kamppi Shopping Centre.The EuroVillage will present the official sponsorsof the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as anentertaining programme from 5-12 May.The Eurovision Fan Centre will be situated nearbyinside the Lasipalatsi “Glass Palace” . The fancentre’s programme and information services will beprovided by volunteers from the www.viisukuppila.fi fan site together with the Helsinki City Tourist &Convention Bureau and the Helsinki City CulturalOffice. The fan centre will be open daily during theentire two weeks of the Eurovision Song Contest.Concerts of jazz, ethno and global rhythms willbe performed in the Esplanade park , which willalso stage Europe Day events on 9 May.Eurovision guests and residents will get to celebratetogether at the Helsinki Gala on 11 May, whenthe city centre will be filled with music and manyother activities. The main events will be held from4pm to 8pm along the main shopping street Aleksanterinkatu, as well as around Senate Squareand Kamppi. Military bands, choirs, orchestras andother performers will warm up the fans before themain event on the next day.Read more

2Events are Helsinki’s advantageHelsinki really hit the jackpot when the Finnish entry Lordiwon the Eurovision Song Contest last year. Especially inrecent years, big events, important summit meetings, majorsporting events, fantastic festivals and various themeweeks have added colour and a real international buzz toHelsinki. These events allow us to promote Helsinki to newand different target groups and to hone our image as a cityof diverse culture, events and meetings.As with the Eurovision Song Contest this May, big events oftenattract many representatives of the media whose positive experiences of ourcity can carry far and wide. The visibility and coverage provided by foreign mediachannels present a challenge, as our services and hospitality undergo continuousscrutiny. Indeed, Helsinki has no choice but to continue striving towardsimproving what we have to offer. Our goal this spring is to offer Eurovision SongContest visitors a real festival atmosphere, complete with a comprehensive lineupof events and activities in addition to the competition itself.Record year for tourism creates new challengesHelsinki enjoyed its best tourism year ever in 2006. As of the end of Novemberthe number of foreign overnight stays had increased by 10.7 percent over thecorresponding period in 2005 and domestic overnight stays by 3.3 percent.The figures for the entire year will be available at the end of February, butaccording to preliminary information the strong growthcontinued also in December. Our target for 2007 isto maintain the same excellent level as in 2006.The Tourist & Convention Bureau’s operatingplan for this year emphasises the developmentof the Helsinki brand and attracting newpartners for our promotional campaigns. We willalso continue to develop our publications.Our website www.visithelsinki.fi attracted a record number of visitors,around half a million, in 2006. This spring the website will be comprehensivelyupdated to further improve the practicality and accessibility of our services, aswell as to prolong each visit to our pages and to increase again the total numberof visitors.Surveys among customers and partners direct ouroperationsIn a survey carried out among co-operation partners according to the FinnishTourist Board’s Quality Net programme the Tourist & Convention Bureau receivedan overall rating of 4.01 from a scale of 1 to 5. A total of 219 responseswere recorded. One area for improvement that was highlighted was the accessibilityof staff, which scored the lowest rating of 3.6.Last year almost 500 individuals participated in the Tourist & ConventionBureau’s customer satisfaction survey, providingan overall rating of 4.41. During the sameperiod the number of customers servedby Tourist Information increased by 31percent, yet despite the occasionalcongestion customers remainedextremely satisfied according tothe survey.Welcome to Helsinki this spring toenjoy Eurovision mania!PIRKKO NYMANTourist DirectorEurovision factsEurovision mania continues…● The 52 nd Eurovision Song Contest will be the biggest held so far, withno less than 42 countries being represented in Helsinki.● The semifinals will be held on Thursday 10 May and the finals onSaturday 12 May at the Helsinki Arena (see the map on the cover ).● A total of eight different concerts, including official rehearsals, will beheld at Helsinki Arena.● This year’s theme is “True Fantasy”, highlighting the many contrastsfound in Finland, such as light and dark, the fells in the North and thearchipelago in the South, and nature and technology.● Participants will begin arriving and practising already on Thursday 3May.● Around 1000 members of official Eurovision delegations are expectedto arrive, along with 1500 to 2500 journalists and perhaps 10,000Eurovision fans.● The official party venue will be the Euroklubi at Vanha Ylioppilastalo,the “Old Student House” (see the map on the cover ), where competingnations will hold their PR events during the final week.Further information: www.hel.fi/eurovision, www.yle.fi/eurovision andwww.viisukuppila.fiThis kaleidoscopic postcard was commissioned by the Tourist &Convention Bureau from Dog Design Oy to mark the staging of theEurovision Song Contest in Helsinki.Destination Helsinki is a quarterly bulletin fortourist professionals, affiliates of the HelsinkiCity Tourist & Convention Bureau and the media.Destination Helsinki appears four times a year.Editor: Laura Itävaara, tel. +358 (0)9 310 36336,fax. +358 (0)9 310 13301, laura.itavaara@hel.fiLayout: FCB/Espa, Katariina Tirkkonen-WaneTranslation: Crockford CommunicationsHelsinki City Tourist & ConventionBureauPohjoisesplanadi 19, P.O.Box 2800099 City of Helsinkitel. +358 (0)9 310 13300fax. +358 (0)9 310 13301www.visithelsinki.fi , tourist.info@hel.fiTourist Information (Pohjoisesplanadi 19)is open1 Oct.-1 May Mon-Fri 9am-6pm,Sat-Sun 10am-4pm2 May-30 Sept. Mon-Fri 9am-8pm,Sat-Sun 9am-6pmConvention UnitKatariinankatu 4, PL 1, P.O.Box 2800099 City of Helsinkitel. +358 (0)9 310 36152, fax. +358 (0)9 310 36091,www.hel.fi/convention, convention.bureau@hel.fi

3Personnel newsLeena Sipilä, who served as Head of Meeting Arrangementsfor the Secretariat for the FinnishEU Presidency since autumn 2005, returnedto her position as Convention Director at thebeginning of February. Contact information:leena.sipila@hel.fi, tel. +358 (0)9 310 74406.Office Manager Mariska Szrok-Lilja returned from maternityleave in January. Mariska’s duties include monitoringthe bureau’s financial situation, arranging programmesfor special visits and liasing with tour guides.Contact information: mariska.szrok-lilja@hel.fi,tel. +358 (0)9 310 36598.Vappu Vauhkonen, who stood in for Leena during herleave of absence, has transferred to the MarketingUnit. Vappu is in charge of the following markets:Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland,Great Britain and China. In addition, Vappu isresponsible for the Weekend Delight city breakcampaign and Special Interest programmes togetherwith Marketing Director Kari Halonen.Contact Information: vappu.vauhkonen@hel.fi,tel. +358 (0)9 310 36128.Tiina Piipponen, who stood in for Mariska, continueswithin the Communications Unit as PR Co-ordinator.Tiina arranges programmes for visits by the media andtravel agents and assists in internet projects.Contact information: tiina.piipponen@hel.fi,tel. +358 (0)9 310 64515.Helsinki – Visitors Guideperfect for planning city breaksThe Tourist & Convention Bureau’s main tourist brochure HelsinkiYour Way was published at the start of this year under a new name:Helsinki – Visitors Guide.The new brochure provides a comprehensivepackage of information for visitors to the city, allowingthem to see at a glance what is being offeredin different districts. Around half-a-millioncopies of the brochure have been printed, and itis available in nine languages: Finnish, Swedish,English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russianand Estonian. Customised printings of Chineseand Japanese editions will also be made availablethis spring.The brochure is being distributed throughTourist Information, the Finnish Tourist Board, travelagencies and tourism bureaus, accommodationproviders, ferry terminals, industry sales events andtravel fairs in Finland and abroad.The next edition of Helsinki – Visitors Guidewill appear in January 2008. Advertorials are beingsold to selected co-operation partners.This spring’s Helsinki brochuresand other publications● Special Interest 2007 flyer and internet pages(February)● Electronic newsletters (March)● Welcome to Helsinki flyer (March)● Family Destination brochure (March)● Nordic Oddity flyer and internetpages (March)● Weekend Delight brochure(April)● Eurovision Song Contest brochure (April)● Agents Manual 2008 (May)● See Helsinki on Foot – 7 free walkingroutes (May)We would love to hear your feedback concerningour new brochure! Send your comments orsuggestions to: tourist.media@hel.fi.REBEKKA MUSTONENPublication Planner

4StatisticsNew City GuideTourist and RegionMaps for HelsinkiThe Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau inco-operation with City Guide (Suomen City-Opas)have published two new free distribution maps for2007: the Helsinki City Tourist Map and the HelsinkiRegion Map.The Helsinki City Tourist Map features the citycentre and serves tourists in six languages: Finnish,Swedish, English, German, French and Russian.The map highlights various sights and restaurantsin Helsinki, as well as many other key services forvisitors.The Helsinki Region Map covers Helsinki,Espoo and Vantaa. In addition, the map featuresinformation about services,sights and accommodation.A roadmap is included,making it easier for driversto find their way around thecapital region. The HelsinkiRegion Map is available freeof charge from Tourist Informationand tourist destinations,as well as from patentedmap vending machines situatedat various arrival points and at theCentral Railway Station.Accommodationcapacity on the riseMajor events, congresses and fairs can occasionally takeup all the accommodation in Helsinki. A marked increasein accommodation capacity was seen in 2006, and severalnew hotels will be opened in the near future. Hotels inneighbouring Espoo and Vantaa are also increasing andhelp provide additional capacity when Helsinki is hostingbig events.The occupancy rate in January-November 2006 wasan extremely healthy 70.2 percent. The figure for the entireyear is expected to be a record high. The occupancyrate in the year 2000 was 68.3 percent, while back in1990, before Helsinki experienced a significant increase inhotel capacity, the figure was 68.1 percent.According to Statistics Finland, 56 accommodationestablishments operated in Helsinki in January-November2006 offering a total of 7,655 rooms and 14,669 beds.Of these 45 were hotels offering 7,433 rooms and 13,976beds. The average price of accommodation remained atthe same high level as in the previous year at 74 euros. Theaverage price of a hotel room was 105 euros.The latest statistics are published monthly on ourwebsite, and the annual report is published in March.Rooms and occupancy ratein Helsinki 1995–200680007500RoomsOccupancy rate8075Plan your nextschool outingto Helsinki onthe internet!The website www.helsinkiin.fi makes it easier than ever to plan school outings to Helsinki.The pages describe the services offered by Tourist Information, as well as many sights andcompanies to help plan class trips. Recommended programmes are provided for one, two orthree days. The project is supported by the following partners: Parliament House, Gardenia,Heureka, Helsinki Zoo, Linnanmäki, Sea Life, Serena, Seurasaari, Solvalla Sports Academy,Suomenlinna, Technical Museum, WeeGee House, Helsinki Expert, Helsinki City Transport,VR, Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council, Rastila Camping and Sokos Hotels.700065006000550019951996199719981999200020012002200320042005Further information: www.visithelsinki.fi >Media > StatisticsTUULIKKI BECKERDeputy Tourist Director20067065605550Check out the website at: www.helsinkiin.fi

5Marketing NewsBest of Helsinki Awards 2007competition underwayCheck out this year’s nominees and vote for your favourite!www.bestofhelsinki.fiThe Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau organisedthe first ever “Best of Helsinki Awards” in2006. This year’s competition was kicked off at theNordic Travel Fair “Matka 2007” in January.Once again consumers and travel industry professionalshave the chance until the end of Octoberto vote for the city’s best travel services in severalcompetition categories.Last year the www.bestofhelsinki.fi websiteattracted over 24,000 visitors, and approximately9,400 people from all around the world voted.Winners of the 2006 Best of Helsinki Awards: (back row from left to right) Harri Sjöberg, CaféEngel; Jaakko Antti-Poika, Governing Body of Suomenlinna; Timo Aalto, Elämystaikurit Oy;Markku Ahtola, Korkeasaaren ystävät ry; Seppo Turunen, Helsinki Zoo; Vilma Gustafsson, SeaLife Helsinki; Saija Niemistö, Sokos Hotels and Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts; (front row fromleft to right) Katja Siberg and Milla Öystilä, Governing Body of Suomenlinna; Heli Gauff, ScandicHotels; Leena Kanerva, See Finland Oy; Ella From, Ella From Finland Oy and Leena Rautanen-Saari, Helsinki City Transport.Best of Helsinki2006Best Family Resort & Fun 2006:Sea Life HelsinkiBest Meeting Experience 2006:Suomenlinna conference andbanquet facilitiesBest Nordic Oddity 2006: Café EngelBest Incentive Experience 2006:See Finland’s “Make Your OwnPiece of Jewellery”Best Winter Experience 2006:Art Meets Ice International IceSculpture Competition at Helsinki ZooBest City Break Highlight 2006:Helsinki City Transport Tourist TicketBest Travel Professional 2006 (three awardswere handed out in this category: 3 rd placeand shared 1 st place.): 3rd place SaijaNiemistö, Sales Director for Sokos Hotelsand Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts; joint1 st place Timo Aalto, Managing Director ofElämystaikurit Oy, and Heli Gauff, Sales Assistantat Scandic Hotels.In addition, the Tourist & Convention Bureaupresented a special Lifetime AchievementAward to Ella From, Managing Director ofElla From Finland Oy until her retirement thisautumn.

6RegionalMarketingWelcoming Indiaas a new marketfor HelsinkiCompany SpotlightMy Suomi Oy introducesFinland to Japanese visitorsThe seventh largest country in the world,India is today closer to Helsinki than ever. InNovember last year Finnair introduced directflights between Helsinki and Delhi, and thisJune the airline will introduce to flights betweenHelsinki and Mumbai.The Helsinki City Tourist & ConventionBureau will begin marketing activities in Indiain 2007. In March we will be participating ina workshop event in India. In addition we willbe launching five new promotional campaignsthat aim to increase awareness about Helsinkiwith the help of our city’s image makers.We hope to attract 20,000 overnight staysfrom the Indian market this year. Visitors fromIndia already stay in Helsinki exceptionallylong periods – almost five nights on average.This figure is much higher than the averagefor international visitors, which is just over twonights. The long visits are principally due tobusiness travel. The main age group of Indianvisitors to Finland is 25-45.Leisure travel among Indians often involvesfamilies, for whom programmes andactivities are customised. Since the concept offamily is much broader in India than in Finland,family travel from India can be considered aform of group travel. Individual travel (FIT)from India is nevertheless on the rise.My Suomi Oy caters to Japanese visitors in theirown language and respecting their own customs.The company offers a wide selection of programmesthat present the Finnish lifestyle, design, fashionand architecture. The services have been designedfor small groups of up to 14 people.We were among the first companies to offerprogrammes also for individual travellers. Japaneseprefer to travel in small groups, and for them it isimportant to receive friendly and personal service,”describes Managing Director Hanna Jämsä.Japanese visitors are attracted to Finland by itssafety, tolerance and excellent transportation connections.“Our main group of customers consists ofunmarried educated women between the ages of30 and 40. Our services have also been utilised byvintage design dealers and fashion photographers,”Jämsä tell us.Movie created a cult reputationfor Helsinki in JapanMy Suomi Oy’s most popular product at the momentis a tour of the locations where the filmKamome Shokudo (“The Seagull Cafeteria”) wasshot.“When the film premiered in Japan last year,thousands of Japanese, especially middle-agedwomen, became interested in our lifestyle, designand architecture in Helsinki. Our tour includes thecity centre and nearby forests, but also such exoticthings as riding in a tram, buying food in local shopsand going to flea markets,” Jämsä explains.“Our Japanese visitors find the artwork onFinnish food products particularly fascinating– even empty milk cartons are sometimes broughtback as souvenirs!”Further information: www.mysuomi.fiJapanese visitors discover Finnish nature.KARI HALONENMarketing Director

7Northbound Traveloffers tailor-made itinerariesIndividual backpackers and major corporate clientsalike can have the perfect itinerary preparedfor them by Northbound Travel, a member of theQuality 1000 network. Whether you are looking fora little luxury, peace and quiet in the outdoors oryour own adventure, Northbound Travel’s productselection offers just the right service.“We offer visitors the chance to really uncoverFinland and Finnish culture. We select the best activities,sights, services and transportation for ourcustomers,” promises Anu Ukonmaanaho fromNorthbound Travel.Cultural exchange holiday inFinnish homesNorthbound Travel’s most popular product in theHelsinki Region involves visiting a real life Finnishfamily. Homemade food, conversations with thehost family and participation in family activities allowvisitors to experience everyday Finnish culturein an unforgettable way.The package includes accommodation in thefamily’s guestrooms, so the maximum group size isone to six persons.“Home visits usually last a couple of nights andare part of a broader itinerary. However, individualtravellers may even stay up to a week. Shorter visitsare also possible, such as lunch, dinner or coffeewith a Finnish family,” Ukonmaanaho tells us.“We have had customers for exmaple from theUSA and Japan, as well as a growing number fromEurope and countries like Denmark, France andSpain. Academics and experienced travellers whohave “seen everything” have shown particular interestin our products. Home visits allow them todiscover and participate in authentic local culture,”Ukonmaanaho describes.Further information: www.northboundtravel.comHotel NewsReaders of Global Travelermagazine voted the Hotel Kämpin Helsinki asthe “BestIndividual Hotel in Europe”for 2006. Around 14,000readers of the business travelmagazine participated in thesurvey. www.hotelkamp.fiThe design hotel KlausK. has been named one of the“20 coolest newhotels in the world” by Australianfood and travel magazineVogue Entertaining + Travel.www.klauskhotel.comBest Western’s first Premierdesign hotel will open in earlysummer on the site of a historicalprison in the Katajanokka district.The four-star Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokkawill stand out for its wide range of servicesand its unique location, architecture and history.The oldest part of the building datesback to 1837 and the main buildingto 1888. The hotel will offer106 rooms, plus restaurant andconference facilities.www.bestwestern.fiThe Hotel Hilton Helsinki-VantaaAirport will be completedin August in connectionwith the International Terminal. Theinterior of the five-star hotel willfeature Finnish design thanksto co-operation with Artek andother design houses. The hotelwill offer 246 rooms and severalconference spaces.www.vantaa.fiA new lifestyle hotel will openon Kluuvikatu street on 12 March.The Palace Kämp Hotel GLOfeatures exceptionally spacious rooms averaging 35square metres in size. The hotel offersa total of 144 rooms, of which 12are suites. Designed as a centralmeeting place for residents andtourists, the hotel will also housetwo restaurants.www.palacekamp.fiA new Omena Hotelwill open on Eerinkinkatustreet in April featuring spacious rooms with fourbeds each. Ideal for tourists travelling on their own,the economy hotel offers inexpensive rates of just79 euros per room. Each room has its own fridge,microwave and coffee machine, as well as a hightechhotel television system withinternet, info, entertainment andcommunications functionsand a flat-screen TV.www.omena.com

8Havis named HelsinkiMenuRestaurant of the YearParticipating HelsinkiMenu restaurants offer the chance to experienceFinland’s rich culinary culture, which has been inspired by both theEast and West. The title of HelsinkiMenu Restaurant of the Year 2006went to the Restaurant Havis, which serves gourmet fish and seafood.The selection criteria for the title of HelsinkiMenuRestaurant of the Year emphasised the desires andneeds of demanding tourists, as well as corporateand congress guests. Havis was praised especiallyfor its interesting presentation of the HelsinkiMenu,the high quality of its dishes, its excellent drinkrecommendations and attentive service.“Havis is very much a Scandinavian restaurant.The aromas of our Northern nature can be tastedespecially in our HelsinkiMenu, as well as in our othermenus,” describes Head Chef Jyri Hänninen.“The stories we provide about the localingredients used for our HelsinkiMenu dishes offerinteresting topics of conversation at the table. TheHelsinkiMenu is an excellent choice for foreignguests,” Hänninen recommends.Havis is situated in the historic Sundmandsmerchants house opposite the famous Havis Amandastatue next to the Market Square. In addition to thebest fish and seafood dishes, the restaurant alsooffers vegetarian alternatives. Hänninen and Chefde Cuisine Mats Sjöblom also won the “Best CoastalKitchen of Europe” competition last spring.“Our winning Skärgårdsmak menu is served inthe evenings. This menu uses slightly more daringingredients than our HelsinkiMenu dishes, but itis still very Scandinavian in approach,” Hänninensays.HelsinkiMenu1233topRestaurant Havis’s Head ChefJyri Hänninen’s”Besf of Helsinki”The MarketSquare, OldMarket Halland HakaniemiHall are dreamdestinations thatculinarists andregular tourists alike have to experience.Katajanokka with its historic residentialbuildings and barracks is one of my favouritedistricts in terms of architecture.A cruise through the archipelago aroundHelsinki is always a wonderful experience.A great combination is Suomenlinna, apicnic basket full of delicious food andplenty of spare time.HelsinkiMenurestaurants 2007Arthur, Baker’s, Carelia, Filmitähti, Graniittilinna,Haaga Inn, Havis, Ilmatar, Kappeli, Kokki,Kuu, Lasipalatsi, Lehtovaara, Lyon, Nokka,Sundmans Krog, Taidehalli, Torni and Zetor.Each participating restaurant offers its ownunique HelsinkiMenu. All dishes are made fromseasonal Finnish ingredients.Further information:www.finfood.fi/helsinkimenuIn addition to the best fish and seafood dishes,Havis also offers vegetarian alternatives.

92007Convention NewsHelsinki travels the world2.2. STB Seminar und Tagungsbörse,Hamburg, Germany4–6.2. Mid-Atlantic, Reykjavik, Iceland7–11.2. Hamburg, Germany9–11.2. BalTour, Riga, Latvia NEW8–11.2. Confec Red, Budapest, Hungary14.2. St. Petersburg workshop, Russia16–18.2. TourEst, Tallinn, Estonia1.3. Nordic Breeze workshop, Rome, Italy6–7.3. Kongressi 2007, Finlandia Hall, Helsinki8–13.3. ITB, Berlin, Germany27–29.3 India Road Show, Mumbai & New Delhi,India2–4.4. Australia Road Show, Sydney &Melbourne, Australia17.4. Finland Workshop, Tallinn, Estonia17–19.4. IMEX Frankfurt, Germany18.4. MEK market, HelsinkiApril Japan Road ShowApril Sales visit tour, EstoniaShowcase Helsinki presentsthe city as an incentives andcorporate event destinationHelsinki will be the host city for the Showcase salesevent organised by the Finland Convention Bureauon 7-9 June 2007. Around 50 exhibitors areexpected to attend the event, as well as a similarnumber of foreign buyers from Germany, France,Great Britain, the Benelux countries, Spain, Italy,Poland and Russia. Helsinki will be presented toprofessional visitors as a destination for incentivesand corporate events. In addition to various activities,a one-to-one workshop will also be arranged.The Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureauwill serve as the regional co-ordinator of theevent in co-operation with the Finland ConventionBureau. Practical arrangements for the event havebeen partially outsourced to the destination managementcompany The Travel Experience.Further information: www.fcb.fiNational Meetings Industry Week promotes funFinland named SITEChapter of the Year 2006The Finnish chapter of the Society of Incentive &Travel Executives (SITE) was named SITE Chapterof the Year 2006 at the SITE International Conferenceheld in Barcelona last December. Finland beateight other chapters in the final round.SITE is a major international professional associationdevoted to the pursuit of excellence inincentives. The association aims to promote internationalnetworking and the development of industryprofessionals, as well as to increase globalawareness of the incentives industry. The Finnishchapter is one of the 33 regional or national chaptersof SITE.Further information: www.site-finland.fiThe theme of this year’s National Meetings Industry Week in Finlandon 5-9 March will be the “Fun of Meetings”. The inspiration behind this year’s theme is to make peoplethink how fun and humour can be utilised to enhance the meetings experience.The main event of Meetings Industry Week will be the Kongressi 2007 fair, at which the Tourist &Convention Bureau’s Convention Unit will participate from 6-7 March at Finlandia Hall (Stand 26). Furtherinformation: www.fcb.fiMeeting VenueRooftop saunas for brainstormingThe new sauna and lounge facilities at the Radisson SAS Seaside offer a splendid view over the sea fromthe 9 th floor of the hotel. The name of the facilities is “Katto”, which translates as “Roof” in English.Katto has been designed especially for corporate clients to promote brainstorming. The space can accommodateup to 20 guests and features all conference technology and equipment, including a largescreen and a fixed 42-inch plasma TV.Further information: www.radissonsas.comOther meeting venues worth checking out:● The Sokos Hotel Vaakuna in the city centre offersa terrace sauna that includes conferencespace for up 20 guests. www.sokoshotels.fi● In addition to a wide range of conference facilities,the Scandic Hotel Continental offers threesaunas with a view, a swimming pool and a summerterrace. www.scandic-hotels.fi● The High Tech Center HTC Helsinki in the Ruoholahtidistrict close to the city centre offerssauna facilities with a splendid view over thesea. The facilities are ideal also for conferencesand corporate entertainment. www.htc.fi● The Palace Hotel features both wood-heatedand electric saunas, as well as a range of conferencefacilities and a rooftop terrace.www.palacekamp.fi● The Palace Hotel Linna features excellent saunafacilities and a cosy fireplace room that can beused for conferences for 7 to 20 guests.www.palacekamp.fi

10What’s new in Helsinki?The Restaurant Olo (Kasarmikatu 44)opened last autumn and serves up modernScandinavian cuisine. The dishes arestraightforward while offering rich flavours. Therestaurant includes a bar and a wine cabinet that isideal for private parties.www.olo-ravintola.fiThe Restaurant Eatz(Mikonkatu 15) has anew menu. Already famous for offering anenormous range of international dishes, the menunow includes for the first time traditional Finnishfoods, such as sautéed reindeer.www.eatz.fiComing soon!The annual Helsinki Festival in Augustwill be further spiced up this year by aninternational theatre festival that will includenew circus performances in a special tent erectedby the Merisatama waterfront nearby KaivopuistoPark. The popular Night of the Arts is beingrevamped and will offer a diverse range of culturalentertainment throughout the night starting onFriday 24 August. The Helsinki Festival will run from17 August to 2 September. The full programme willbe published on 17 April, when ticket sales will alsobegin. www.helsinginjuhlaviikot.fiThe Inferno Bar & Nightclub(Annankatu 10)opened at the beginningof this year and has become themeeting place for friends of metalmusic. The establishment plays heavy and evenheavier rock on two floors, including live music.Night animals can party into the early hours of themorning, as the restaurant is open Wednesday toSunday from 4pm to 4am.www.infernobar.fiThe Restaurant TervassarenAitta in the Tervasaari districtof Helsinki was acquired atthe start of the year by A&S Restaurants.The company plans to reopen the restaurantin May under the new name Restaurant Savu.The Tervasaari Storehouse, built in 1805, createsthe unique milieu for Restaurant Savu. According toA&S Restaurants, which also operates the popularrestaurants Saslik, Saari, Saaga, Savotta and Samovar,the Restaurant Savu is the only restaurant inthe world that uses smoke-curing in preparing allthe dishes it serves. www.asrestaurants.comTallink’s Superfast ferriesbegan sailing betweenHelsinki and Rostock fromthe beginning of this year. The ferriesalso stop at Tallinn.www.tallink.fiSuomenlinna will offer a new adventuretour for children this summer entitled “TheSecret of the Enchanted Vault”. Youngvisitors are escorted by King Gustav III through thefortress to solve a mystery. The adventure continueson from the Ehrensvärd Society’s classic children’stour “The Search for the Missing Crown”. The newtour will run from 6 June to 11 August 2007 and beoffered in Finnish and Swedish.www.suomenlinna.fi

11Award-winningrelaxation atHelsinki Day SpaThe expansion of the InternationalTerminal at Helsinki-Vantaa Airportwill be completed in autumn 2009.Passenger numbers at the airport broke anotherrecord in 2006 reaching 12.1 million, which is overone million more passengers than in the previousyear. Passenger numbers increased by 14 percentin international traffic and a full 30 percent inAsian traffic.Helsinki Day Spa was the only Nordic spa to belisted among the world’s top facilities by Englishmagazine Vogue. Representing a new kind of cityspa, Helsinki Day Spa offers a harmonious place torelax in the heart of town. The interior combines topcontemporary design with historical architecture,creating a luxurious high-quality atmosphere.Further information: www.dayspa.fiwww.finavia.fiHelsinki’s travel industry companiescommitted to qualityVR Ltd and Russianrailway companyOAO RZD have setup a joint rolling stockcompany for high speed railservices between Helsinkiand St. Petersburg. The aim isto reduce the travel time between Helsinki andSt. Petersburg from the current five and a halfhours to three hours. A total of 267,000 train journeyswere made between Finland and Russia in2005, representing growth of 6 percent over theprevious year. Growth in 2006 alone was around15 percent.www.vr.fiAs the tourism sector changes and the number of individual travellers increases, it has become increasinglyimportant to ensure the quality of even the smallest travel companies. When reservations are made directly oncompany websites, there is no longer a travel agent in between who can answer for the quality.For customers quality represents the entire process, including not only the relationship between price andquality, but also obtaining product information and the general efficiency of the purchasing process. Promotingthe quality of travel products is indeed a vital part of the work carried out by the Helsinki City Tourist &Convention Bureau.Participating in Quality 1000 trainingQuality 1000 training was introduced in spring 2006 by the T&E Employment and Economic DevelopmentCentre, Haaga Institute and Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau. Twelve companies were selected forthe first quality group ranging from accommodation providers to event organisers. The group aims to completeits quality training in April before the summer rush begins. This spring the next quality group will also beselected, for whom training will begin in May 2007.The goal for the future is to attract as many of Helsinki’s travel industry companies as possible to participatein the quality training. Plans are to select another quality true at the end of summer for trainingduring autumn 2007. In addition, plans are being made to introduceDestination Quality Net (DQN) training in which all services at asingle tourist destination, from small companies to public organisations,would participate. Successful completion of DQNtraining allows an entire area to be promoted as a Quality1000 destination.Further information: antti.kaivonen@hel.fiANTTI KAIVONENProject Co-ordinator

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONSHere we present a selection of events andexhibition ideal for visitors to Helsinki. Formore information and many more events,see: www.visithelsinki.fiEvents9.2–3.3. Ice Pearl Winter Fest, winter fun foreveryone, Linnanmäki Amusement Park15–17.2. X Festival Flamenco de Helsinki, SavoyTheatre27.2. “Year of the Pig”, Traditional Chinese NewYear Concert, Kulttuuritalo2–3.3. Viapori Winter Blues, Suomenlinna10–17.3. Musica nova, international new musicfestival, various venues15–17.3. ViiniExpo 2007, wine event for professionalsand active enthusiasts, Helsinki Fair Centre17.3. Redbull Crashed Ice, downhill skating races,Tähtitorni (Observatory) hill18–25.3. Church Music Festival, various churchvenues25.3. Wiener Johann Strauss Concert Gala,Finlandia Hall7.4. Easter bonfires, Seurasaari Island7.4. Via Crucis, Stages of the Cross, processionbegins and ends at Senate Square. Generalpractice held on the previous day.6–9.4. American Car Show, Helsinki Fair Centre2–13.5. Eurovision Song Contest events throughoutthe city, semifinals 10.5 and finals 12.5.ExhibitionsUntil 22.4. Puukko – the Finnish Sheath Knife, NationalMuseum of FinlandUntil 3.6. Aurora Karamzin and the stages of powerexhibition, WeeGee Exhibition CentreUntil 2.9. Copyright Nature, Finnish Science CentreHeurekaUntil 15.9. 1950s and 1960s Art from Ateneum’sCollections, Ateneum Art MuseumUntil 16.9. Ladies’ Salon – 18 th century Europeanwomen artists, Sinebrychoff Art MuseumUntil 22.4. Formula 1 - The Great Design Race,Design MuseumUntil 23.9. Landscape in Kiasma’s collections, Museumof Contemporary Art KiasmaUntil 15.6.08 The Real Citizen, Helsinki City Museum,Hakasalmi Villa10.2–4.3. Marianna Uutinen: Ytimestä – Coring,Kunsthalle Helsinki16.2–22.4. Robert Doisneau – Portraying Paris, TennisPalace Art Museum16.2–29.4. The Star-Studded Sky, Stars from theGolden Era of Finnish Film, Tennis Palace ArtMuseum16.2–27.5. Age of the Animal, Ateneum Art Museum17.2–27.5. Wind from the East, Museum ofContemporary Art Kiasma30.3–2.9. Crime Scene: Helsinki, Helsinki CityMuseum, Sederholm HouseThe next Destination Helsinki will be published in May.New Ice Park provespopular among visitorsOpened last November in Helsinki’s Central Railway StationSquare, the Ice Park has attracted city residents and touristsalike to test their skating skills on the invitingly smoothice. Skaters have come from as far away as South America,Asia, Africa and across Europe. The central location has beenwarmly praised, and special events have been especiallypopular. Lighting and music enhance the atmosphere atnighttime. The Ice Park is open until mid March and will openagain next winter.Further information: www.jaapuisto.fiNational Museum opensnew interactive exhibitionof Finnish history forchildrenThe National Museum of Finland’s newest departmentVINTTI is an interactive exhibition where young visitorscan study the history of Finland and its culture usingtheir hands and heads. For example, visitors can harnessa horse, builda log house, try their hand at assemblyline work and weave a long rug. Altogether the exhibitionfeatures 22 tasks based on experimentation andpersonal experience.VINTTI offers a exciting museum environment inwhich both boys and girls can learn about Finnish history.The exhibition is ideal for children of all ages, andchildren under the age of 7 can perform the tasks togetherwith their parents.Further information: www.nba.fiFeedbacklaura.itavaara@hel.fi ortel. +358 (0)9 310 36336