10.6.2010

European Capital of Culture Turku wins Matka 2011 Nordic Travel Fair’s Pearl of Finland title

Turku has been chosen as the Pearl of Finland for the Matka Nordic Travel Fair of 2011. The candidates for the title may be a region, a town, a city or a municipality that wants to raise their profile as a domestic travel destination and has something of genuine interest to offer tourists.

”The choice was exceptionally easy this time. It is natural that the Pearl of Finland title went to a city that has an extremely important and meaningful role in a European context. As a European Capital of Culture, Turku has a particularly important contribution to make to the Matka 2011 fair event,” says Exhibition Group Manager Rilla Engblom.

In Turku the Matka Fair’s Pearl of Finland status is seen as a token of the prestige enjoyed by the city. ”The Matka fair is an event of national significance, and we appreciate that we have been awarded Pearl of Finland status as it will promote our year as a Capital of Culture,” comments Turku Touring Marketing Manager Tomi Karjalainen.

Next year Turku, already a truly European city by Finnish standards, will be Finland’s window on the world. It is an attractive tourist destination for both Finnish and foreign visitors. The city is known for its events, which are colourful and take place in a variety of places from maritime settings to historic urban milieus.

Turku and Tallinn hand in hand

Our southern neighbour, Estonia, has been chosen as the partner country for the Matka fair in 2011, and the capital city Tallinn will also be a European Capital of Culture in 2011. Turku and Tallinn will cooperate closely in connection with the Matka fair, and now in 2010 there will already be many events relating both to Turku and to Estonia and Tallinn.

”It’s a special pleasure for us that as a partner country we can give a good kick-off to Tallinn’s year as Capital of Culture,” says the Estonian Tourist Board’s Toomas Tärk, District Manager for Finland.

For more media information:

Turku Touring
Marketing Manager Tomi Karjalainen
tel. +358 (0)50 55 90 564
tomi.karjalainen@turku2011.fi

Turku 2011 Foundation
Communications Manager Saara Malila
tel. +358 (0)44 907 57 10
saara.malila@turku2011.fi

Estionan Tourist Board
Toomas Tärk, District Manager for Finland
tel. +358 (0)45 1146 225
toomas.tark@eas.ee

Finnish Fair Corporation
Exhibition Group Manager Rilla Engblom
tel. +358 (0)9 1509 275
rilla.engblom@finnexpo.fi

www.turku2011.fi, www.tallinn2011.ee

Matka and Caravan Fairs 2011 – the biggest travel fair in Northern Europe
The Matka Nordic Travel Fair including the Caravan Fair to be held at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre on 20–23 January 2011 is the biggest travel event in northern Europe. The theme of Matka 2011 is “Future it!” In 2010 more than 1200 exhibitors participated from 75 countries. The Matka and Caravan Fairs had more than 82,000 visitors, 18,000 of them being travel and tourism professionals.

www.matkamessut.fi