Finland – Enit makes a comeback at the Travel & Tourism Trade Fair

‎Enit, Italy’s National Tourism Agency, will be back at the next Travel & Tourism Trade Fair (Matka, 19-22 January 2017), after an absence of nine years. A major event in the tourism industry of Northern Europe, in 2016 Matka recorded 66,794 visitors, of which 13,700 were tour operators. Enit’s comeback on the Finnish market in 2017 was made possible thanks to the support of the Italian Embassy in Helsinki, the Italian Cultural Institute and the local Chamber of Commerce. Enit will have an official stand inside Italy’s pavilion, curated by the Chamber of Commerce. The Fair will open on 19 January, a day reserved to operators only, and then will open its doors to general the public from 20 January on.  Enit’s mission in Finland is to give a fresh boost to Italy as a tourism destination for the Finnish market which, albeit small, spends considerable amounts on tourist services. According to a survey conducted by Flash Eurobarometer 2016, “Preferences of Europeans towards tourism”, 85% of Finns travelled at least once in 2015, ranking Finland third among the 28 EU Member States in terms of number of travellers, up 5% from the previous year. Finnish consumers tend to prioritise destinations offering both culture and a mild climate, which gives Italy a great potential. According to the latest ISTAT [Italian statistics agency] data, Lombardy, Lazio, Veneto, Tuscany and Sicily are the five regions topping the list of Finnish visitors. Enit is now focused on also promoting less popular destinations, with a view to valorising the extraordinary diversity of Italy’s tourist offer. To this aim, Italy’s new promotional strategy for Finland gives priority to establishing a dialogue and strong collaboration with tourism bloggers.