The Finnish Travel Quality Award will be awarded for the second time and special attention is this time put to quality in travel, which is also the main theme for the Nordic Travel Fair Matka 2007. The public nominated candidates online until 12 November and now the jury of travel professionals has chosen the five finalists. The finalists are Iceland, Munich airport, Hotel Shakespeare in Vilnius Lithuania, Strandbo Group (Nauvo, Finland), and Tertti Manor (Mikkeli, Finland).

The Finnish Travel Quality Award is handed out annually at the Nordic Travel Fair Matka for a domestic or foreign travel product or service, travel destination or person, as a recognition for succeeding in promoting quality in travel. The winner needs to be awailable in the Finnish travel market.

The award is given by the Finland Travel Bureau, Finnish Fair Corporation, and Gloria-magazine who wish to encourage companies in the travel industry to pay attention to quality when developing services, products and new experiences for the customers. In addition to recognition the winner will also be given a €5000 donation by the Finnish Fair Foundation at the Matka party 18 January 2007.

The winner is chosen by a professional jury including Editor in Chief Riitta Lindegren from Gloria-magazine, Sales Group Manager Inna-Pirjetta Lahti from the Finnish Fair Corporation, Marketing Manager Leena Tolvanen from the Window Seat –magazine, the Chairman of the Travel Reporters’ Quild Eero Nokela, and Marketing Manager Minna Eliasson from Finland Travel Bureau, Each year the jury also includes a guest member, a public figure who travels a lot. This year the guest member of the jury is Mirkku Kullberg, CEO of Artek.

The award will be handed out at the Matka Party 18 January 2007. Last year the winner was Jussi Ala-Marttunen, the Destination Manager for Prague at the Finland Travel Bureau’s Etumatkat. In 2005, the pre-award was given to Hotel Kakslauttanen’s iglus and huts.