Due to the increasing interest of consumers the opening hours for consumers have been lengthened by the Nordic Travel Fair Matka. In previous years consumers were able to visit the fair for 2,5 days but next year consumers have three full days to get all the travel information they need. The first fair day is still reserved only for the professionals of the industry.

In 2008 the Matka fair is again organised on the third week of January from Thursday to Sunday. On the first fair day the professionals of the industry gather to make sales and meet business partners and colleagues. Consumers will be welcomed to the event starting on Friday when the fair opens. Daily opening hours have been lengthened making it possible to visit the fair even after a day at work.

The amount of consumers visiting the fair has increased year after year to the extent that now it is time to revise the opening hours accordingly. Our aim is to ensure that every visitor will get personal top quality service at the fair, Exhibition Manager Inna-Pirjetta Lahti summarizes.

As the opening hours are adjusted to better match the needs of the consumers the programme on the professional day is made more effective. The fair is open longer on the professional day, and the Helsinki Fair Centre will offer seminars and workshops for the professionals already the day before the fair is open.

The seminars and workshops are organised separately from the fair so that the professionals can better focus on the programme and the next day on the companies at the fair, Lahti explains.

The Travel Info training seminar lectures by the Association of Finnish Travel Agents and the Meet Finland event for international buyers are organised on the eve of the opening day.