Destination

HELSINKISPRING 2008

HELSINKI CITY TOURIST & CONVENTION BUREAU

Helsinki focuses on

events ...................................... 3

Restaurant news ..................... 3

Another record year for

Helsinki tourism in 2007 ......... 4

Increased choice among

hotels in Helsinki Region........ 4

Korjaamo Culture Factory

expands its horizons ............... 6

Sea and nature spice up

meetings ................................. 7

Helsinki’s best travel products in 2008 compete for top spot

NEWSLETTER

Winners of the 2007 Best of Helsinki AwardsBest City Break Highlight 2007: Beautiful Canal Route, www.sunlines.fi Best Family Resort & Fun 2007: Linnanmäki, www.linnanmaki.fi Best Nordic Oddity 2007: Design District, www.designdistrict.fi Best Winter Experience 2007: Ice Park, www.jaapuisto.fi Best Meeting Experience 2007: Marina Congress Center, www.marinacongresscenter.comBest Incentive Experience 2007: Saunasaari, www.saunasaari.fi Favourite Travel Professional 2007: Sales Manager Mirja Haverinen, Restel OyLifetime Achievement Award 2007: Kaj Lång, founder and current Chairman of the Board of LSS - Long Special Services Ltd Oy

Consumers can vote for their favourite travel destinations and services in Helsinki on the competition website www.bestofhelsinki.fi until the end of October. The winners will be announced at a special invitational gala in November, when Helsinki’s travel “Oscars” will be handed out for the third time. Last year the campaign website attracted over 33,000 visitors from around the world.

Text: Laura Itävaara

The Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau’s annual Best of Helsinki Awards were kicked off in January.

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Destination Helsinki is a quarterly bulletin for tourist professionals, affi liates of the Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau and the media. Destination Helsinki appears four times a year.

Editor: Laura Itävaaratel. +358 (0)9 310 36336fax. +358 (0)9 310 13301, laura.itavaara@hel.fi Layout: Ezpa/Katariina Tirkkonen-WaneTranslation: Crockford Communications

City of Helsinki Economic and Planning CentreEconomic Development DivisionTourist & Convention BureauPohjoisesplanadi 19, P.O.Box 28 00099 City of Helsinki tel. +358 (0)9 310 13300, fax. +358 (0)9 310 13301www.visithelsinki.fi tourist.info@hel.fi or tourist.media@hel.fi

Tourist Information is open 1 Oct.-1 May Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm2 May-30 Sept. Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm

Convention Unittel. +358 (0)9 310 36152, fax. +358 (0)9 310 36091www.meethelsinki.fi , convention.bureau@hel.fi

Helsinki presents its best this spring in Berlin and Paris

The City of Helsinki and the entire Helsinki Region will parti-cipate this spring in two major events in Berlin and Paris. Our tourism offerings will also be highly visible at both events.

An entertaining cavalcade of Helsinki’s offerings will be seen and heard on the streets, concert venues and exhibition

halls of Berlin from 1 April to 4 May. The ”HelsinKiss Berlin” city event will present Helsinki’s top cultural offerings in the fields of music and art in particular. In addition to contemporary music, the entertainment will include a concert by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra with the Berliner Philharmo-ker on 24 April. ”Great music and lively city events represent the best of what Helsinki has to offer today. We want to bring the finest examples of these with us to Berlin,” says Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of Helsinki.

Helsinki’s tourism offerings will be presented at a major happening at the Aleksanderplatz from 25 April to 4 May. Read more on the dedi-cated website: www.helsinkiss.com

Meanwhile in Paris, the ”Saison Finlandaise en France” presents a uni-que opportunity for Helsinki to promote its cultural and tourism offerings. An event market will be erected at the famous Place Saint-Sulpice from 17 to 27 April. Here and at many other venues the French public will have the chance to discover the hottest and most successful Finnish products in the fields of art, fashion and design, as well as music, literature and cuisine. Read more on the dedicated website: www.helsinkisaintsulpice.fi

Wishing you a lively spring!

P I R K KO N Y M A NTourist Director

P.S. Helsinki is a well connected city where arriving is always a pleasure. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport was once again ranked among the best airports by the international Airport Service Quality survey. Travellers rated Helsinki-Vantaa as the third best airport in Europe.

continued…

Nominees support Helsinki’s travel brandThe core of Helsinki’s travel brand is the city’s position as a place where Eastern and Western cultures interact. An exceptionally active cultural life, especially considering the size of the city, combined with its internatio-nally appealing design and architecture, its friendly people and service culture, and its maritime nature offering a diverse range of activities are the cornerstones of Helsinki’s tourism image.

The Best of Helsinki Awards offer consumers the chance to see what Helsinki has to offer on the basis of these themes and to vote for the city’s best travel experts in five public competition categories: Best City Break Highlight, Best Winter Experience, Best Nordic Oddity, Best Family Resort & Fun, and Best Meeting Experience. In addition, travel industry profes-sionals can vote in two separate categories: Favourite Travel Professional and Best Incentive Experience. Each category features five nominees, in addition to which voters this year have the chance to vote for their own favourites outside the official list of nominees.

Check out the nominees and vote! www.bestofhelsinki.fi

Winners of the 2007 Best of Helsinki Awards at the gala banquet in November. Pictured from left to right: Rafi k Neuman, Linnanmäki; Mikael Hanhilahti, Saunasaari; Esa Vainio, Sunlines; Mirja Haverinen, Restel Oy; Outi Näntö, Marina Congress Center; Kaj Lång, Long Special Services; Anssi Rauramo, Helsinki City Department of Sports.

Personnel News

Joni Rousku joined the Tourist & Convention Bureau’s Communications Unit as Network and Data System Assistant in February. Joni is responsible for developing the bureau’s network communications

and electronic publications, including the updated www.visithelsinki.fi website and its database. Contact

information: joni.rousku@hel.fi, tel. +358 (0)9 310 74408.

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Phot

o: S

okos

Hot

els

Restaurant News

Compiled by Mari Vilkki

The number and quality of restaurants in Helsinki continues to rise. In the last half year many new establishments have opened their doors to brighten up the city and the days and nights of its residents and visitors.

Many of the newcomers offer a diverse range of simple delights, stretching from breakfast to last orders and encompassing everything from light lunches to gourmet dinners.

Carma. This small and beautiful restaurant with vintage design décor also hosts private parties. www.carma.fi

Cuba Cafe. Enjoy mojitos and a fun-loving at-mosphere in Erottaja. www.cubacafe.fi

Fez. Discover spicy Maroccon cuisine at the for-mer Restaurant Motti in Töölö. www.fez.fi

Grotesk. Ideal for lovers of uncomplicated yet cultured cuisine, this luxuriously cosy restaurant is housed at the sight of the former Restaurant Via in Erottaja and features a stylish bar. Cock-tail courses and wine tasting events are held downstairs. www.grotesk.fi

Text: Laura Itävaara

At the beginning of this year the City of Helsinki established a new Events Division to organise its own city events and to co-ordinate others, as well as to develop a flexible event permit procedure for these events. In addition, the Events Division will attract major international events to the Helsinki Region in co-operation with various partners. The Events Division is headed by Events Manager Saila Machere who works together with Event Co-ordinators Maarit Roschier, Päivi Münther and Salla Anttola.

”Helsinki is an active event city – not just in summer but at other times of the year as well,” says Saila Machere. ”The Events Division and its partners will help create a pleasant atmosphere and at-tendance opportunities, not only for Helsinki residents but also for Finnish and foreign visitors.”Helsinki has solid experience in organising major sporting events. ”Attracting big events to Helsinki is one of the Events Division’s main tasks. Helsinki is an exciting host city, and one in which everything works. This experience should be featured more strongly in marketing the city.”

The Events Division is part of the City of Helsinki Economic and Planning Centre under the Office of Economic Development, which also includes the Tourist & Convention Bureau and the New Enterprise Agency.

Further information: www.hel.fi /elinkeinopalvelu

Helsinki focuses on events

Restaurant Primula. Formerly known as The Old Skippers, this fully renovated establishment is a fresh and friendly living room for locals and visitors that features an á la carte restaurant and a bar. www.ravintolaprimula.fi

Rymy-Eetu. A little slice of Bavaria in the heart of Helsinki, Rymy-Eetu offers simply and hearty food, beer and live music. If you feel like dan-cing, get up and dance! www.rymy-eetu.fi

Luft. This delightfully airy and fresh café, lunch and meeting place is located between the districts of Kallio and Alppila near the city centre. Luft also hosts clubs and small art exhibitions. Here you can sit and relax by yourself without feeling self-cons-cious – a wide range of magazines is available, and you can look out through large aquarium windows at the people walking by in this lively and bohemi-an part of town. www.luft.fi

Texas Outback Bar & Grill. Located on the premises of what was once Eatz in the city cent-re, this new American-Mexican restaurant serves fajitas, burritos and burgers and can accommo-date large groups. It also features live music. www.texasco.fi

Voda. Located on the street level in the brand new Hotel Carlton (see page 4), this club and restaurant offers delicious Finnish cuisine with an international flavour. Voda can also be reserved for private parties. www.carlton.fi

Millionaires Club. Located near the Central Railway Station within the Sokos Hotel Seura-huone, this nightclub opened in February and offers a glittering party atmosphere every day of the week. Groups can reserve special party packages that include table reservations, drinks and snacks. www.millionairesclub.fi

La Societe du Cochon. ”Possula”, as it is known among locals, is a new restaurant complex in the heart of the city on Mannerheimintie. The bar, brasserie, bakery and café offer combine an international atmosphere with food made from Finnish ingredients in a stylish yet laid-back atmosphere. Fresh baked goods are avai-lable first thing in the morning. www.cochon.fi

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Statistics

TUULIKKI BECKERDeputy Tourist Director

Another record year for Helsinki tourism in 2007Strong growth in domestic overnight staysHelsinki is currently a popular travel destination, also among Finns. Although the duration of stays has continued to shorten, the num-ber of domestic overnight stays (bednights) reached a new high in 2007, outperforming the previous record year of 2000 when Helsinki was an official European City of Culture.

For several years the increase in the number of overnight stays in Helsinki has come from foreign visitors, but in 2007 the number of domestic stays grew stronger than foreign stays. Last year saw growth in all months with the exception of April and May. The inc-rease peaked right after the Eurovision Song Contest in June, when over 25,000 more overnight stays were recorded than in the corres-ponding period in 2006. The number of overnight stays increased by no less than 33 percent. Last year the highest increases were seen in leisure travel, where almost 170,000 more overnight stays were re-corded than in 2006. The corresponding increase for business travel was 61,000 more overnight stays.

According to research into Finland’s top summer travel destina-tions in 2007 carried out by Finnish market research company Talo-ustutkimus Oy, Helsinki stood out clearly from other Finnish cities. Helsinki is Finland’s best known and most popular tourist region and was visited in summer 2007 by almost one in four Finns. Helsinki’s advertising came just behind that of Lapland in terms of recognition, and the overall image of Helsinki was rated 8.17 out of 10, placing it third behind Lapland and Kuusamo. Among image factors, Helsinki dominated in terms of event offerings and sights. In terms of the availability of travel brochures and travel offerings on the internet, Helsinki was also rated highest in Finland.

Helsinki tourism in 2007 almost 3 million overnight stays, of which 60 percent by foreign visitors average growth of 8 percent over the previous year domestic overnight stays increased by 13 percent foreign overnight stays increased by 5 percent – highest growth from

Russia, Germany, Sweden and Japan room occupation rate over 70 percent average stay 1.73 nights; domestic visitors 1.45 nights, foreign visitors

1.99 nights

The Annual Report for Helsinki tourism will be published in March at www.visithelsinki.fi > Media > Statistics

Increased choice among hotels in Helsinki RegionText: Mari Vilkki

Helsinki now offers even more accommodation alternatives for both guests who appreciate individuality and those who prefer to stick with familiar names. The newest hotel offerings include the Carlton Helsinki and the Sokos Hotel Aleksanteri. In September the new family en-tertainment and hotel complex Flamingo will open in Vantaa, and at the end of the year a new exclusive business hotel will open in the centre of Helsinki near the harbour.

Carlton Helsinki – fl exible service in the city centre

The stylish and cosy Hotel Carlton Helsinki opened in January in Kaisaniemi, just a hundred metres from the Central Railway Sta-tion. The new hotel offers twenty rooms, and the Voda Club and Restaurant is situated on the ground floor. Most of the rooms are doubles, but singles and a three-person room are also available. A suite is also being added.

”The Carlton is a small and modestly priced ”basic hotel” that is operated by a tight team – each one of us is responsible for

promoting the hotel and creating a positive image for our guests. We focus especially on providing flexible and individual service,” says Riikka Hallikainen from behind the reception desk. www.carlton.fi

Sokos Hotel Aleksanteri – appreciate the historic surroundings

The beautiful Sokos Hotel Aleksanteri opens its doors in April just a short walk from the city centre. ”The name comes from its lo-cation next door to the historic Alexander Theatre. The interior décor of this unique hotel fulfils all the service promises of the Sokos Hotel chain. I estimate that most of our guests will be in Helsinki on business, but visitors on holiday are also an important

customer segment,” says Kati Kupiainen, Director of Sokotel Oy’s hotel division. The Neo-Renaissance section of the hotel was originally built in the

1880s and the newer Neo-Classical section in the 1920s. The hotel offers a total of 151 rooms, and the different historical styles are reflected in their décor. The Fransmanni restaurant on the ground floor will serve rustic French cuisine, and the hotel will also have a lobby bar. Hotel guests will also have access to a gym, sauna facilities and conference rooms. A summer terrace will also be located in the inner courtyard. www.sokoshotels.fi

Sokos Hotel Flamingo – fun for the entire family

The Flamingo entertainment complex opens in September in connection with Aviapolis in Vantaa. Flamingo will offer spa and wellness services, as well as a wide range of recreational activi-ties for visitors of all ages. Visitors to the entertainment comp-lex can also stay overnight conveniently at the Sokos Hotel Fla-

mingo, which will offer 309 spacious and comfortable rooms, the Restaurant Amarillo, a banqueting restaurant and flexible conference

facilities. www.sokoshotels.fi

Royal Restaurants to open new business hotel near harbourRoyal Restaurants’ newest hotel in the centre of Helsinki will open at the end of the year by Helsinki’s South Harbour near the Market Square. ”This will be a small and exclusive business hotel offering spacious rooms,” reveals Kasper Saari, Managing

Director of Royal Restaurants, which already operates two popular restaurants at the same address: Havis and G.W. Sundmans.

www.royalravintolat.fi

Hotel News

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2008

Marketing NewsHelsinki strengthens position as a Nordic city break destinationHelsinki is the market leader in Finland in terms of international city break tourism. Helsinki has also closed the gap on its closest international rivals Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo fol-lowing several years of record strong growth. Accessibility and the number of low-cost flight connections to and from Helsinki are vital for continuing this positive trend. Tourism is in-deed one of the key focus areas in the City of Helsinki’s business strategy. Areas for develop-ment include especially accessibility, the range and quality of travel services, international crui-se ship travel and tourism co-operation within the Helsinki Region.

Introducing the new mobile portal Helsinki.mobiHelsinki.mobi is the city’s official mobile portal that has been designed especially to help bu-siness and leisure travellers access information about Helsinki’s travel services using their mo-bile phones. The service includes the Helsinki Mobile Guide, which offers guided tours of Hel-sinki utilising sound and illustrations.

Access to the portal is free of charge and does not require registering or special software. The content is maintained by the Helsinki City Tourist & Conventi-on Bureau and has been adapted for mobile phone use in co-operation with Luoda Productions. The project has been realised together with Greater Helsinki Promotion, and AddPhone parti-cipated in its develop-ment.

K A R I H A LO N E NMarketing Director

Helsinki travels the world 26.2. ECM Meet Europe workshop,

Brussels, Belgium (Leena Sipilä)5-9.3. ITB, Berlin, Germany (Mari Lihr)March Japan sales tour (Mari Lihr)11.3. Finland Festivals workshop, St. Petersburg (Nina Lager)11-13.3. India Roadshow, Mumbai and Delhi

(Kari Halonen)13-17.3. Le Monde á Paris, France (brochure

distribution)17-21.3. Australia Roadshow, Sydney and

Melbourne (Kari Halonen)18-21.3. MITT, Moscow, Russia (brochure

distribution)9-10.4. Kongressi 2008, Finlandia Hall,

Helsinki (Ines Antti-Poika and Leena Lassila)

14.4. Helsinki workshop, Tallinn, Estonia (Leena Virtala-Pulkkinen)

14-16.4. COTTM, Beijing, China (Vappu Vauhkonen)

17-27.4. Saison Finlandaise, Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France (brochure distribution, Mari Lihr)

18-20.4. MPI European Meetings & Events Conference, London, Great Britain (Ines Antti-Poika)

22-24.4. IMEX, Frankfurt, Germany (Leena Lassila)

25.4-4.5. Helsinki in Berlin, Germany (brochure distribution, Mari Lihr)

26-27.5. ICCA Scandinavian Chapter, Copenhagen, Denmark (Ines Antti-Poika and Leena Lassila)

31.5-4.6. PowWow, Las Vegas, USA (Leena Virtala-Pulkkinen)

2.6. MEK market, Helsinki (Kari Halonen, Mari Lihr and Vappu Vauhkonen)

3.6. Purpuri, Helsinki (Mari Lihr and Vappu Vauhkonen)

9-10.6. City Break Exhibition, Belgrade, Serbia (Kari Halonen)

9-10.6. ECM Corporate Client workshop, City Break Expo, Belgrade, Serbia (Ines Antti-Poika)

16-17.6. Scandinavian Workshop, London, Great Britain (Vappu Vauhkonen)

26-27.6. Finland Showcase, Helsinki (Ines Antti-Poika and Leena Lassila)

26-29.6. Confec Blue workshop, Malta (Leena Lassila)

Meet Finland programme attracts international buyersText: Laura Itävaara

The Finnish Fair Corporation’s and the City of Helsinki Tourist and Convention Bureau’s joint ”Meet Finland” programme was arranged for the second time this January in conjunction with the Nordic Travel Fair Matka. The programme introduced international travel organisers to Finland and confirmed Matka as the leading travel industry event in Northern Europe.

A total of 66 Finnish companies and 80 international buyers participated in this year’s Meet Finland programme. The highest number of buyers came from Russia and Great Britain. According to feedback, the buyers were satisfied with the programme and the new contacts they were able to make.

”Interest in Finland and Helsinki is growing all the time, and the Meet Finland programme helps us attract new buyers to find out more about what we have to offer,” says Vappu Vauhkonen, Marketing Manager at the Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau.

Further information: www.meetfi nland.fi

The Helsinki stand at Matka 2008 presented a wide range of travel destinations and services in the region.

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Convention News

Text: Mari Vilkki

Since opening in 2004 the Korjaamo Culture Factory has entertained and inspired residents and visitors alike with its high quality and unique events, exhibitions and clubs. This spring the cultural centre will expand to take in the adjacent Tram Museum.

Closer co-operation for conventions in Helsinki

Helsinki is the sixth most popular congress des-tination in the world according to statistics for 2006 published last June by the Union of In-ternational Associations. This marks an all-time record for Helsinki, and the city plans to build on its success even further in the future amidst intense competition by investing strongly in its congress infrastructure and expertise and by so-lidifying co-operation within the industry.

Last year the Convention Unit was in contact with approximately 400 customers whose events will attract a total of over 50,000 delegates be-tween 2007 and 2012. The highest number of requests for information came from Sweden, Germany and Great Britain.

This year the Convention Unit is focusing in particular on creating new operating models together with its stakeholders and finding new co-operation partners within a radius of approxi-mately 100 kilometres of the capital.

Tourism is one of the key focus areas in the City of Helsinki’s business strategy, within which the congress sector is highlighted as one of the most important business branches to be developed. According to previous research com-missioned by the Finland Convention Bureau, congress visitors spend an average of 1410 euros during their stay. This created income of an esti-mated 68 million euros for Helsinki in 2006.

Wishing you a successful year of meetings!

LEENA SIPILÄConvention Director

P.S. Remember to visit our special website for meeting planners at www.meethelsinki.fi

Cultural Director of the City of Helsinki

Pekka Timonen’s ”Best of Helsinki”

Hakaniemi Market HallThe best market hall in Finland! Meat, fish, fresh bread, spices and cheeses from all around the world. This place makes a person happy. Enjoy a bowl of soup or cup of cof-fee, then look around some more!www.hakaniemenkauppahalli.fi

Yrjönkatu Swimming HallA gem in the heart of the city offering old-fashioned luxury. I recommend reserving your own stall at a small additional cost to enjoy the full experience. Modern spas can’t match the atmosphere. www.hel.fi/liikuntavirasto

Cable FactoryA cultural dynamo in the Ruoholahti district. Three museums, galleries, performances and events, not to mention the friendly café and restaurant where you can run into fri-ends and colleagues. A fascinating complex. www.kaapelitehdas.fi

Korjaamo Culture Factory expands its horizons

The ”New Korjaamo” is a fine example of the broadminded public-private co-operation model that was confirmed in a ten-year agreement sig-ned between Korjaamo, the Helsinki City Muse-um and the Helsinki City Cultural Office. ”I am very excited about the opening of Korjaamo in its entirety. The concept is new and unique,” says Pekka Timonen, Cultural Director of the City of Helsinki.

The focus of events at Korjaamo is on theat-re, the visual arts and clubs. The New Korjaamo will feature a large lounge space for cultural use by the public, and the floor space of the gallery will double. A public garden will also be opened in what used to be an asphalt yard. ”Korjaamo

will add a new dimension to Helsinki’s cultural life and further expand the city’s cultural offerings,” Timonen confirms.

Further information: www.korjaamo.fi

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Meeting Venue

Company Spotlight

Sea and nature spice up meetingsText: Laura Itävaara

In springtime many meeting planners look for venues in Helsinki that are close to the city centre yet still offer beautiful natural and maritime surroundings. Three conference hotels in East Helsinki just over 10 kilometres from the city centre meet these exact criteria.

The architecturally beautiful Conference Hotel Rantapuisto (top left) offers conference facili-ties for groups ranging in size from 10 to 320, as well as accommodation for 92. First-class cater-ing services and excellent outdoor recreational opportunities brighten up any day of meetings. The bright auditorium that can seat 185 to 320 people has been the sight of many successful do-mestic and international conferences. Conference guests also have access to the delightful seashore sauna with its own lounge and fireplace.

The Hotel Vuoranta (middle left) is located in beautiful surroundings and offers seven flex-ible meetings rooms for 30 to 150 people, plus several teamwork rooms and 62 hotel rooms. Morning sauna is included in the price of the ho-tel room, so guests start their day with a dip in the sea or swimming pool around the year. The meeting programme can be freshened up with a cruise on the sea or a delicious grilled lunch. Dur-ing the winter season conference delegates also have the chance to try exotic ice fishing!

The peaceful Cultural Centre Sofia (bot-tom left) is situated at the end of a cape offering a spectacular setting for meetings. Sofia’s mod-ern facilities include a 220-seat auditorium plus 10 flexible meetings rooms for 2 to 70 people and accommodation for over a 100 guests. So-fia offers a wide range of opportunities: efficient meetings, peaceful working conditions and ex-cellent catering, as well as a seashore sauna.

Further information: www.rantapuisto.fi , www.sodexho.fi /hotellivuoranta,www.kulttuurikeskussofi a.fi

Tapahtumantekijät Oy organised the “Oikoratafestarit” launch for the Direct Line for the Finnish Rail Administration in partnership with Finnish Railways (VR) and

the Ministry of Tranpsortation and Communications. Pictured from left to right: Timo Saarinen and Kari Ruohonen from the Finnish Rail Administration with

Kaisa Mikola and Jyrki Litmanen from Tapahtumantekijät Oy.

Tapahtumantekijät Oy wins internationally recognised EIBTM 2007 AwardText: Laura Itävaara

Finnish marketing and communications agency Tapahtumantekijät Oy won the EIBTM 2007 Award in the category of Best Product Launch last November. The winning product launch was entitled “Oikoratafestarit 1.9.2006” and involved a new railway connection, the Direct Line, between Kerava and Lahti. Each year the European Incentive & Business Travel & Meeting Exhi-bition (EIBTM) presents awards to the best companies in the industry.

An innovative approach to successful eventsFounded in 1992, Tapahtumantekijät Oy is a marketing and communications agency specialised in event marketing. The company’s services cover the entire event production process, inclu-ding event planning and production, strategic planning for event marketing, and consulting and training. Tapahtumantekijät creates solutions that support the client’s own marketing and communications for the intended target audience. Long experience, creativity, customer focus and comprehensive marketing expertise provide the basis for planning and implementing suc-cessful events.

Further information: www.tapahtumantekijat.fi and www.eibtm.com

Feedbacklaura.itavaara@hel.fi ortel. +358 (0)9 310 36336

The next Destination Helsinki will be published in May.

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS

Here we present a selection of events and exhibition ideal for visitors to Helsinki. For more information and many more events, see: www.visithelsinki.fi -> Event calendar

Events22-24.3. Easter at Suomenlinna. Some of the museums at Suomenlinna open their doors for Easter. Suomenlinna’s

restaurants and cafes offer Easter treats, and the church features an exhibition of Easter egg.

22.3. Via Crucis – Stages of the Cross ecumenical passion play. General rehearsal open to the public on Friday 21.3.

Senate Square and surrounding area21-24.3. American Car Show 2008. Helsinki Fair Centre3-6.4. OmaKoti 08, OmaMökki 08, Asuntomarkkinat 08, OmaPiha 08, Sisustus 08 – home, cottage, apartment,

garden and interior decoration fairs. Helsinki Fair Centre5-13.4. Church Music Festival. Helsinki Cathedral, Temppeliaukio

Church and St. John’s Church30.4-1.5. May Day celebrations – Students give Havis Amanda a wash and her graduation hat, breakfast picnic in Kaivopuisto Park. Market Square, Ullanlinna and Kaisaniemi7-14.5. Cirko – Helsinki Contemporary Circus Festival. Museum of

Contemporary Art Kiasma9-17.5. Baltic Circle International Theatre Festival. Seminars, work-

shops and clubs. Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma24-25.5. World Village Festival. World music, culture and informati-

ve programme for the entire family. Kaisaniemi Park25.5. Women’s 10K Fun Run – start from Olympic Stadium6–7.6. Helsinki Samba Carnaval, opening and parade. An

explosion of colours and rhythms in the heart of Helsinki throughout the weekend.

6–8.6. Finlandia Junior Games. International youth athletics meet. Olympic Stadium

8.6. Open-air concert in Kaivopuisto Park.8–12.6. Götheborg tall ship arrives from Sweden. Harbour festival features live music from jazz to pop. Market Square (ship will be at Suomenlinna 13-15.6). 12.6. Helsinki Day. Birthday events throughout the city with lots to see and do for all ages. City centre13–15.6. Finnish Provinces in Helsinki: North Karelia. Senate

Square15.6. Open-air concert in Kaivopuisto Park.

Events are part of the official Helsinki Week programme marketing the 50th anniversary of Helsinki Day.

ExhibitionsUntil 27.4. Pixar – 20 Years of Animation. This exhibition presents the

films and creative processes of one of the world’s leading animation studios. Tennis Palace Art Museum

Until 18.5. Peruvian Silver – 2000 Years of Art. This exhibition features over 200 silver objects from Peruvian museums and private collections. Sinebrychoff Art Museum

Until 27.4. Museum Acquisitions from the Past Three Years. This exhi-bition presents a selection of objects and works of art that represent acquisitions to the collections of the National Mu-seum of Finland in 2005-2007. National Museum of Finland

Until 1.6. Magical Landscape – Works from the State Tretyakov Gal-lery. This exhibition presents work by 55 artists from the Golden Age of Russian landscape painting from the middle of the 19th century to the start of the 20th, from romanti-cism to the aftermath of realism. Meilahti Art Museum

5.3-25.5. Claude Monet and Finnish Impressions, Maaria Wirkkala. This exhibition presents Monet’s work alongside that of Finnish artists influenced by French Impressionists. EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art

7.3-24.8. Pekka Halonen. Ateneum’s main exhibition in 2008 presents one of the major artists of the Finnish Golden Age. Ateneum Art Museum

28.3-18.5. Nordic Portraits Now! Amos Anderson Art Museum7-25.5. Masters of Arts 2008. Diploma work exhibition of students

graduating from the University of Art and Design Helsinki plus visual festival. Media Centre Lume, Arabianranta

11.6-28.9. Fennofolk - New Nordic Oddity. This exhibition breaks barriers by analysing contemporary Finnish design and

culture. Design Museum

New Helsinki brochures this spring – order yours today!Text: Laura Itävaara

Helsinki’s tourism brochures offer great tips on the best new travel pro-ducts and updated information on popular favourites. In addition to our regular brochures, we are introducing a new family brochure this spring that presents entertaining attractions and Helppi, our cute little helper.

Fun and excitement at Huimala Text: Laura Itävaara

Huimala, the biggest family adventure hall in Scandinavia, opens in Espoo this spring. Huimala offers fun and excitement throughout the year. The attractions include a giant Inca adventure labyrinth, a slide, electric safari cars and a jungle bouncy castle. The date of the grand opening will be announced soon – check out the Huimala website for details!

In addition to the new family attraction, the City of Espoo is celebrating its 550th birthday in 2008 with a full programme of ac-tivities. The celebrations will culminate during a festival week held from 25 to 31 August, which will include the traditional Espoo Day on 27 August.

Further information: www.huimala.fi and www.espoonmatkailu.fi

Tourist Information’s fi ve-star tip

Helsinki City Museum abolishes entrance fees As of the beginning of this year the Helsinki City Museum offers free admission to all its museums and exhibitions. Visitors now have free access to knowledge and entertainment derived from the city’s history and cultural heritage at all ten museums. Among the City Museum’s most popular exhibitions is Helsinki Horizons and the related Helsinki films at the main building on Sofiankatu 4. Among other museums that are now free to visit are the Sederholm House, Hakasalmi Villa, Tuomarinkylä Museum and Children’s Museum. The Burgher’s House is closed until next summer, and the School Museum is open on weekends from September to May. The Power Station Museum and renovated Tram Museum will reopen in the summer, while the Worker Housing Museum will be closed for renovations until spring 2009. The Street Museum on Sofiankatu and the Web Museum are permanently open.

Further information: www.helsinginkaupunginmuseo.fi

Out now Helsinki – Visitors Guide (main tourist brochure, available in 11 languages)Welcome to Helsinki (flyer, now available in 8 languages)Helsinki & Southern Finland (English-language regional brochure)Helsinki City Map and Helsinki Region Map (with index in 4-6 languages)

Coming soonHelsinki – Finland’s largest theme park (family tourism brochure, published in May in 5 languages)Meeting Planner’s Manual (published in March in English)Helsinki Agent’s Manual 2009 (published in May in English)Helsinki – markkinointiyhteistyökäsikirja 2009 (marketing co-operation manual, published in May in Finnish only)

To order send an e-mail to: jyrki.outinen@hel.fi