Year after year, Finland and Helsinki tops the world Happiness index. In Helsinki, we enjoy simple pleasures: clean air, pure water, relaxing sauna, unique food, walking around in the woods and seashore, experiencing various events, enjoying design in everyday life. Helsinki Happiness is the calm and peaceful type; it’s an appreciation for how things work and the ability to pause and admire the little things in life. Helsinki is a place where everyone’s free to be themselves.

In Helsinki, you are always welcomed. Read more

Espoo is a part of the metropolitan area and second biggest city in Finland. It is easily accessible from Helsinki City Centre and Helsinki International Airport. In Espoo you can enjoy the delights of the coast and archipelago, cultural and other events as well as the countryside, lakes, and the wilderness in Nuuksio National Park. 

On your visit you will meet happy Finns, get to experience unique moments, and have a chance to talk about sustainable tourism. Sustainability is important for travel companies in Espoo and for the entire city. Learn more about sustainable Espoo.

 

Some of the longhaul flights departure
 

Those arriving from Osaka, Shanghai and Hong Kong

After arriving early in the morning to Finland, you will be escorted to Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport (indoor access from airport), where you can have few hours rest and enjoy the breakfast, until you will be picked up by Visit Espoo.

10:30 Lobby call at the hotel, meet your Visit Espoo host Paula Lappalainen
Senior Advisor, Conventions & Tourism (tel. +358 40 823 0816)

11:00  Site visit at EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art with a taster of a guided tour

EMMA is Finland’s largest art museum and showcases topical contemporary issues by displaying curated picks of international art in a unique architectural setting. EMMA’s own collections cover a broad spectrum of Finnish and international contemporary art, modernism, and design.

12:15 Departure from EMMA for a day in the Nuuksio National Park

Let’s experience the wild beauty of Nuuksio National Park. This is an extraordinary must-visit destination in the capital area throughout the year. Within a short 30-minute drive from Helsinki, you'll discover forests, ponds, lakes, and breathtaking viewpoints that will rejuvenate your spirit.

12:45 Lunch and site visit at the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia & Finland, Naturally

The Nature on a Plate lunch at Finnish Nature Centre Haltia’s restaurant is inspired by Finnish nature, wild herbs, as well as organic and local food. All the ingredients are pure, fresh and flavorful.

Finnish Nature Centre Haltia is a fascinating nature, visitor, exhibition, and events center that gives the visitor the feel of Finnish pristine nature and a chance to experience spectacular nature destinations under one roof. The building is highly ecological, and the services have been built around the surrounding nature. Haltia’s exhibitions, guided tours, and events help visitors deepen their relationship with nature and increase their environmental awareness.

Finland, Naturally is your go-to activity company for outdoor adventures. They are passionate about spreading the joy of outdoor life and taking your clients to their custom-made tours and guiding them at their carefully planned activities, whether it is wine tasting in the woods, snowshoeing in the winter or getting familiar with Finnish mythology on a guided hike.

Those arriving from DALLAS

After arriving to Helsinki International Airport, you will get a hotel room at the airport hotel, where you can have few hours rest and something to eat after your travels, until you will be picked up by Visit Espoo.

Note! The hotel info as well as the exact meeting time and place for the day’s program will be confirmed to you later by email.

Those arriving from DELHI AND NEW YORK

~14:45 Meet your Visit Espoo host Miikka Valo at the airport
Director, Conventions & Tourism (tel. +358 43 824 6038)

15:00 Departure for an afternoon and an evening in the Nuuksio National Park

Let’s experience the wild beauty of Nuuksio National Park. This is an extraordinary must-visit destination in the capital area throughout the year. Within a short 30-minute drive from Helsinki, you'll discover forests, ponds, lakes, and breathtaking viewpoints that will rejuvenate your spirit.

15:30 Meet the reindeer in Nuuksio Reindeer Park!

Experience a touch of northern magic in Finland's southernmost reindeer park. Together with visiting the reindeers we will have a chance to hear about the services for the groups that Sea and Mountain Adventures have in Nuuksio area.

16:15 Site visit at Haltia Lake Lodge – a nature and boutique hotel in Nuuksio National Park area

Haltia Lake Lodge, with 20 hotel rooms and five glamping tents, is the place to nest up in a nature boutique lodge and enjoy the good life. Take a step back from busy life and reconnect with nature by the enchanting Pitkäjärvi lake – just 30 minutes from bustling Helsinki. In addition to lodging, Haltia Lake Lodge provides the perfect outdoor experiences to make a stay both inspiring and invigorating. Everything done here, is built on nature conservation, sustainable development, and local sourcing.

18:00 Site visit and dinner at Hawkhill Resort

Hawkhill Resort offers accommodation and experiences in high-end log cottages. Each cottage has a sauna and private beach by a pristine lake. Eight separate cottages can accommodate visitors from 2 to up to 10 persons. The forest restaurant Korpelan Laavu, close to the cottages in its own privacy, is among Southern Finland’s most breathtaking. It offers a magical atmosphere with perfect meals for the occasion.
“We are a family company in the third generation. The surrounding woods and the Nuuksio National Park were our playgrounds when we were children. We want to make sure that the Finnish nature and the planet stays clean also in the future. These values and nature in essence is our company’s bedrock.” 

After the site visit, we will enjoy a nature and seasonal products inspired dinner at their forest restaurant.

21:00 Departure for your hotel in Helsinki, arrival latest at 22:00

Visit Espoo thanks you for your visit and wishes you great days at Matka Travel Fair 2025!

Those arriving on Sunday and Monday morning, program for the day and
everyone else joins for the evening program starting at 18:00

Breakfast at the hotel

12:15 Lobby call

Meet your hosts at the hotel.

12:30 Lunch at Alexanderplats

Brasserie & Pub Alexanderplats is an easy-going restaurant located in Eteläesplanadi where you can enjoy staying at the bar as well as our restaurant side. Restaurant’s concept of a brasserie means that you will get dishes from the best ingredients inspired by the greatest European classic kitchen, no need to add any extra decoration. Alexanderplats holds place among the top five restaurants in Finland. The atmosphere is pure and elegant. The restaurant is open every day! 

14:00 Visit to Amos Rex

Amos Rex is a new type of museum, a space dedicated to art, that is easy to reach and a cool place to hang out; a protean space that can readily take on various forms, is open to experimentation and new forms of collaboration. The new museum, designed by architectural firm JKMM, connects to a functional style building from 1930’s called Lasipalatsi. The old “Glass Palace” will retain its distinctive character while the adjacent Lasipalatsi square will undergo considerable modernization. In connection with the construction of the art museum, the protected building has been gently renovated to its original glory.

15:00 Visit to Kulttuurikasarmi

In the center of Helsinki, Kulttuurikasarmi is a unique meetingplace for the lovers of movies, food, drink, concerts and other events.

18:00 Lobby Call

Meet your hosts at the hotel lobby.

18:30 Inspection at the Lapland Hotels Bulevardi

Inspired by the North of Finland, Lapland Hotels Boulevard brings a piece of Lapland to Helsinki. What makes the hotel unique is the love for sauna, as majority of the rooms are equipped with your own sauna.

19:30 Get together dinner at Restaurant Cock

Located near Esplanadi Park, The Cock offers a lively yet relaxed atmosphere with a menu inspired by international and Finnish cuisine. It’s known for its variety of crowd-pleasing dishes, and the space is vibrant, making it a great spot for groups. The Cock is popular for both brunch and dinner. 

Happiness Trivia Quiz

A light-hearted quiz about Finnish culture, traditions, history, and Helsinki highlights.

Breakfast at the hotel

9:00 Lobby call

Meet your hosts at the hotel.

9:30 Inspection at hotel St. George

Hotel St. George is a full-service luxury hotel with holistic care for a healthy mind, heart and body. We challenge the idea of luxury. We offer our guests more – more moments of well-being and personal choices.

Situated by the beautiful Old Church Park in the heart of Helsinki, our 148 individually decorated rooms and five suites offer moments of rest and tranquility.

10:30 Helsinki City Sightseeing Tour by bus

Meet your guide at Hotel Maria.

Join us on a unique journey through Helsinki, where you’ll experience the secrets behind Finland’s happiness—ranked the happiest country in the world. Explore serene parks, iconic landmarks like the Rock Church, and a hub of social connection and Equality Oodi.  

Learn more about the Finnish philosophy of well-being, from the simplicity of design to a deep connection with nature. This tour offers a glimpse into the Helsinki lifestyle, where social equality, inner strength “sisu”, and community create a sense of happiness.  

13:30 Lunch at Restaurant Meripaviljonki

Meripaviljonki is a unique restaurant floating on water with a splendid panorama and a round-the-year fish and seafood-oriented menu! It is the first floating public building in Helsinki. 

14:45 Inspection at the Scandic Grand Central

The new Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 aims to be the most sustainable hotel in Finland in terms of everything from the building itself to the hotel’s functions and services. The hotel is located in Katajanokan Laituri building, designed by Anttinen Oiva Architects, which is an impressive new solid wood building on Helsinki's shoreline that complements the city's signature skyline right next to the Market Square. The hotel has 164 rooms, 43 of which afford unobstructed views to the sea. The hotel also has conference facilities, a seaside café and a rooftop terrace with views over the Market Square and South Harbour.  The hotel restaurant Harbore is led by Sauli Kemppainen, a Finnish chef with passion for simplicity and pure taste. He has previously been awarded a Michelin star. 

Around 16:30-16.45 Lobby Call

Meet your hosts at the hotel.

17:30 Sauna and swimming at Hanaholmen

Hanaholmen is a cooperation- and cultural centre for Sweden and Finland, as well as a hotel with a high-quality restaurant and excellent opportunities for meetings, conferences and events. Hanaholmen runs long-term collaborative projects and organises seminars about current social issues. Hanaholmen also administers four Nordic foundations.

19:30 Dinner at Restaurant Savotta

At Savotta, experience Finnish tradition in a cozy, rustic setting. With locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, the menu celebrates Finland’s natural bounty, from reindeer to wild mushrooms. The warm, cabin-inspired atmosphere reflects the Finnish connection to nature, offering a dining experience that embodies the simple joys and communal spirit that contribute to Finnish happiness. 

Breakfast at the hotel

Transfer to Messukeskus fair center

Workshop day at Messukeskus fair center

17:25 -18:00 Post-Work Mingle, get together at Messukeskus

18:15 Transfer to hotels from the main entrance of Messukeskus

Dinner 

Breakfast at the hotel

Check-out

Transfer to Messukeskus fair center

Matka Travel fair at Messukeskus fair center

Transfer to airport

Flights back to home