Helsinki among world's top congress destinations
Helsinki has been ranked sixth and Finland eighth in statistics for international association meetings.
Helsinki has been ranked sixth and Finland eighth in statistics for international association meetings in 2006 compiled by the Union of International Associations (UIA). The research included information from 212 countries and 1512 cities.
The UIA is headquartered in Brussels and has compiled statistics about the number of international association meetings since 1910. Both Finland and Helsinki placed higher in the statistics than ever before. Helsinki overtook such traditionally top cities as Barcelona, London, Amsterdam and New York in the top ten. Finland was the only Nordic country to be ranked in the top ten according to the latest statistics.
Congress capacity continues to grow
Helsinki Fair Centre is Finland's single largest meetings venue, in addition to which other major venues such as Finlandia Hall, Marina Congress Centre and Paasitorni serve thousands of congress visitors each year. The extension of the Helsinki Fair Centre will be completed by autumn 2010, and new facilities for a hotel, permanent exhibition space and additional parking space is planned for completion by 2025. Helsinki's accommodation capacity is also growing strongly, including a new congress hotel in connection with Paasitorni that will open around 2010.
Links:
Finland Convention Bureau Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau
Text: Mika Lappalainen
Photo: Helsingin kaupungin kuvapankki
