Qingdao Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2018 Exclusive Interview: Helsinki to Be the Most Functional City in the World

Helsinki joined WTCF in 2014 and the membership has already proven to be very valuable. It has been a significant channel especially for opening new significant opportunities for cooperation and enabling new business contacts.

Release time : 2018-10-09 13:43:28

source : World Tourism Cities Magazine

time, we want to make daily life increasingly smooth, comfortable and fun. Helsinki’s reputation is built by Helsinkians - by us. We have the passion to solve meaningful problems and create the world’s most advanced everyday life.

A good example of city image improvement happened just in July, when the President of the United States and Russian President had a meeting in Helsinki. I don´t think there actually are many cities, which can host an event of this scale in a matter of weeks. The decision to hold the meeting in Helsinki speaks in favor that we have a reputation as a pragmatic and trustworthy host.

Anyway, Helsinki is still quite unknown globally and we have a lot of work to do to raise the awareness. I believe that we are already doing the right things as international rankings already speak for Helsinki. In terms of its quality of life, Helsinki is ranked as one of the world’s best places to live. Helsinki is one of the cleanest capital cities in the world and Helsinki Region is one of the best places to attract international investors.

Transportation connections are very essential

The importance of cities continues to grow, especially within the tourism industry. In addition, the world of tourism has transformed rapidly. Not only have the numbers of tourists, destinations, connections and attractions grown, but also the ways we travel and what we want to experience when we are visiting new places have changed.

Today, people choose their travel destinations more and more based on which city - not country - they want to visit. Short urban breaks are increasingly popular, and people are willing to travel far just so see their favorite museum or to attend an interesting event.

There is no doubt that cooperation between cities is important. It is all about sharing, inspiring and connecting. We have a lot to learn from each other. In Helsinki, we strongly believe in collaboration. Helsinki is already an active