Foreign Ministry at Finnish International Travel Fair
Press release 21/2005
18 January, 2005
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will take part in the Finnish International Travel Fair to be held at the Helsinki Fair Centre 20-23 January.
This will be the second time the ministry has been represented at the fair with its own stand. In addition to material on the ministry’s consular services, the display will present travel information from its website, including online and SMS services. The ministry’s display will be located at stand 6n39.
A mini exhibition called Air Bridge will also be shown depicting the operations to evacuate Finnish tourists from Thailand between 27 December and 2 January.
On Thursday 20 January, at 10am in Ballroom 2 of the Fair Centre, the Head of Unit for Consular Services Pekka Hyvönen will brief travel industry professionals about the ministry’s travel safety information and consular services. He will also answer questions, including on the crisis work following the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. A similar event will also be held on Saturday 22 January at 10am at the same venue.
For the last three years, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has published online travel information compiled by its missions on some 150 countries at formin.finland.fi/palvelut(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). The aim is to offer information so that prospective travellers can weigh up and make plans concerning circumstances in their places of destination. If necessary, the ministry will urge travellers to avoid going to country. The website also offers general travel information, such as on passport and visa matters. People going abroad can if they wish give prior notification of their contact details so that the Finnish embassy in the country they visit can contact them if the occasion demands.
Since 2002, the ministry has provided a text message service so that travellers can order concise travel information, the contact details of the Finnish embassy in any particular country or can provide their own contact details.
Further information: Head of Unit for Consular Service Pekka Hyvönen, tel (+358-9) 160 55739, Head of Web Communications Raija Leppäjärvi, tel: (+358-9) 16055991 and Head of Information, Department for Information and Culture, Erja Tikka, tel (+358-9) 16055818