Matka: Nordic Travel Fair An Exchange of Ideas and Experiences
The Matka Nordic Travel Fair, held in Helsinki on January 16-19th 2023, was an important event for Adventure Tech to participate in as it gave us the opportunity to meet with industry professionals and discuss the two hottest topics in our sector right now.
In recent years, tourists have been trending away from the traditional tourism model of flying somewhere for a brief stay, and opting for a slower, more sustainable approach. Slow travel is about taking the time to explore a destination more deeply and fully, rather than seeing as many places as possible in a short amount of time. It’s about immersing yourself in the culture, connecting with the locals, and learning about the history of the place you’re visiting.
Attending the show allowed us to speak about our ideas around sustainability in the experience and activity travel sector and highlight how we believe the environment, economy, and local communities benefit from tourism whilst being mindful of the environmental impact of tourism, such as reducing energy consumption and waste, and using local, sustainable sources of food and materials.
Sustainability is one of the key tenets in every software solution that Adventure Tech delivers within this sector as it continues to grow and is one of the reasons, we put so much emphasis within our solutions on building local suppliers and support networks. These are some of the discussions that we were a part of and it was amazing to see how tour operators and activity providers recognised that local guides and suppliers are invaluable to their growth in building out real experiences. They have a deep knowledge of the area, its culture, and its people. They can provide a unique insight into the local customs and culture, as well as offering a more personalised experience for tourists.
Being at Matka we were able to exchange these ideas and believe more of these kinds of interaction are essential for the development of all businesses in this industry now and for the future, whether big or small.
Written by Conrad