On January 19-22, 2012 Birštonas resort was presented at the biggest Scandinavian tourism fair Matka 2012 in Helsinki, Finland. The Lithuanian resort association and the Lithuanian State Department of Tourism (VTD) put a joint stand with information about Birštonas resort. The stand also featured tourism destinations and services presented by the representatives of Vilnius, Kaunas, Druskininkai, Neringa, the National SPA Association and the Golf Association. Brochures in Finnish about Birštonas were issued specially for the visitors of the fair alongside a catalogue (go to the catalogue) including information about all the members of golf, resort and SPA associations that took part in the fair.  The catalogue was published at the initiative of the associations participating in the fair.
What distinguished the Lithuanian stand at Matka 2012 fair in Helsinki was its amazing interactivity. A few days before the event the biggest Finnish daily urged the visitors of the fair to praise Lithuania and get a prize. The visitors found this very fascinating and everyone who said "kaunis Liettua" (beautiful Lithuania) was given a small souvenir or invited to enjoy an amber massage by Lithuanian SPA service providers.
Lithuania also used an opportunity to present the latest tourism news and pastime activities in Lithuania, which are already popular among foreign tourists, to Finnish travel organisers at a special event for the representatives of local authorities and the media. At a meeting held by VTD on the second day of the fair, Lithuanian ambassador to Finland Arūnas Jievaltas and VTD director Dr Raimonda Balnienė made congratulating speeches. The meeting provided more information about Vilnius, the National SPA association and the Golf association, and Birštonas resort. The representatives of VTD were pleased to see that Finns were very interested in Lithuanian rural tourism and SPA services.
Finns wanted to know more about direct flights to Lithuania and showed an interest in the Lithuanian map issued by the Lithuanian Camping Association, which they used when planning their travel routes.
More than 71 000 people visited the four-day fair, including 16 000 professionals. The data of the Birštonas Tourism Information Centre show that the number of overnight stays by Finnish tourists at Birštonas accommodation establishments grew 9.8 % in 2011 compared with 2010. The Birštonas Tourism Information Centre received the biggest number of enquiries and visitors from Finland in May 2011.

The report is based on the data of www.tourism.lt, www.spalietuva.lt and the Birštonas Tourism Information Centre.