CANCELED: Global Travel Restart 2021: Press Conference 25 August 2021 at 8.30 AM

The event starts on 25 August at 8.30 AM at Messukeskus Siipi in Congress Hall 101 (Messukeskus Siipi entrance, street address Rautatieläisenkatu 3).

At the press cenference, Chairman Anne-Marjut Väänänen and Managing Director Heli Mäki-Fränti of the Association of Finnish Travel Industry as well as Lumia Ankkuri, Business Manager of MATKA Nordic Travel Fair, will cover the event and give background information about the day’s key themes. After this, media will have the opportunity to ask questions from the event organisers as well as from the event introducers and panelists who will also be present.

• Please accredit to the event in advance latest by 24 August 2021 at 12 noon: Accreditation >>
• The official part of the media event ends at 9 AM, after which you will have the opportunity to private interviews with the event performers. If you want to secure an interview with a specific expert, please notify us in advance by email: jenni.kemppainen@smal.fi.
• The press conference will be organized live and we hope to meet you face to face! However, you can also participate in the Global Travel Restart event virtually. Therefore, we will also send a link to the event to all pre-accredited before the start of the programme.

More information about the event:
Heli Mäki-Fränti, Managing Director, Association of Finnish Travel Industry SMAL, +358 40 575 1303
Anne-Marjut Väänänen, Chairman, Association of Finnish Travel Industry SMAL, +358 41 522 2322
Lumia Ankkuri, Business Manager, MATKA Nordic Travel Fair, +358 50 387 0023

Global Travel Restart programme and speakers 25 August 2021

There will be three different expertise panels at the event, consisting of respected international leaders. The presentations of the panelists can be read at www.smal.fi/restart. The themes and speakers of the panels are:

Opening presentation
Mrs. Elsi Katainen, Member of the European Parliament

Aviation – Reconnect the World
Mr. Rafael Schvartzman, IATA Regional Vice President, Europe
Mr. Ole Orvér, CCO, Finnair
Mr. Gijs van Popta, GM North Europe, Air France KLM
Mr. Svend Leirvaag, VP Industry Affairs, Amadeus
Mr. Juha Järvinen, CCO, Virgin Atlantic
Mr. Paul Starrs, SVP Western Region, Qatar Airways

Destinations – Rediscover the World
Mr. Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of European Travel Commission
Mr. Roger Dow, President and CEO of U.S Travel Association (video greeting)
Mr. Neale Herridge, Group GM ATS Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
Mrs. Alexandra Wolframm, Strategic Advisor for European and Legal Affairs, German Tourism Association
Mr. Julio Jiménez, Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Spain
Mrs. Kristiina Hietasaari, Senior Director, Visit Finland

Services – Reset the Cooperation
Mr. Pawel Niewiadomski, Chairman ECTAA
Mr. Benjamin Bouldin, VP Royal Caribbean International
Mr. Carsten Østberg, Regional Managing Director – Europe, CIBTvisas
Mr. Ian Chapman, Chief Operations Officer at TUI Musement, Tours & Activities division of TUI Group
Mr. Dimitris Manikis, President for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Mr. Anders Kjong, President Europe – WebBeds