Icelandair Roadshow

12 Icelandic companies from the Icelandic Travel Trade participated in a

Roadshow around the Baltics, Finland and Russia from the 28 September – 05

October 2003. Amongst these companies were representatives from hotels,

tour operators and group operators. North Sailing was invited to

participate in this tour, which we gladly accepted. The cost involving

such a tour is expensive but a few companies from North-Thingeyjarsyslum

put theirs camps together to promote tourism in their region. They were:

Fosshótel Húsavík, Gamli Baukur Restaurant, Narfastaðir Farmhotel,

Kaldbakskot smáhýsi, Árból guesthouse and Saltvík horsetours. In addition

were two other companies from the North, Sporttours and KEA Hotels.

The set up of the Roadshow was such that representatives from travel

agencies and tour operators in each city were invited for an Iceland

introduction and there they had the opportunity for a short meeting with

each of the 12 companies to familiarize themselves with the Icelandic

porducts.

The Roadshow was iniated by Icelandair and in particular Mr. Pekka Mäkinen

who is the General Manager for Icelandair in these territories. The

programme was very intense whereas travel was by planes, busses and

helicopter between the six cities, Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, St.

Petersburg and Moscow. These are markets with great potential in

particular when Icelandair will reinstate their flights from Helsinki to

Iceland which makes Iceland more accessible. Upon arrival back on home

ground the Icelandic group agreed that the trip had been successful

although folks didn´t want to be to optimistic as such pioneering can take

quite some time before the results become noticeable.

The roadshow team at the Icelandic Embassy in Moscow.