Tourism summit kicks off in Finland

More than 500 representatives from the global tourism industry gathered in Finland to share research and experiences about "smart tourism", a growing trend for both worldwide tourists and tourism destination cities.

The event dubbed "Smart Tourism — Road to City Innovation and Development", the 8th Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit held its opening ceremony at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki on Tuesday.

Attendees hailed from about 100 cities in 56 countries and regions and included 37 mayors from tourism destination cities and key leaders of international organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Jan Vapaavuori, mayor of Helsinki, delivered a welcoming speech and said as the first European city to host the meeting, Helsinki is "eager to create a meaningful platform for exchange and reflection" of smart tourism.