Baltic Care is satisfied with participation in the international tourism exhibition Matka 2014 Nordic Travel Fair.

Matka" (in translation from Finnish – „Trip”) is the biggest tourism fair in the North Europe, which is annually taking place in Messukeskus, Expo and Convention Centre Helsinki and provides great opportunity also for Latvia to popularize itself as a successful tourism destination. This year Latvia participated as the partnering country of Finland and both, journalists as well as visitors of the fair paid additional attention to Latvia. More than 1000 participants from 82 countries of the world participated in the fair and it was visited by more than 67 000 interested persons.

In this fair Latvia was represented in the national stand by Health Centre 4 and Medical Tourism Centre or widely known as Baltic Care Alliance together with the leading tourism agencies and representatives from local governments. The purpose of the Baltic Care Alliance - to popularize Latvian medical services abroad and facilitate exportability thereof by developing common standards, working on the quality control and cooperating with the public and local government organisations.

Baltic Care and Health Centre 4 are also the members of the Latvian Health Tourism Cluster (founders – Association of Latvian Resort City Association and Jurmala City Council Department of Tourism and External Relations) and also the cluster and Latvia, being as a favourable and easy to reach tourism destination, was popularized within a framework of the fair.      

During the Matka Fair Latvian medical service providers were able to present themselves in the national stand of Latvia, telling to inhabitants of Finland on the health improvement possibilities in Latvia, quality of medical services, professionalism of specialists and high level of service.

It was an opportunity to meet both, with inhabitants of Finland as well as journalists, associations and tourism agencies, specializing in medical tourism, and discuss particular cooperation opportunities.

Also the former Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis attended Matka, the biggest international tourism fair of the Northern countries. He visited the national stand and become acquainted with the key representatives of the Latvian tourism and medicine, recognizing the successful participation of Latvia in such an important tourism event.

 Anda Aleksandrova, Medical Tourism Director of Health Centre 4, admits "Medical tourists from Finland chooses Latvia due to several reasons - it is possible to easy and fast to reach us, medical services are provided in accordance with the highest standards of the European Union, we have qualified medical personnel and possibilities of modern medical manipulations.  All this is made even more appealing for the foreign tourism by the far less prices in comparison with their home country - prices of particular services are even 3 and more times lower."

Finland has been defined as important target market both, in strategic plans of Latvian Tourism Development Agency (TAVA), Live Riga and other public of local government tourism structural units. Also Baltic Care and Health Centre 4 have defined it as one of the target countries.