Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and the City of Stockholm are welcoming representatives of the world’s airlines and airports to three intensive days during which new routes and destinations will hang in the balance. Routes 2007 will take place on September 23-25 at Stockholm International Fairs (Älvsjömässan).
“We are pleased that this year Stockholm is the host city for the world’s largest conference in the aviation industry. Aviation is important in enabling Stockholm to continue growing and become an even stronger alternative for investments and visits. And aviation is growing − so far this year, 42 new non-stop international routes have begun from airports in the Stockholm region,” says Kristina Axén Olin (Moderate Party), Mayor of the City of Stockholm.
Greater accessibility due to additional air routes has boosted visitor statistics. In recent years, Stockholm has experienced fantastic growth in tourism, setting a record of 8.9 million visitor overnight stays last year. So far during 2007, this trend has persisted. In July the number of guest nights was up 11 per cent.
“Close collaboration between local government and the business community and our coordinated efforts under the common brand ‘Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia’ are yielding ever-improved results. Together with the trend in international travel towards more and shorter trips, this has helped us to set a visitor record this past summer,” says Martin Rosborg, CEO of the Stockholm Visitors Board.
The 13th World Route Development Forum is the official name of the conference, but in the civil aviation industry it is generally called Routes. Two thousand delegates representing 600 airports and 300 airlines will attend Routes to explore opportunities for new air routes. The whole exercise occurs in the form of “speed dating” sessions, each lasting 20 minutes, during a two-day period.
Concurrently with Routes, the Routes Leaders Forum will also take place. Top executives of the global aviation industry will discuss such issues as the deregulation of air travel between the European Union and the United States, the rapid expansion of civil aviation in China and India, aviation and climate change as well as the breakthrough of low fare airlines on long-haul routes.
“It feels important as well as enjoyable to be able to show our customers − the airlines − what Stockholm, Sweden and Scandinavia have to offer them and their passengers,” says Airport Director Kerstin Lindberg Göransson, Stockholm-International Airport.
In addition to the Routes Leaders Forum, a number of press conferences will be held during Routes 2007. Their times and venues will be posted in the press centre and on the Web, in the Routes press room: www.lfv.se/Routes
Routes 2007 is an outstanding opportunity for the media to establish contacts and interview aviation industry decision-makers.
For more information, please contact:
Per Fröberg, Press Officer LFV, mobile SE +46 708792635 Call
Ann-Charlotte Jönsson, Stockholm Visitors Board, mobile SE +46 768254992 Call