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Zastrzyk ekonomiczny z Berlina - Wszystkie znaki wskazują na wzrost i rekordowy rok! - ITB Berlin potwierdza swoją wiodącą pozycję na świecie targów turystycznych...

ITB Berlin 2018: Business is booming in the global travel industry

An economic boost from Berlin – All signs point to growth and a record year – ITB Berlin reaffirms its standing as the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show

The next ITB Berlin will take place from Wednesday, 6 to Sunday, 10 March 2019.

With a five per cent increase in business volume at ITB Berlin 2018 compared to last year, and excellent business being forecast for the coming months, the international travel industry is well on course for a record year. As ITB Berlin concluded, the global travel industry presented itself in good health and in an optimistic mood, more so than for a long time. The results of the five-day exhibition on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds mirrored the good atmosphere. The show, which had been booked to near capacity for months, impressively confirmed its role as a reliable economic indicator and forward-looking trendsetter. With around 110,000 trade visitors from Germany and abroad, ITB Berlin was able to reaffirm its standing as the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. Despite the warm spring weather around 60,000 members of the general public flocked to the display halls on the weekend to find out about the wide range of information available from exhibitors. The ITB Berlin Convention, which examined current issues such as overtourism and digitalisation, also underlined its role as the global travel industry’s leading think tank.

The main reason for the industry’s positive mood is the positive economic climate in the eurozone which according to leading economic institutes is better than at any time since the turn of the millennium. Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH: “The consistent forecasts of sustained global economic growth for the next two years decisively contributed to the positive mood among exhibitors and visitors these past few days. Against the backdrop of a booming economy, record low employment and good wage settlements, more and more consumers are willing to spend money. Furthermore, because of the strong euro and correspondingly weak dollar holidaying in numerous countries outside the eurozone is becoming noticeably cheaper.“

Dr. Christian Göke continued: ”The extremely positive economic trend in the travel industry should not blind us to the fact that the industry faces great challenges around the world. The digital transformation of an entire industry continues to move forward apace and affects every company and provider, regardless. On the other hand, issues such as the need for greater security on one’s travels, the increasingly important and controversial phenomenon of overtourism, and the globally changing face of travel brought about by companies such as Airbnb are decisively influencing the social discourse on the future of tourism. This year, ITB Berlin again presented itself as a platform that without exception debated all the important trends and the current issues in accordance with the industry’s future needs.“

From 7 to 11 March 2018, over a period of five days, more than 10,000 companies and organisations from 186 countries and regions exhibited their products to visitors in 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Once again, there was a high percentage of buyers in a decision-making capacity: two-thirds of trade visitors said they were directly authorised to make buying decisions for travel products. Around 74 per cent of the ITB Buyers Circle attended in a decision-making capacity, with budgets that exceeded one million euros. More than one-third of the buyers present even had ten million euros and more at their disposal.

At this year’s ITB Berlin attention focused on the partner region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It organised the opening ceremony, which for the first time left a zero-carbon footprint. Over the five days of the show the German federal state exhibited its wide range of tourism products in two halls. With its Baltic coastline and well-known Lakeland region, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is one of Germany’s most attractive federal states. Ever since 1991 the state has been an important exhibitor at ITB Berlin. In Berlin the aim of the federal state in Germany's northeast was to attract greater international attention and at the same time to increase awareness for tourism in Germany. Harry Glawe, Economics Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: ”Mecklenburg-Vorpommern overall successfully attracted the attention of visitors with its diversity and wide range of tourism attractions. The opening gala, the state’s participation as a whole and its involvement with activities and events were well received at the show. This was clear from the many conversations and reactions from visitors. The show again demonstrated how important it is to draw attention to oneself. We would like to thank everyone involved who helped make the state’s appearance an unforgettable event. We look forward to being back next year.“

The huge prospects that medical tourism has to offer the global tourism industry were highlighted at ITB Berlin. Due to high demand this segment, which was introduced only last year at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show, was relocated to a larger hall (21b). This year again, Travel Technology was one of the segments which displayed strong growth. Exhibitors including eNett, Traso,Triptease and Paymentwall, which increased their display areas, returning exhibitors, among them Travelport, as well as the Hospitality Industry Club, a newcomer, highlighted the excellent prospects of this fast-growing segment. The large increase in Chinese exhibitors there was particularly noticeable. The online portal Ctrip displayed its products in Berlin for the first time.

Two new formats celebrated their debut in Berlin, reflecting strong growth in the Luxury Travel segment. With the new Loop Lounge @ ITB (www.bit.ly/2p6eZLi) organised in collaboration with Loop, the trade show for luxury products, ITB Berlin had created a new platform for networking in an exclusive atmosphere with a select group of exhibitors, and with the first ITB Luxury Late Night the show provided an opportunity for visitors to cultivate contacts. Currently, luxury travel accounts for seven per cent of the market and annual growth is in double-digit figures. David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin: ”Luxury travel is booming and with our innovative formats we are responding to this welcome development. With this initiative we are also establishing ourselves in a role that devotes even more attention to this growth market and are showcasing this trend on the exhibition grounds.“

For the third year running ITB Berlin organised the ITB Chinese Night, where visitors were able to find out more about the Chinese travel market, exchange views and establish new contacts. The event was held in collaboration with Jin Jiang International and Ctrip for around 300 representatives of the travel industry. Potential exhibitors also received information about ITB China 2018, which from 16 to 18 May will be taking place for the second time in the major city of Shanghai.

For the ITB Berlin Convention, the global travel industry’s leading think tank, which hosted around 150 sessions featuring over 300 outstanding speakers, the event was also a success. Messe Berlin had been able to secure Zambia as the Convention & Culture Partner. Situated in the middle of southern Africa, this country is still largely untouched by tourism. However, it is gradually establishing itself as a popular travel destination. Other partners of the ITB Berlin Convention included the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) in the role of co-host, Ctrip.com International, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry for Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.

Malaysia will be the official partner country of ITB Berlin 2019. ”We want to increase tourism and establish Malaysia as a tourism destination“, said Dato´Sri Abdul Khani Daud from Tourism Malaysia at ITB Berlin.

Wolfgang Waldmüller, president of the Regional Tourism Association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: ”In its role as the partner region of ITB Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was able to focus international attention on the diversity of the state that is Germany’s most popular tourism destination. By showcasing the best of everything that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has to offer between the Baltic and Lakeland region, particularly its nature attractions, we were able to attract the attention of international buyers, opinion-formers and potential visitors on an unprecedented scale and drew a huge response from the media. Whether it was the spectacular opening gala to which more than 3,000 guests from 110 countries had been invited, our participation in the first Berlin Travel Festival, or the ITB Grand Finale, Germany’s northeast left a lasting impression. We will continue where we left off and ensure that this tourism destination profits from the contacts we established.”

Norbert Fiebig, president of the German Travel Association (DRV): ”The desire of German citizens to travel could be felt in every hall at ITB Berlin and the foundation has been laid for 2018 to be a great success. ITB Berlin is not only a place for marketing destinations, but also an early indicator of how tourism bookings will develop for the summer travel season. In that respect the basic mood within the industry was very positive. This year, overtourism was a key topic at the show. Growth and responsibility go hand in hand and the travel industry is keenly aware of its responsibility. Once again, ITB Berlin picked up on the current trends and formulated new ones.“

Dr. Michael Frenzel, president of the Federal Association of the German Tourism industry (BTW): ”At ITB Berlin 2018 we witnessed everything: impressive figures, dominant themes and innumerable outstanding tourism products from Germany and around the world. Over the past few days reports of record figures, positive survey results and inspiring tourism products for upcoming holidays have made us optimistic that providers and visitors can look forward to 2018 being an outstanding year for tourism. ITB Berlin again proved that in our industry nations and people working together to understand each other goes without saying, and not just on the exhibition grounds. Hospitality, a cosmopolitan outlook and bringing people and cultures together – that is what we and our tourism products stand for.”

The next ITB Berlin will take place from Wednesday, 6 to Sunday, 10 March 2019.................................................................................................................

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ITB Berlin recognises industry pioneers.

Setting standards in nature preservation is the theme at the Sustainable Destination Top 100 Awards – The TO DO! Awards recognise social responsibility – Empowering women is the theme at the Celebrating Her Awards – Support for the LGBT segment honoured by the ITB LGBT + Pioneer Awards.

 

This year, at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show, honours were once again bestowed for dedication and support in a number of different areas. In addition to sustainability and social responsibility, the outstanding role of women and support for the LGBT community were also recognised.

With the Sustainable Destinations Top 100 Awards ITB Berlin and Green Destinations honoured destinations which provide an outstanding service to sustainable tourism. Prizes were awarded in several categories. A jury comprising 12 experts including Albert Salman from Green Destinations and Valere Tjolle from TravelMole picked the winners in each category.

In the Best of Nature category Botswana was the winner with Chobe, Makgadikgadi, Okavango and Selinda. In the Best of Cities, Communities & Culture category, QualityCoast in western Portugal claimed first prize. The Best of Seaside title went to Dutch QualityCoast Delta. The jury presented the Earth Award to the Kingdom of Bhutan. Further prizes were awarded in the Best of Africa, Best of the Americas, Best of Asia-Pacific, Best of Europe, Best of the Atlantic and Best of the Mediterranean categories.

Social responsibility was the main theme at the TO DO! Awards. These have been taking place since 1995 and honour tourism projects that safeguard local residents’ interests during the project’s planning and implementation phases. The TO DO! Award for Human Rights in Tourism was presented for the second time under the patronage of the German UNESCO Commission. Tren Ecuador (the national railway network) and Maquipucuna (a biodiversity conservation project), two projects from Ecuador, were honoured for their socially responsible approach to tourism. IKhwa ttu from South Africa was recognised for its dedication to preserving the San culture. In the opinion of the jury and the Study Group for Tourism and Development all three projects fulfilled the main criterion of the TO DO! Awards, namely involving local residents in planning and realising tourism projects. The projects provided alternative sources of income and improved the self-esteem of the local population. The study group presented the TO DO! Award for Human Rights in Tourism to Herman Kumara. The internationally renowned human rights lawyer and head of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement Sri Lanka defends the rights of local fishermen whose fishing grounds are threatened by tourism projects.

The role of women was the focus of the Celebrating Her Awards for Empowered Women. The International Institute for Peace Through India (IIPT) awards the prize every year. This year the presentation took place for the third time at ITB Berlin. “We are delighted to be partnering with IIPT India for the presentation of these exceptional awards“, said Rika Jean-Francois, the CSR officer at ITB Berlin. “Since they first took place here in 2016 the Celebrating Her Awards have become firmly established at the show. Women play a crucial role in tourism – that is something that has to be honoured.“ The awards went to five women whose commitment to tourism has been particularly inspiring. They were Sandra Howard Taylor, Colombian Deputy Minister of Tourism; Isabel Hill, Director of the National Travel & Tourism Office, US Department of Commerce; Caroline Bremner, Head of Travel, Euromonitor International; Daniela Wagner, Director, International Partnerships and Jacobs Media Group EMEA, PATA; and Jyotsna Suri of CMD Lalit Hotels, India.

This year witnessed the first presentation of the ITB LGBT + Pioneer Awards at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show. By holding these awards ITB wishes to honour the support provided by destinations, tourism providers and outstanding personalities for the expanding LGBT travel segment. The lucky winners were Gustavo Nuguera and Pablo de Luca, who represented Gnetwork CCGLAR.

ITB Berlin 2018 - Opening Gala - Dr. Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Dr. Angela Merkel, Kanclerz Niemiec podczas Ceremonii Otwarcia ITB Berlin 2018

 

 

 

 

Trzy najlepsze historie na ITB Berlin 2018 - 7 marca

ITB Berlin Codziennie: Kraj Partnerski ITB -  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern prezentuje nowe atrakcje turystycznych i stroje regionalne. Malezja oferuje bezpośrednie loty z Frankfurtu. Silny wzrost zainteresowań w segmencie turystyki medycznej

ITB Berlin ma w Internecie wiadomości z wiodących na świecie Travel Trade Show w http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/en 

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern prezentuje nowe atrakcje turystycznych i stroje regionalne:

Na największych na świecie targów turystyki Meklemburgii-Pomorzu Przednim, krajem partnerskim tegorocznych ITB Berlin, zaprezentował nową gamę atrakcji turystycznych. Wolfgang Waldmüller, rzecznik Stowarzyszenia Turystyki przedstawił festiwal przyłączenia w Seaborn w Kuhlungsborn, Rostock Cruise Festiwal, nowa trasa rowerowa featuring romantyczne aspekty Pomorza i nowej, trwałej formy zakwaterowania o imieniu sleeperoo. Państwo federalne zaprezentował również plany nowych strojach regionalnych, które mają być utworzone przez nikogo innego niż projektant mody Jette Joop.

Dowiedz się więcej na: http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/en/news/peaceful-and-romantic-new-regional-costume-mecklenburg-vorpommern-increases-its-international

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International travel with one of the highest growth rates in the last twenty years

IPK International’s Presentation at ITB Berlin 2018

2017 has been an exceptionally strong year for international travel, with Europe being the main growth driver as both a source market as well as a destination region. Worldwide, the number of outbound trips has increased by 6.5 per cent, reaching nearly 1.2 billion international trips in 2017. Also positively, for the first time since IPK surveys the impact of terrorism on international travel, terror sensitivity has decreased and destinations are perceived as “safer” than before. These findings are based on latest results of IPK’s World Travel Monitor®, an annual survey analyzing the outbound travel behavior in more than 60 countries worldwide, covering over 90 per cent of the global outbound demand. Trends for the first eight months of 2017 can be found in the ITB World Travel Trends Report (https://www.itb-kongress.de/en/ELIBRARY/Publications/Studies/), which is published yearly by ITB Berlin.

Europe drives global outbound growth while Spain remains top destination

In 2017, Europe was the strongest source region for international travel with an overall increase of 7 per cent compared to last year, followed by North and Latin America with both 6 per cent and Asia with 5 per cent. Also as a destination region, Europe could profit most with 8 per cent more trips in 2017. Looking at destinations on a country level, Spain takes the lead, with the USA and Germany ranking second and third. France and Italy are the fourth and fifth most successful destinations. When it comes to holiday types, city trips have been the main growth driver last year with an increase of 18 per cent. Sun & beach holidays, which represent the largest holiday market share, grew by 9 per cent. On the other hand, tour holidays worldwide decreased by 1 per cent.

One in ten international travelers affected by overtourism

Overtourism has made headlines worldwide recently due to record visitor numbers at many destinations, prompting well-publicized protests by residents and diverse measures by local authorities. As this topic not only impacts destinations, tourist attractions, local infrastructure and residents, but also travelers themselves, IPK International conducted a special survey among international travelers in February 2018. The results show that 24 per cent of all international tourists had the feeling that the destination they visited was overcrowded. However, only 9 per cent said that this overcrowding actually affected the quality of their outbound trip. Most affected cities were Mexico City (23 per cent), Shanghai (22 per cent), Venice (20 per cent), Beijing (19 per cent), Hong Kong (18 per cent), Istanbul, Amsterdam and Florence (17 per cent each) and Barcelona (16 per cent).

Travel behavior still influenced by terror fear yet to a lesser extent

For the fifth time, IPK International conducted a special survey on the influence of terror threats on international travel behavior in main source markets worldwide in February 2018. The study revealed that for 37 per cent of international travelers the recent instability and terror warnings will have an influence on their travel plans for 2018, compared to 41 per cent in October 2017. Regarding the question what kind of influence the current situation could have on the travel behavior, 24 per cent stated that they will still be travelling abroad, however only to destinations they percei¬ve as “safe”. For some destinations, the safety image has improved and they are rated slightly more safe compared to October 2017. This applies e.g. to some of the biggest destinations such as Spain, USA, Germany and Great Britain.

Outlook 2018

Although different travel risks do exist, IPK International anticipates global outbound trips to in¬crease by a robust 5 per cent in 2018. According to IPK International’s Outbound Travel Forecast for 2018, Latin America is expected to be one of the high performers with an increase of 7 per cent, closely followed by Asia (+6 per cent). International travel from Europe as well as North America is forecasted to grow by 4 per cent each.

Source: IPK International, World Travel Monitor®

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention

ITB Berlin 2018 will be taking place from Wednesday, 7 to Sunday, 11 March, and from Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. In 2017 a total of 10,000 companies and organizations from 184 countries exhibited their products and services to around 169,000 visitors, who included 109,000 trade visitors. Parallel with the show the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest event of its kind, will be held from Wednesday, 7 to Saturday, 10 March. Admission to the ITB Berlin Convention is free for trade visitors and exhibitors. For more information please visit www.itb-berlin.com, www.itb-convention.com and the ITB Social Media Newsroom.

Zdjęcie użytkownika Brygida Susko.

 

ITB Berlin 2018: Strong economic boost from the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show®

High demand by exhibitors again – Around 10,000 exhibiting companies from 186 countries and regions – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the first German federal state to be the official partner region of the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show® – Revolutionary forms of travel, overtourism and digitalization are key topics at the ITB Berlin Convention – Focus on luxury travel – The Medical Tourism segment expands – Travel Technology is booming – ITB: a new international umbrella brand

ITB Berlin reflects worldwide dynamic developments and growth in the travel industry. From 7 to 11 March 2018, the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show® will again be the industry’s meeting place and must-see event, devoting itself to innovative and forward-looking trends in the travel industry, politics and business. In the future, ITB will present itself as an international umbrella brand and focus not only on promoting the annual event in Berlin. This re-orientation on a global scale means a concentration of three formats, the trade shows in Germany (ITB Berlin), Singapore (ITB Asia) and China (ITB China), under one label. At the 52nd edition of ITB Berlin around 10,000 tourism companies from 186 countries and regions will be represented on an area covering 160,000 square metres at the Messe Berlin fairgrounds. Over 80 percent of the exhibitors are from abroad. Once again the organisers expect more than 100,000 international trade visitors seeking prosperous business opportunities as well as many thousand members of the public on the weekend, who will be able to find inspiration for their next trip.

”In 2018 ITB Berlin remains strongly in touch with the industry’s trends. We provide a forum for pressing issues such as overtourism, revolutionary forms of travel and digitalization as well as topical themes such as luxury travel, technology and sustainability. ITB Berlin has firmly established itself as an international brand and above all stands for acquiring industry contacts from around the world and industry knowledge that is first-hand. It is the logical consequence of positioning ourselves as the leading market force and opinion-former of the global travel industry“, said Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin.

The focus is on this year’s partner region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which, taking as its slogan ‘The Spirit of Nature’, will have information on its wide range of products in a number of locations, including Hall 6.2. and 4.1. The German federal state will also be organising the big opening ceremony on the eve of ITB Berlin at the CityCube Berlin. For the first time since ITB Berlin began the event will leave a zero carbon footprint. Manuela Schwesig, Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: “The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show gives us a unique opportunity to showcase the attractions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the world. The state will present itself as a modern, successful and extremely diverse holiday region. In particular, we would like to welcome more international guests to our state“.

ITB Berlin Convention 2018: Top-Notch knowledge from industry experts

From 7 to 10 March 2018, at several sessions, the leading think tank of the global travel industry ITB Berlin Convention will be devoting itself to a number of topics, including overtourism, revolutionary forms of transport for business and private travel, plus the challenges of and future prospects for artificial intelligence in the travel sector. Together with Zambia, the Convention & Culture Partner, and the WTCF, the co-host of ITB Berlin Convention, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the partner region of ITB Berlin, will officially open this years convention program in the morning of 7 March. Afterwards, in a keynote speech Jane Jie Sun, CEO of Ctrip.com International Ltd., will examine the topical subject of ‘Tourism: the Gateway to Global Peace and Prosperity’.

On Thursday, 8 March, at the ITB Marketing & Distribution Day, high-ranked representatives of the international tourism industry will discuss future trends such as sharing economy and big data. In his keynote speech on ’The Evolution of Airbnb and how Global Travel is Changing’, Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Airbnb and chairman of Airbnb China, will provide an update on the latest developments at Airbnb and an insight into the changing travel market. Afterwards, in an ITB CEO interview with Philip C. Wolf, founder of Phocuswright and serial board director, Mark Okerstrom, the new CEO of Expedia, will respond to a number of questions: What are the global growth strategies of this travel industry giant and what new technologies and market challenges does Expedia face?

On Wednesday, 7 March, ITB Destination Day 1 will look at ’Overtourism’, currently a much-discussed topic. Mato Franković, mayor of Dubrovnik, a representative of the city of Barcelona and Frans van der Avert, CEO of Amsterdam Marketing, will reveal their recipes for success and the lessons learned for managing tourism destinations. On Wednesday afternoon, attention will focus on an up-to-the-minute topic, namely the 'The Revolution of Travel'. Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. (HTT) and founder and CEO of JumpStarter Inc., will talk about tomorrow’s transport system and the future role of Elon Musk’s hyperloop technology. At a further session the ‘Revolution of Travel’ will become reality. Technology pioneers including Dirk Ahlborn and Alexander Zosel, co-founder of Volocopter GmbH, will provide an update on their revolutionary projects and discuss commercial prospects and business models. The latest findings of the market survey conducted by ITB Berlin in collaboration with Travelzoo will be eagerly awaited. In this survey for ITB Berlin the international publisher of exclusive travel deals researched the opinions of travellers from Europe, America, Asia and Australia on new forms of transport and the approval ratings they gave.

Focus on luxury travel at ITB Berlin 2018

Luxury travel is booming, and at the same time the general attitude towards the market is changing. Affluence is no longer defined by glitter and an exhibition of wealth. Both the challenges and the opportunities that this change can bring concern the industry, and from 7 to 11 March 2018 will thus be key topics at ITB Berlin and ITB Berlin Convention. The Loop Lounge @ ITB will be celebrating its debut in Hall 9. In cooperation with Lobster Event, ITB Berlin has created a new platform for networking exclusively with a selected group of exhibitors. On Thursday of the show the first ITB Luxury Late Night will provide an opportunity to cultivate the contacts made. At this new outstanding networking event at Orania.Berlin, a new Boutique Hotel, exhibitors will be able to meet leading buyers from the global luxury travel market. The event will be opened by Dietmar Müller-Elmau, the managing director of Schloss Elmau. Participation is by special invitation only.

Networking at the MICE Hub and the new ITB MICE Night event

Creating a festive atmosphere at events, evaluating events and managingdiverse audiences – these are just some of the topics which the ITB MICE Forum will be examining at this year’s ITB Berlin Convention. The forum targets visitors representing the Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Event industry and will take place on 8 March 2018 in the Convention Hall 7.1a (Room New York 2) from 10.45 a.m. to 2.45 p.m. The Association of Event Organisers (VDVO) is the official partner of the MICE event. This year the MICE Night, an exclusive event, will be celebrating its debut. In cooperation with ITB Berlin, the VDVO will extend an invitation to join the event at the International Club Berlin, which is within easy walking distance from the fairgrounds. At this event, representatives of the industry have the chance to meet fellow industry members in an informal atmosphere and discuss the day’s topics. The MICE Hub will also offer opportunities for networking. Taking as its slogan 'Meet the MICE Minds', the VDVO will be presenting industry experts and exhibitors at the MICE Hub, a special display area on stand 200 in Hall 7.1a.

Medical Tourism segment expands

Following last year’s successful launch of the important and fast-growing Medical Tourism segment, growing demand means it has had to relocated to a larger hall (21b). In addition to a wide-ranging program of presentations and lectures at the Medical Hub at the Medical Pavilion, the Medical Media Lunch will take place for the first time at the Medical Tourism Pavilion on Wednesday, 7 March from 1 to 2.30 p.m. Afterwards, the Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) will present the world’s ten best clinics catering for medical tourists. On Friday, 9 March, taking place at the Capital Club on Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, the exclusive ITB Medical Night will also provide an opportunity to network. With its project entitled ’Healthy MV’ as well as four exhibitors, the partner region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will also be promoting the benefits of medical tourism.

High growth in exhibitors from China

At ITB Berlin 2018 the number of exhibitors from China is growing especially fast. The online portal Ctrip will be exhibiting its products at ITB Berlin for the first time. Other newcomers from China will include Flightroutes, Ucloudlink, Letsfly, Qyer and Qup. For the third year running ITB Berlin will be organising the ITB Chinese Night, where invited participants can find out more about the Chinese travel market, exchange views and establish new contacts. This year’s event on Wednesday, 7 March is being co-organised by Jin Jiang International and Ctrip and will welcome around 300 representatives of the travel industry (http://www.itb-china.com/itb-berlin-chinese-night/). At the ITB China 2018 Preview on Thursday, 8 March, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the CityCube Berlin (http://www.itb-china.com/itb-preview-event/), visitors can also find out about the fast-growing travel market and major attractions at ITB China, which from 16 to 18 May will be taking place for the second time in Shanghai.

Travel Technology continues to boom

This year, growth and dynamic expansion will again be the hallmarks of the Travel Technology halls and the eTravel World. Exhibitors including eNett, Traso,Triptease and Paymentwall, which have increased their display areas, returning exhibitors, among them Travelport, as well as the Hospitality Industry Club, a newcomer, will highlight the excellent prospects for this fast-growing segment. At the eTravel World in Halls 6.1 and 7.1c, visitors to the eTravel Stage and eTravel Lab can once again find out about the innovations of the future and their potential impact on the travel industry. The focus will be on future-oriented topics such as blockchains, social media and voice recognition. On 7 March at 10.30 a.m. on the stage in Hall 6.1 David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin, and the humanoid robot Pepper will jointly open the eTravel World.

New events this year include the Hospitality Tech Forum, featuring hospitality industry topics, and the Start-up Day in cooperation with Verband Internet Reisevertrieb (VIR), Germany’s leading association for the online travel industry. On the same day start-ups from Europe, America and Asia will come together on the eTravel Stage in Hall 6.1. At a start-up competition and a number of sessions the new digital community will present its travel technology innovations.

ITB Career Center: an even bigger international attraction

This year, the ITB Career Center is again offering students, graduates and those in search of a new career all kinds of opportunities to find out about their job chances in the tourism industry. Hall 11.1, where over 50 exhibitors from Germany and abroad will be represented, is the place to head. This year, international participation in the hall will be even higher than in past years. Universities from Hong Kong and Latvia will be represented for the first time. As in 2017 The German Federal Employment Agency is the exclusive partner of the ITB Career Center. On Friday, 9 March from 5 to 5.45 p.m., ITB Berlin will be celebrating a debut with the Company Slam, a new format at the show which gives company representatives 90 seconds to pitch their companies in an original and creative manner.

Growth in two popular segments: LGBT and Adventure Travel

Adventure tourism and sustainable travel seem particularly important for the younger generation. This trend is reflected by the fact that Hall 4.1 is fully booked. This year it will be the fifteenth time that the focus in Hall 4.1 will be on Adventure Travel & Responsible Tourism. Visitors to the 13th Pow-Wow for Tourism Professionals will find out more about the trending topics in the sustainable and responsible tourism segment from lectures and discussions at two stages. The key topic this year will focus on coastal protection. At ITB Berlin 2018 the Gay and Lesbian Travel (LGBT) segment will be even bigger and even more diverse. This year, this fast-growing segment will feature a number of new exhibitors at the LGBT Travel Pavilion (Hall 21.b). At the LGBT Presentation Corner, now a firmly established event, there will be lectures on the latest topics, workshops, product presentations and numerous networking events. On Friday, 9 March at 12 midday at the Palais am Funkturm, the presentation of the LGBT+ Pioneer Award will take place for the first time.This award is made annually to outstanding destinations, tourism companies and personalities representing the LGBT travel market.

High exhibitor demand sets the tone

This year, demand for places at ITB Berlin is particularly high from Arab countries, Asia and South America. As an emerging travel destination the United Arab Emirates (Hall 2.2) are now expanding into the market. Abu Dhabi has almost doubled the size of its stand, and the displays of Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah are much larger than last year. In Hall 26, Vietnam and Laos will be occupying more than twice the floor size of 2017. Japan has also significantly increased its representation. A number of exhibitors including Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Taiwan will be welcoming visitors on two-tier stands. All the regions from the Caribbean are exhibiting in Hall 22a, a clear sign that after the devastating hurricanes tourism is more important than ever to these islands. Martinique and Jamaica have even increased their stand size.

Egypt (Hall 4.2) will be making an emphatic return with a larger stand. Equally, as the largest exhibitor at ITB Berlin, Turkey will again be demonstrating that this colourful destination has lost none of its fascination. In Hall 3.1 bookings by the US and Russia have reached last year’s levels, while waiting lists exist for Ukraine and Tajikistan. The same applies to Nepal and Sri Lanka in Hall 5.2, where demand for individual stands is particularly high. In Hall 5.2b, where India is featured and which once again is fully booked, it was not possible to meet all the open requests. Rajasthan with its picturesque palaces will be represented again in 2018, along with numerous co-exhibitors. The state of Jharkhand is a newcomer to the show, as are Earth Routes and many smaller tour operators in this hall, where ayurveda and yoga will be major attractions again.

At ITB Berlin 2018 European destinations will also be attracting more attention with larger stands. Accordingly, the Czech Republic (Hall 7.2b), the UK (Hall 18) and Sardinia (Hall 1.2, featuring Italy) will be occupying larger stands. In Hall 1.1 Portugal will be exhibiting its products on an area that has grown by one-third. This year, in addition to Hall 15, Polish regions and hotels can also be found in Hall 14.1. Demand by Romania and Slovakia is high in Hall 7.2b, where there is a waiting list. The same applies to Hall 1.1 which features Greece. After a long absence Belize, Guayana, French Guiana and the Turks and Caicos Islands will be returning in 2018.