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WEDNESDAY<br />

6 th MARCH<br />

2013<br />

DAY1<br />

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />

regioNAl spotlight: asia<br />

Special Feature: TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES<br />

TRADE NEWS<br />

Hon. Hisham Zaazou<br />

Minister of Tourism, Egypt<br />

“Egypt has started its<br />

transformation into<br />

becoming a stable<br />

and democratic<br />

country” Read page 23<br />

Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr Ng<br />

Yen Yen<br />

Minister of Tourism, Malaysia<br />

“We are already<br />

the second-largest<br />

destination in Asia<br />

after China, and 9 th<br />

largest in the world”<br />

Read page 35<br />

Manfred Osthues<br />

Co-founder and managing<br />

partner, Protel<br />

“We are highly motivated<br />

to guide our clients<br />

throughout the entire<br />

guest journey”<br />

Read page 41<br />

David Ruetz<br />

Head of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

“The services of the<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> Buyers’ Circle<br />

save buyers’ time and<br />

significantly increase<br />

their efficiency”<br />

Read page 43<br />

Hall 9<br />

Stand<br />

202<br />

Hall 2.1<br />

Stand<br />

225<br />

Hall 9<br />

Stand<br />

123<br />

$6.5 Trillion and<br />

260 Million Jobs<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013 brings together the world of travel<br />

and tourism<br />

The WTTC’s estimate that the economic<br />

impacts of travel and tourism will<br />

contribute some $6.5 trillion to the<br />

global economy and generate 260<br />

million jobs – or 1 in 12 of all jobs on<br />

the planet – is now widely recognised<br />

as a key reference. Indeed, the G20<br />

world leaders for the first time, in 2012<br />

recognised the importance of Travel &<br />

Tourism as a driver of jobs, growth and<br />

economic recovery.<br />

This year, at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>, the<br />

announcement of the presence at the<br />

opening ceremony of Chancellor Angela<br />

Merkel and Indonesia’s President Susilo<br />

Bambang Yudhoyono confirm the critical<br />

nature of this sector and the subsequent<br />

importance of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> as a guiding<br />

light for the industry. As partner country<br />

of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> this year, Indonesia is in<br />

many ways leading the field in terms of<br />

innovative marketing.<br />

(see interview – Hon. Dr Mari Elka Pangestu,<br />

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy,<br />

Republic of Indonesia – p.20)<br />

Hon. Dr Mari Elka Pangestu<br />

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia<br />

Destination Spotlight: ASIA<br />

Asia continues to be the<br />

driving force in global tourism.<br />

According to the latest <strong>ITB</strong><br />

World Travel Trends Report,<br />

last year the number of<br />

outbound trips from Asia rose<br />

by seven per cent, due in part<br />

to rising wages. By the same<br />

token, inbound travel is also<br />

flourishing. In this edition, we<br />

give a close-up on “all things<br />

Asia” in our daily regional<br />

spotlight.<br />

Section begins page 27<br />

India


NEWS<br />

5<br />

Making Messe <strong>Berlin</strong> Unstoppable<br />

Raimond Hosch – CEO of Messe <strong>Berlin</strong> – to pass his position over to Dr Christian<br />

Göke (current COO) this summer<br />

For years, Messe <strong>Berlin</strong> CEO Raimund Hosch has poured his heart and soul into making the organisation the success it is…<br />

This will be his last year in this role. Mr Hosch’s memories of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> in particular go back a long way. But how, today,<br />

would he best describe how this show has evolved during his time at Messe <strong>Berlin</strong>?<br />

The focus of this show<br />

is on a dual concept, to<br />

provide a marketplace for<br />

both consumers and the<br />

trade. We have continued to<br />

evolve <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> and launch<br />

new initiatives for industry<br />

buyers. That is why the trade<br />

fair always attracts well<br />

over a hundred thousand<br />

visitors to the German<br />

capital and is rightfully<br />

considered an international<br />

meeting place, with<br />

three-quarters of over<br />

10,000 exhibitors from<br />

foreign countries. After<br />

four decades, <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

still continues to set the<br />

standard for the global<br />

travel industry. Close to 40%<br />

of trade visitors come from<br />

abroad to do business and<br />

to check on the latest market<br />

developments at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>.<br />

What are your hopes for<br />

the show’s future?<br />

My hope is that <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

will continue to be not<br />

only a place for successful<br />

business but also for<br />

experiencing different<br />

cultures and intercultural<br />

exchange. Furthermore,<br />

it is a place of peaceful<br />

interaction among all the<br />

countries and cultures of<br />

the world. <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> is<br />

most certainly the travel<br />

industry’s driving force<br />

and gives an important<br />

impetus to a market that is<br />

growing all the time. Messe<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> will ensure this trade<br />

fair remains the place for<br />

the industry to meet by<br />

continuing to adapt it to<br />

the needs of both industry<br />

buyers and consumers.<br />

[Interview by Richard Barnes]<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

is most<br />

certainly<br />

the travel<br />

industry’s<br />

driving<br />

force and<br />

gives an<br />

important<br />

impetus to a<br />

market that<br />

is growing<br />

all the time.<br />

Raimund Hosch<br />

Messe <strong>Berlin</strong> CEO<br />

Do you have any<br />

particularly fond<br />

memories of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

that you can look back on?<br />

I well remember the first<br />

partner country of <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>, which was Cuba.<br />

During the opening<br />

ceremony more than 150<br />

dancers of the Tropical Ballet<br />

from Havana presented a<br />

fantastic show that deeply<br />

impressed me. What was<br />

also quite impressive<br />

was their 10 tons of stage<br />

equipment. It is always a<br />

pleasure to experience the<br />

entire spectrum of the travel<br />

industry here in <strong>Berlin</strong> and<br />

to get a taste of the many<br />

different cultures that<br />

represent the destinations.<br />

A success story ‘till now<br />

– but also for tomorrow<br />

In June 2013, after 14<br />

years of service in this role,<br />

Raimund Hosch will step<br />

down as CEO of Messe <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

and enter into well- deserved<br />

retirement.<br />

During this period turnover<br />

increased from 85 million<br />

euros (1999) to 247 million<br />

euros in 2012.<br />

Among his most remarkable<br />

achievements before<br />

departing, Raimund Hosch<br />

notably succeeded in<br />

overseeing the completion<br />

of ExpoCenter Airport <strong>Berlin</strong>,<br />

which has already hosted the<br />

ILA, Europe’s leading event<br />

for the aerospace industry in<br />

September 2012 and the new<br />

PANORAMA <strong>Berlin</strong> fashion<br />

show in January 2013. He<br />

also oversaw the completion<br />

of the south entrance and<br />

service areas in 2003 and the<br />

start of construction of the<br />

CityCube <strong>Berlin</strong>, a new multipurpose<br />

hall.<br />

Alongside Mr Hosch,<br />

Dr Christian Göke has<br />

accompanied the operative<br />

management and business<br />

activities of Messe <strong>Berlin</strong>.<br />

Dr Göke is without doubt<br />

the perfect person for this<br />

new role, in a business in<br />

which personal commitment<br />

matters so much.<br />

Good luck, Dr Göke, and a<br />

happy retirement, Mr Hosch!<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS is a CLEVERDIS Publication. 65 avenue Jules Cantini - Tour Méditerranée – 13006 Marseille, France • Tel: + 33 442 77 46 00 • Fax: + 33 442 77 46 01 • SARL capitalised at e128,250• VAT FR 95413604471 • RCS Marseille 413 604 471<br />

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• Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre • Managing Director: Jean-François Pieri • Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait • Project Manager: Sophie Layer • Editor-in-Chief: Richard Barnes • Managing Editor: Bob Snyder • Editorial team: Stuart Braun, Luc Citrinot,<br />

Nancy Cockerell, Neil Crossley, Julian Newby, Murray Bailey, Gary Smith • Photos: Guillaume Vinrich • Art Director: Hélène Beunat • Design & Page Setting: Guillaume Kaercher, Valentina Russo • Webmaster: Benjamin Ras<br />

• With the participation of: Bettina Badon, Sichao Guo, Anja Kühner, Nicole Renner, Marjorie Sanch >>>>To contact them : first name.last name@itb-berlin-news.com<br />

• Cover: © Guillaume Vinrich_Cleverdis. © CLEVERDIS 2013 - Registration of Copyright February 2013 Information presented in this publication is purely indicative in order to illustrate subjects contained therein. No guarantee can be given as to the accuracy of data or content at time of printing and thus the latter should not be used<br />

for professional or commercial ends. While all efforts have been made as to accuracy and pertinence of content and data contained in this publication, CLEVERDIS may in no case be held responsible for the consequences, whatever their nature may be, that may result from the interpretation of this data or content, or any eventual errors therein.<br />

Any reproduction of the content of this publication, even partial, by any means whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without the prior autorisation of the publisher. Any copy, whether by photography, photography film, magnetic tape, disc or other means constitutes a forgery, liable to punishment under French law according to the legislation of 11 th<br />

March 1957 covering copyright. All brands cited in this publication are registered trade marks and/or belong to companies which are their respective proprietors. The publishers and editorial staff decline all responsibility as to opinions formulated in this publication by those interviewed or cited therein. Their opinions are entirely their own, and are<br />

included with the understanding that they contain, to our knowledge, no malicious intent. The inclusion of all texts, photographs and other documents supplied by those included in this publication imply the acceptance by their authors of their free publication therein. Documents and photographs will not be returned. It should be understood that<br />

this publication contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include assumptions relating to the timing of the recorded date. If any of these risks<br />

or uncertainties materialises or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the expectations outlined in these statements. Cleverdis assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements during the period of publication. Photo Credits and Copyright: All Rights Reserved.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


6 NEWS<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> Opens in<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News<br />

– Your Official<br />

Information Source<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News is the official international magazine of the<br />

world’s leading travel trade show, covering all its myriad<br />

aspects. Our aim is to give you, the professional visitor to<br />

this event, a concise and synthetic tool to assist you in your<br />

visit and to guide you in your decision making process.<br />

of Robust Gr<br />

World press delivered positive message<br />

at opening press conference<br />

From left to right:<br />

Dr Christian Göke,<br />

Hon. Dr Mari Elka Pangestu,<br />

Dr Michael Frenzel,<br />

Jürgen Büchy,<br />

Márcio Favilla<br />

CONTENT<br />

NEWS ................................................. p.07<br />

itb berlin convention................... p.19<br />

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS..................... p.20<br />

REGION: ASIA..................................... p.27<br />

SPECIAL FEATURES:<br />

TRANSPORT .................................... p.37<br />

travEl technologies ................ p.41<br />

TRADE NEWS...................................... p.43<br />

Responsible Tourism...................... p.44<br />

Where to go in berlin.................... p.45<br />

At the opening press conference of the 47 th <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>, growing tourism<br />

figures on a global scale, and a positive outlook for 2013 set the stage<br />

for an exceptional show.<br />

The opening press<br />

conference featured<br />

Hon. Dr Mari Elka<br />

Pangestu, Indonesia’s<br />

Minister for Tourism &<br />

Creative Economy, Dr<br />

Christian Göke, COO of<br />

Messe <strong>Berlin</strong>, Dr Michael<br />

Frenzel, President of the<br />

Federal Association of the<br />

German Tourism Industry<br />

(BTW), Jürgen Büchy,<br />

President of the German<br />

Travel Association (DRV)<br />

and Marcio Favilla,<br />

Executive Director<br />

of Competitiveness,<br />

External Relations and<br />

Partnerships, UNWTO.<br />

“We seek to reflect the<br />

richness and diversity<br />

of the travel industry as<br />

well as its dynamism,<br />

while staying close to new<br />

developments, and as up<br />

to date as possible”, said<br />

Dr Göke. “Consequently,<br />

demand for exhibition<br />

space is the highest ever,<br />

(…) not only is <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> fully booked,<br />

we also have the<br />

highest ever number<br />

of two-tier stands,<br />

and a total of 10,086<br />

exhibitors…<br />

and not only is <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

fully booked, we also have<br />

the highest ever number of<br />

two-tier stands, and a total<br />

of 10,086 exhibitors.”<br />

Dr Frenzel announced<br />

that Germany had, the<br />

first time, passed 400<br />

million overnight stays in<br />

2012, and, in another first,<br />

there were, according<br />

to UNWTO, 1 billion<br />

tourists worldwide. ”We<br />

are expecting that global<br />

figure to rise to around<br />

1.6 billion by 2020, and<br />

it’s clear that the desire to<br />

travel remains unabated,”<br />

he commented. “We are<br />

optimistic in forecasting<br />

1-2% growth in German<br />

travel in 2013, but we<br />

remain prudent because<br />

we have no control over<br />

currency fluctuations. And<br />

I also would like to point<br />

to the problem of emission<br />

trading which leads to<br />

competitive distortion<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


NEWS<br />

7<br />

Environment<br />

owth<br />

of the global market, and<br />

aviation taxes which are<br />

putting more pressure on the<br />

very thin profit margins that<br />

airlines currently generate.”<br />

Hon. Dr Mari Elka Pangestu<br />

Tour operators<br />

and travel<br />

agencies<br />

achieved new<br />

sales records<br />

in 2012<br />

Mr Büchy painted a very<br />

upbeat picture of the<br />

German market: “Despite<br />

adverse conditions such<br />

as economic difficulties,<br />

taxation on air transport and<br />

higher fuel prices, German<br />

travel agencies continued<br />

to register growth last year,<br />

showing the dynamic of our<br />

industry. In financial year<br />

2011/12, tour operators’<br />

sales rose by 5.5 percent to<br />

a new all-time high of Euro<br />

24.4 billion. This was an<br />

even stronger increase than<br />

predicted in the association’s<br />

projections from the end<br />

of November 2012. The<br />

highest sales growth rates<br />

was achieved on mediumhaul<br />

destinations, especially<br />

Mediterranean destinations,<br />

up by 8.5%.”<br />

According to Mr Favilla,<br />

Europe continued to be<br />

the most visited region<br />

in the world. Tourist<br />

numbers were up by 3%;<br />

a very positive result in<br />

the view of the economic<br />

situation in the region,<br />

and particularly following<br />

the strong growth of 2011<br />

(+6%).<br />

Indonesia aims<br />

to be known<br />

beyond Bali<br />

The Indonesian Minister,<br />

Dr Pangestu indicated<br />

that her government was<br />

extremely honoured and<br />

proud to be part of the<br />

world’s largest travel<br />

show, <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>. “We hope<br />

that visitors to the fair will<br />

be amazed by the wealth<br />

of attractions that we offer.<br />

Our nature and culture are<br />

legacies that are visible<br />

and accessible to anyone<br />

visiting our country. This is<br />

reflected also in our textiles,<br />

in our gastronomy or in our<br />

dances. All are part of our<br />

way of life. We think that<br />

visitors will get a glimpse of<br />

this during <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>. We<br />

in fact designed our pavilion<br />

in the shape of a Phinisi, a<br />

traditional boat still used<br />

by Bugis sailors in South<br />

Sulawesi”, she highlighted.<br />

“Come to Indonesia, we<br />

welcome you with our<br />

heart. This is why we smile a<br />

lot as all Indonesians will do<br />

everything they can to please<br />

their guests”, she added.<br />

[Article by Luc Citrinot and Gary Smith]<br />

(eds: see also interview<br />

with the minister – p. 20)<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


NEWS<br />

9<br />

Moving Fast in<br />

a Changing World<br />

GTA looks for ways to increase “footprint or range of<br />

accommodation, services and experiences” at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

With a wealth of experience, privileged relationships and on the ground expertise, GTA is a true leader<br />

in the fully independent travel (FIT) industry. Rolf Schafroth, Chief Executive of Kuoni Global Travel<br />

Services and GTA gives <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News an exclusive insight into what his organisation is highlighting<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013.<br />

Rolf Schafroth<br />

Chief Executive of Kuoni Global<br />

Travel Services and of GTA<br />

Rolf Schafroth is Chief Executive of Kuoni<br />

Global Travel Services and of GTA, their<br />

fully independent travel (FIT) business.<br />

With a degree in Business Economics,<br />

Rolf was a management consultant<br />

for Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) and<br />

Deloitte & Touche. He joined Kuoni as<br />

Head of Financial Controlling and was<br />

quickly named Head of Finance & IT for<br />

Kuoni’s Incoming Strategic Business Unit.<br />

In 2003 he assumed overall responsibility<br />

for Incoming Europe, the Kuoni Group’s<br />

biggest incoming unit, and in 2006 was<br />

named CEO of Destination Management.<br />

In 2007 he was appointed to the<br />

Group Executive Board as Head of the<br />

Strategic Business Division Destination<br />

Management.<br />

Hall 9<br />

Stand 202<br />

We will highlight<br />

our booking sites<br />

– particularly our<br />

European retail<br />

brand, TravelCube<br />

and GTA for<br />

wholesale – which<br />

connect travel<br />

wholesalers, high<br />

street and online<br />

travel agents, tour<br />

operators and<br />

consolidators to<br />

a vast portfolio<br />

of travel options.<br />

We have hotels<br />

and other<br />

accommodation<br />

options, city<br />

tours and transfer<br />

services, unique<br />

experiences,<br />

attraction tickets<br />

and restaurants in<br />

more than 190 destinations<br />

– practically every part<br />

of the world. Increasing<br />

interest in sub-saharan<br />

Africa saw us add 170 hotels<br />

this year on that continent,<br />

while our partnership with<br />

Santika Hotels throughout<br />

the islands of Indonesia<br />

means our travel agents<br />

will benefit from increasing<br />

economic and visitor<br />

interest in this part of the<br />

world.<br />

What are the key tourism<br />

trends at the moment<br />

among your customers?<br />

Value for money is as<br />

important for travel<br />

businesses as it is for<br />

consumers. Hotels and<br />

other suppliers choose<br />

us because we have<br />

an established and farreaching<br />

network of offices<br />

and personnel. There’s less<br />

risk and more to gain by<br />

working with us to market<br />

their properties and<br />

services to a truly global<br />

audience of potential<br />

travellers. They can reach<br />

emerging markets that<br />

don’t yet warrant sales<br />

representatives of their<br />

own. And of course, it’s<br />

incredibly cost effective.<br />

Many hoteliers want to be<br />

sure that they are winning<br />

business through different<br />

channels and different<br />

markets so they can plan in<br />

the face of adverse market<br />

forces. GTA helps them do<br />

that.<br />

For our clients, and<br />

particularly in Europe, they<br />

are seeking to maximise<br />

profitability in the face of<br />

uncertainty. They want<br />

partnerships that offer a<br />

mix of competitive pricing<br />

that they can pass on to<br />

consumers.<br />

They want systems that<br />

are fast and easy to use,<br />

so they can get things<br />

done and move on to<br />

the next job. They want<br />

accommodation and<br />

experiences in destinations<br />

their customers want to<br />

visit. They want to call<br />

on support when they<br />

need it, from people who<br />

understand their business<br />

and their market.<br />

How do you differentiate<br />

GTA’s offering?<br />

GTA has been powering<br />

global travel for nearly<br />

four decades. Our reliable<br />

technology is the bedrock<br />

of our business, connecting<br />

the world’s travel sellers<br />

with unrivalled content<br />

at the best possible<br />

prices. Our integration<br />

with Kuoni has enhanced<br />

our global influence,<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> (…)<br />

It’s also a good time to<br />

take the temperature<br />

of the market ahead<br />

of the summer season<br />

which – coupled with a<br />

thorough understanding<br />

of destinations and the<br />

insightful application of<br />

local expertise – helps<br />

us secure year-round<br />

business for our partners.<br />

What do you aim to<br />

achieve at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> and<br />

how important is the show<br />

for you?<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> is another chance for<br />

us to meet many of our<br />

clients and suppliers in<br />

person and our stand (Hall<br />

9, Stand 202) is always<br />

buzzing.<br />

It’s also a good time to<br />

take the temperature of<br />

the market ahead of the<br />

summer season: not just<br />

Europe’s, but for other<br />

parts of the world too as<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> attracts exhibitors and<br />

delegates from around the<br />

globe.<br />

[Interview by Richard Barnes]<br />

German<br />

Travel<br />

Industry<br />

Club<br />

Honours<br />

Announced<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong><br />

At one of the most<br />

prestigious travel award<br />

ceremonies on the global<br />

calendar, the German<br />

Travel Industry Club<br />

honoured both national<br />

and international travel<br />

professionals at <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> on Tuesday. Kurt<br />

Ritter was recognised for<br />

decades of services to the<br />

global travel industry with<br />

the Lifetime Achievement<br />

Award. One of the longest<br />

serving executives in the<br />

international hospitality<br />

industry, Ritter was<br />

President and CEO of<br />

the Rezidor Hotel Group<br />

between 1989 and 2012,<br />

and helped Rezidor<br />

become one of the world’s<br />

fastest growing hotel<br />

companies. Meanwhile,<br />

Roger Willemsen, a travel<br />

journalist, television<br />

presenter and producer,<br />

was crowned Tourism<br />

Ambassador for 2013 for<br />

creating “bridges between<br />

cultures and thus inspiring<br />

people to travel.”<br />

This year, the German<br />

Travel Industry Club not<br />

only awarded quality work<br />

by outstanding travel<br />

industry professionals,<br />

but also acknowledged<br />

travel businesses that<br />

promote social and<br />

corporate responsibility.<br />

Johannes Zurnieden,<br />

founder of Phoenix Travel<br />

in Germany, was inducted<br />

into the Travel Hall of<br />

Fame for enshrining<br />

the importance of<br />

philanthropy in Phoenix’s<br />

corporate philosophy long<br />

before the term Corporate<br />

Social Responsibility (CSR)<br />

was invented. For almost<br />

40 years, Phoenix Travel<br />

has been involved in<br />

charitable projects such as<br />

Bread for the World, and<br />

for significant financial<br />

contributions to natural<br />

disaster relief efforts.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


NEWS<br />

11<br />

Not to be missed<br />

Press Conferences on 6 th March<br />

Time Speakers Location<br />

10:00 am - 11:00 am Tunisia ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 9<br />

11:00 am - 01:00 pm ADAC (automobile association) travel monitor 2013 Funkturm Lounge<br />

11:00 am - 12:00 am Thuringia Hall 11.2, Booth 103<br />

11:00 am - 12:30 pm VIR: Online Summit 2013 ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 4/5<br />

11:00 am - 11:45 am Health and beauty trends 2013, beauty24, Health and beauty hotels & resorts and GfK Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3<br />

11:00 am - 12:00 pm ”The price is right: Will the rate parity disppear?“ Panel discussion 2013 Greenline Hotels and SRH universities ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, ICC-Lounge<br />

11:30 am - 13:00 pm Swissotel Hotels & Resorts ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 19<br />

12:00 pm - 13:00 pm Incredible India ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 8<br />

12:00 pm Qatar Airways ICC roof garden<br />

12:00 pm - 13:30 pm Croatian Tourist Board ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 10<br />

15:00 pm - 18:00 pm Kazakstan welcomes the world: EXPO 2017 in Astana and the opportunities for developing tourism ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 13/14<br />

15:30 pm - 16:30 pm Serbia Messegelände, Großer Stern, VIP-Room 2<br />

15:30 pm - 16:30 pm Spain ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 9<br />

16:00 pm - 17:30 pm Moscow Exhibition and Convention Agency ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 17/18<br />

16:00 pm - 16:45 pm Whisky & A Blether: Press Briefing with VisitScotland Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3<br />

16:00 pm - 17:00 pm Trinidad and Tobago Hall 3.1, Booth 220<br />

17:00 pm - 17:45 pm Istria and Kvarner: News and trends of the Croatia top destinations Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3<br />

13:00 pm - 17:00 pm Austria workshop - Feratel Media Technologies AG Messegelände, Großer Stern, VIP-Room 1<br />

13:00 pm - 14:00 pm Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus (German Central Office of Tourism) ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 7<br />

13:00 pm - 14:00 pm GfK (market research agency) ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 17/18<br />

13:00 pm - 13:45 pm Norwegian Cruise Line: Award winning and innovative continued success ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 7Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3<br />

14:00 pm - 15:00 pm Innovations at Accor ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 15/16<br />

14:30 pm - 16:30 pm The Euregio Maas-Rhein - a cross-border region, a wealth of tourist destinations ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 22<br />

15:00 pm - 17:00 pm Scandlines shipping line ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Salon 20<br />

15:00 pm - 17:00 pm Cyprus Tourist Board Funkturm Lounge<br />

15:00 pm - 19:00 pm MysteryCheck 2013 - The adventure of finding accommodation - IRS Consult ICC <strong>Berlin</strong>, Hall 4/5<br />

Readers can find the complete list of press conferences on the official <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013 web site<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


14 NEWS<br />

ADVERTORIAL<br />

50 th JFK<br />

Memorial<br />

Set to<br />

Boost<br />

Visits to<br />

Dallas<br />

“The 50 th :<br />

Honoring the<br />

Memory of<br />

President John<br />

F. Kennedy”<br />

will take place<br />

November 22,<br />

2013 at Dealey<br />

Plaza in Dallas.<br />

Fun, Hands-on Experiences<br />

Michigan announces new attractions for 2013<br />

With 2013 underway, visitors to Michigan can look forward to a wide range of new and<br />

improved lodging options, dining spots, and activities this year, including milestone anniversary<br />

celebrations. Michigan has several new museums and exhibits for visitors to explore this year…<br />

Here are just some:<br />

Visit the world’s premier<br />

automotive exhibit<br />

at Driving America in The<br />

Henry Ford in Dearborn.<br />

A ground breaking<br />

collective art exhibit<br />

honouring President<br />

Barack Obama is now on<br />

display at the Charles H.<br />

Wright Museum of African<br />

American History.<br />


<br />

The Detroit Historical<br />

Museum has reopened<br />

with three new permanent<br />

exhibits: the Gallery of<br />

Innovation, the Allesee<br />

Gallery of Culture and<br />

Detroit: the Arsenal of<br />

Democracy.<br />

The Eli and Edythe Broad<br />

Art Museum, a premier<br />

venue for international<br />

contemporary art, is now<br />

open on the campus of<br />

Michigan State University.<br />

Mount Pleasant Discovery<br />

Museum<br />

www.michigan.org<br />

Detroit<br />

“The 50 th : Honoring the<br />

Memory of President John F.<br />

Kennedy” will commemorate<br />

Kennedy’s life and legacy<br />

of leadership, taking place<br />

at 12:25 p.m. on November<br />

22, 2013 at Dealey Plaza in<br />

downtown Dallas, where the<br />

President was assassinated<br />

in 1963.<br />

“This is an event to honor the<br />

remarkable life and legacy of<br />

the leadership of President<br />

John F. Kennedy,” said<br />

Mayor Rawlings, Honorary<br />

Chairman of “The 50 th ”<br />

committee.<br />

“The 50 th : Honoring the<br />

Memory of President John F.<br />

Kennedy” will be free and<br />

open to the public.<br />

Finger Lickin’ Good…<br />

Discovering the Real<br />

Thing<br />

Kansas and Oklahoma are under the spotlight<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013… with a new promotion<br />

for exceptional eateries. With the modest<br />

appearance of many of these restaurants,<br />

travellers could well pass right by, never<br />

knowing the truly exceptional and mouthwatering<br />

food they are about to miss.<br />

Indeed, Americans share<br />

a love affair with comfort<br />

foods, and Kansas &<br />

Oklahoma have the history<br />

of doing it right - not so fast,<br />

but oh so good! Local momand<br />

pop joints continue to<br />

craft fried onion burgers,<br />

sassy sauces, extra crispy,<br />

finger lickin’ fried chicken,<br />

succulent fork-tender<br />

steak, slow-cooked BBQ<br />

meats, home-style fried<br />

pies, and cinnamon rolls<br />

the size of your head.<br />

You can’t go wrong by<br />

ordering house specialties<br />

at White River Fish Market<br />

in Tulsa, Cattleman’s<br />

Steakhouse in Oklahoma<br />

City, WheatFields Bakery<br />

Cafe in Lawrence, and<br />

Smokin Joes Rib Ranch<br />

in Davis. Try an onion<br />

burger at Robert’s Grill in<br />

El Reno, the cinnamon<br />

rolls at Neighbors Cafe’ in<br />

McPherson, a blue plate<br />

special at Old Sweet Shop<br />

in Wichita, or a succulent<br />

Hanks-Hamburger-Tulsa<br />

cowboy steak at Grand<br />

Central Grill in Cottonwood<br />

Falls.<br />

Kansas/Oklahoma Travel<br />

and Tourism’s websites<br />

house complete lists – in<br />

the “dining” section of<br />

www.TravelKS.com<br />

and www.TravelOK.<br />

com.<br />

JFK Memorial<br />

Quidditch Comes to<br />

Rockford<br />

Region to host first Quidditch<br />

tournament<br />

A new sport, straight out of J.K. Rowling’s<br />

Harry Potter series, is sweeping college<br />

campuses across the USA and has landed in<br />

the Rockford region.<br />

The Rockford region will<br />

host its first-ever Quidditch<br />

tournament April 26-27,<br />

2013 on the Rockford Park<br />

District soccer fields.<br />

The game was created<br />

by Middleburry College<br />

students in 2005 and<br />

quickly spread to other<br />

universities in New<br />

England and then across<br />

the United States. The sport<br />

now boasts more than<br />

1,000 teams and is played<br />

on six different continents.<br />

Some modifications<br />

have been made to<br />

accommodate the<br />

players’ lack of magical<br />

abilities. For example<br />

brooms remain grounded<br />

and the yellow snitch has<br />

traded its wings for legs.<br />

ww.gorockford.com<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


Hall 2.1<br />

NEWS<br />

15<br />

ADVERTORIAL<br />

California<br />

Tempts<br />

Travellers in<br />

2013 with New<br />

Events and<br />

Attractions<br />

Across the State<br />

Pebble Beach - California<br />

California is beckoning<br />

visitors in 2013 with exciting<br />

new offerings, fantastic<br />

festivals and sensational<br />

sporting events in dream<br />

vacation destinations as<br />

enticing as they are diverse.<br />

Atop rugged mountains, on<br />

sparkling beaches, against<br />

sun soaked deserts, amid<br />

charming vineyards and<br />

in bustling urban escapes,<br />

travellers to California will<br />

find new hotels, attractions,<br />

museums and performing<br />

arts centres opening in<br />

2013.<br />

This year, California will<br />

play host to a series of<br />

month long festivals sure<br />

to delight wandering<br />

foodies and oenophiles, as<br />

well as travellers looking<br />

to experience the state’s<br />

pioneering efforts in<br />

sustainability.<br />

New Tom<br />

Bradley<br />

Terminal<br />

at LAX<br />

The excitement continues<br />

in Los Angeles County with<br />

major new infrastructure,<br />

arts, culture and luxury<br />

accommodations debuting<br />

in 2013. The $1.7-billion New<br />

Tom Bradley International<br />

Terminal at Los Angeles<br />

International Airport (LAX)<br />

will open the West Gates<br />

and Great Hall –featuring<br />

dining, shopping and other<br />

passenger amenities – in<br />

spring.<br />

Just a short hop to the<br />

south, Orange County has<br />

dramatic new spaces and<br />

enticing new attractions<br />

on tap for visitors in 2013.<br />

In January, the Anaheim<br />

Convention Center’s new<br />

Grand Plaza opened with<br />

more than 100,000 square<br />

feet of year-round outdoor<br />

event space featuring lush<br />

landscaping, dramatic water<br />

features, ample seating and<br />

special event lighting and<br />

infrastructure.<br />

With all these new offerings<br />

on deck, the Golden State<br />

is the place to be in 2013.<br />

For more information<br />

about Visit California<br />

and for a free California<br />

Visitor’s Guide, go to:<br />

www.VisitCalifornia.<br />

com.<br />

This<br />

year,<br />

California<br />

will play host<br />

to a series of<br />

month long<br />

festivals sure<br />

to delight<br />

wandering<br />

foodies and<br />

oenophiles<br />

Viva Florida 500: Sunshine<br />

State Quincentennial in 2013<br />

© Visit Florida<br />

Way back in 1513, while Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon found<br />

neither gold nor the legendary Fountain of Youth, his discovery of the<br />

paradise he named La Florida (land of flowers) inspired European colonists<br />

to settle there.<br />

“Viva Florida 500” will<br />

celebrate that meeting of<br />

Old and New worlds by<br />

showcasing Florida’s native<br />

heritage and 500 years of<br />

influence by peoples from<br />

Spain, France, Great Britain,<br />

Africa and the Caribbean.<br />

The paradise that Ponce<br />

named La Florida, land<br />

of flowers, today is the<br />

world’s preeminent tourist<br />

destination. Experience Viva<br />

Florida 500 by exploring this<br />

cradle of history. Throughout<br />

2013, “Viva Florida 500”<br />

will host numerous<br />

commemorations<br />

honouring Ponce de Leon’s<br />

adventures and the state’s<br />

longstanding ties with<br />

Spain. These celebrations<br />

will add great interest and<br />

excitement to any visit to<br />

the sunshine state.<br />

History Lives<br />

St. Augustine, Florida is<br />

the United States’ oldest<br />

city, colonised in 1565 – at<br />

the behest of King Phillip<br />

II of Spain – by Don Pedro<br />

Menendez de Aviles, who<br />

became the state’s first<br />

governor. The Spanish<br />

influence on St. Augustine<br />

is unmistakeable, from<br />

the massive Castillo de<br />

San Marcos that protected<br />

the city from attack to<br />

the colourful Spanish<br />

architecture and narrow<br />

streets. Go back in time<br />

at the Colonial Spanish<br />

Quarter, teeming with<br />

living-history re-enactors<br />

and working vendors<br />

practicing Old World skills.<br />

Go to visitflorida.com/<br />

viva to browse the 2013 Viva<br />

Florida events scheduled<br />

for St. Augustine -- and for<br />

Florida’s many Spanishinfluenced<br />

destinations.<br />

Royal<br />

celebrations<br />

St. Augustine authorities<br />

have invited Spain’s King<br />

Juan Carlos and Queen<br />

Sofia to dedicate the bells of<br />

the St. Augustine Cathedral<br />

Basilica in the spring of<br />

2013, with a royal reception<br />

to follow. Gov. Rick Scott<br />

St. Augustine<br />

travelled to Spain to invite<br />

the Spanish royals to a Viva<br />

Florida 500 Anniversary<br />

Gala.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


16 NEWS<br />

ADVERTORIAL<br />

Chicago’s<br />

Mayor<br />

Announces<br />

Further<br />

Investment<br />

in “Choose<br />

Chicago”<br />

Chicago<br />

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, along<br />

with the Chicago Department<br />

of Aviation and Choose<br />

Chicago, have announced<br />

that Choose Chicago will<br />

receive an extra $5 million<br />

in annual funding to foster<br />

joint marketing efforts to<br />

promote Chicago and access<br />

to the City through O’Hare<br />

and Midway Airports. This<br />

partnership will enhance<br />

both the mission of<br />

increasing airport usage<br />

and promoting the City of<br />

Chicago as an international<br />

travel destination.<br />

“The partnership announced<br />

today between the Chicago<br />

Department of Aviation and<br />

Choose Chicago is part of<br />

a multi-faceted approach<br />

working toward our goal of<br />

50 million visitors in the City<br />

of Chicago annually,” said<br />

Mayor Emanuel. “These<br />

new efforts will boost both<br />

local economic development<br />

and job creation. Increasing<br />

tourism and business travel<br />

to Chicago is a central part of<br />

my economic strategy and it<br />

will further establish the city<br />

as an international hub for<br />

the United States.”<br />

© Julienne Schaer/ NYC & Company<br />

Urban Excitement<br />

NYC and Company Launches New Brooklyn Neighborhood<br />

Toolkit for Travel Professionals<br />

As more hotels<br />

and attractions<br />

debut in Brooklyn,<br />

this new resource<br />

provides invaluable<br />

information to<br />

better promote<br />

neighborhood visits.<br />

NYC & Company, New<br />

York City’s official<br />

marketing, tourism and<br />

partnership organization,<br />

today launched a new<br />

Brooklyn tool kit designed<br />

for the international and<br />

domestic travel trade to<br />

promote and sell the City’s<br />

Since<br />

2006, hotel<br />

development in<br />

New York City<br />

has expanded<br />

more than 30<br />

percent from<br />

71,000 rooms in<br />

2006 to 93,000<br />

rooms now.<br />

most populous borough.<br />

The new “Brooklyn,<br />

Downtown and Nearby<br />

Neighborhoods” tool<br />

kit—being launched this<br />

week during <strong>ITB</strong>, the<br />

world’s leading travel<br />

trade show—will provide<br />

relevant information<br />

and showcase the area’s<br />

hotels, attractions,<br />

cultural organizations and<br />

transportation offerings.<br />

The new resource is<br />

part of an overall effort<br />

by NYC & Company to<br />

encourage more visitation<br />

to the city’s diverse<br />

neighborhoods. Travel<br />

trade partners can access<br />

detailed information on<br />

this new tool kit, including<br />

a Brooklyn video, at<br />

nycgo.com/traveltrade.<br />

“As new hotels and<br />

attractions debut in<br />

Brooklyn, NYC & Company<br />

is encouraging more<br />

visits and stays in the<br />

neighborhoods of the city’s<br />

most populous borough.<br />

Today’s launch of the<br />

new Brooklyn tool kit will<br />

provide travel professionals<br />

with the resources they need<br />

to better sell and increase<br />

bookings to this diverse<br />

and inviting borough,”<br />

said NYC & Company<br />

CEO George Fertitta.<br />

The new Brooklyn tool<br />

kit will include a new<br />

product fact sheet for the<br />

neighborhood; a consumer<br />

focused video conveying<br />

the feeling of the area;<br />

neighborhood imagery;<br />

a neighborhood map<br />

highlighting enclaves such<br />

as Downtown Brooklyn,<br />

Williamsburg, DU<strong>MB</strong>O,<br />

Brooklyn Heights, BoCoCa<br />

(Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill<br />

and Carroll Gardens), Fort<br />

Greene, Prospect Heights<br />

and Park Slope; and online<br />

content available to the<br />

tour operator community<br />

at nycgo.com/traveltrade.<br />

A variety of hotels including<br />

conference, express and<br />

boutique properties will be<br />

spotlighted as part of the<br />

new tool kit including the<br />

Aloft New York Brooklyn<br />

(176 rooms), Fairfield Inn &<br />

Suites New York Brooklyn<br />

(133 rooms), Holiday<br />

Inn Express Downtown<br />

Dumbo - Brooklyn Bridge Park<br />

Park Slope - Gorilla Coffee<br />

Brooklyn (104 rooms),<br />

Hotel Indigo Brooklyn<br />

(128 rooms), Sheraton<br />

Brooklyn New York<br />

(321 rooms), New York<br />

Marriott at the Brooklyn<br />

Bridge (665 rooms), NU<br />

Hotel (93 rooms), Holiday<br />

Inn Express Brooklyn<br />

(115 rooms), the Best<br />

Western Plus Arena (56<br />

rooms), Hotel Le Bleu<br />

(48 rooms), Condor<br />

Hotel (35 rooms) and<br />

Hotel Le Jolie (54 rooms).<br />

Since 2006, hotel<br />

development in New York<br />

City has expanded more<br />

than 30 percent from<br />

71,000 rooms in 2006<br />

to 93,000 rooms now.<br />

During this time period,<br />

approximately 72 hotels<br />

representing close to 6,200<br />

rooms have opened in the<br />

City’s boroughs beyond<br />

Manhattan, providing<br />

visitors with more<br />

experiential options than<br />

ever before. Since 2011,<br />

Brooklyn has seen the<br />

opening of 8 new hotels,<br />

with 6 more in the pipeline<br />

through 2016.<br />

© Joe Buglewicz / NYC & Company<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


Hall 2.1<br />

NEWS<br />

17<br />

Madison<br />

Celebrates<br />

50 Years as<br />

“The Place<br />

to Meet” in<br />

Washington<br />

Blossoms & Presidents<br />

Washington DC has “spring in its step” following the<br />

Presidential inauguration in January<br />

The Nation’s Capital,<br />

Washington DC, is taking<br />

on growing importance as a<br />

tourist destination. <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

News spotlights the latest<br />

highlights.<br />

The upcoming National Cherry<br />

Blossom Festival in Washington DC<br />

(April 2013) is the USA’s greatest<br />

springtime celebration. The 2013<br />

Festival, March 20 – April 14,<br />

includes three spectacular weeks<br />

and four weekends of events<br />

featuring diverse and creative<br />

San Francisco<br />

San Francisco has always been a<br />

sweetheart for European visitors,<br />

as they feel the local ties in this<br />

extremely cosmopolitan, vibrant<br />

and colourful city. And San<br />

Francisco International Airport<br />

(SFO) offers non-stop flights to<br />

more than 31 international points<br />

on 30 international carriers. This<br />

year, there are even more reasons<br />

to visit. Here are just a few…<br />

SFJAZZ Center Opened<br />

January 21, 2013<br />

The $60 million, SFJAZZ Center,<br />

at 205 Franklin St, which opened<br />

on January 17, 2013, is the first<br />

center anywhere in the country<br />

for jazz designed and built from<br />

the ground up. The 35,000-squarefoot,<br />

transparent structure designed<br />

by Mark Cavagnero of Mark<br />

Cavagnero Associates, features a<br />

flexible, 700-seat performance hall,<br />

programming. Last year’s festival<br />

won its organisers the prize for<br />

the best event website (www.<br />

nationalcherryblossomfestival.<br />

org) among a swathe of Pinnacle<br />

awards. “Striving for the highest<br />

degree of excellence in festival and<br />

event promotions and operations in<br />

every budget level and every corner<br />

of the globe, this competition has<br />

not only raised the standards and<br />

quality of the festivals and events<br />

industry to new levels, but also<br />

shows how event producers can use<br />

innovation and creativity to achieve<br />

dedicated space for education and<br />

professional development; three<br />

rehearsal spaces; a digital music lab,<br />

and a sidewalk-level restaurant/<br />

café. For information visit www.<br />

sfjazz.org or call 415-398-5655.<br />

The Bay Lights,<br />

World’s Largest LED<br />

Sculpture, Celebrates<br />

75 th Anniversary of Bay<br />

Bridge<br />

Inspired by the 75 th anniversary<br />

of the Bay Bridge in 2011, The<br />

Bay Lights is a fine art piece<br />

designed to be installed on the<br />

western span and viewable from<br />

San Francisco and points north,<br />

but not by drivers crossing the<br />

bridge. Measuring 1.8-miles-long<br />

and 500-feet-high, the high-tech<br />

light sculpture design features<br />

25,000 individually programmable,<br />

energy-efficient LED lights mounted<br />

Whitehouse Spring<br />

a higher level of success,” said IFEA<br />

President & CEO, Steven Wood<br />

Schmader, CFEE.<br />

The US capital is putting its best<br />

foot forward with an impressive<br />

number of hotel rebuilds,<br />

including the Hay Adams, which<br />

has enclosed its rooftop terrace<br />

overlooking the Whitehouse, and<br />

a 22-million dollar rebuild for the<br />

Madison, which looked so good<br />

after the work was done that the<br />

Loews group snapped it up as its<br />

new flagship in the DC area.<br />

As If You Didn’t Already Have Enough Good Reasons to Visit…<br />

on the bridge’s vertical cables. The<br />

Bay Lights will remain on the bridge<br />

for two years.<br />

The New Exploratorium<br />

Opens April 17, 2013<br />

On April 17, 2013, the new<br />

Exploratorium, San Francisco’s<br />

internationally acclaimed museum<br />

of sciences, art and human<br />

perception, will open on Piers 15<br />

and 17, located on San Francisco’s<br />

historic northern waterfront at<br />

Embarcadero and Green streets.<br />

The new museum will feature 150<br />

new exhibits, a Bay observatory,<br />

outdoor gallery and free civic<br />

space. For information visit<br />

www.exploratorium.edu or<br />

www.press.exploratorium.edu.<br />

More info on San Francisco:<br />

www.sanfrancisco.travel<br />

Washington’s Madison Hotel<br />

has been celebrating its 50 th<br />

anniversary over the past<br />

month.<br />

In February 1963, President<br />

John F. Kennedy was on<br />

hand for the opening of<br />

the establishment. Since<br />

then, the hotel has played<br />

pivotal roles in international<br />

politics, acting as a temporary<br />

Kremlin in 1987 while<br />

Soviet leaders met with<br />

the Reagan Administration<br />

as well as a temporary<br />

Oval Office for George W.<br />

Bush, just before he took<br />

office in 2000. Beginning in<br />

2011, a revitalization plan<br />

was inspired by a desire<br />

to modernize and update<br />

the look and feel, without<br />

sacrificing Washington, D.C.<br />

as a “sense of place.”<br />

The adjacent “The Federalist”<br />

restaurant stars executive<br />

chef Tim Recher, who is<br />

putting his own mark on<br />

modern interpretations of<br />

classic American dining. From<br />

humble beginnings, Recher<br />

went on to work with some<br />

of the country’s best chefs<br />

preparing the inaugural<br />

dinner for President Barack<br />

Obama, and was recently<br />

named Chef of the Year by<br />

the Nation’s Capital Chefs<br />

Association, in recognition of<br />

embracing new approaches<br />

to incorporating artisanal<br />

and regional ingredients into<br />

his menus, and is a winner<br />

of the Presidential Medal<br />

from the American Culinary<br />

Federation.<br />

Madison Exterior<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> CONVENTION<br />

19<br />

Media Titans,<br />

Innovators and European<br />

Travel Leaders Headline<br />

at PhoCusWright@<strong>ITB</strong><br />

Travel industry research<br />

authority PhoCusWright<br />

is holding a pioneering<br />

programme for its<br />

premier European<br />

event, PhoCusWright@<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>, taking place<br />

Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

in conjunction with <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>. Now in its eighth<br />

year, PhoCusWright@<strong>ITB</strong> is<br />

designed to help executives<br />

capitalize on the advances,<br />

strategies and innovations<br />

that are shaping the<br />

global travel, tourism and<br />

hospitality marketplace.<br />

This year’s program brings<br />

together travel startups,<br />

media powerhouses,<br />

social pioneers and several<br />

of Europe’s key travel<br />

companies to debate and<br />

define the future of travel.<br />

Confirmed speakers<br />

include executives from<br />

Accor, Google, Facebook,<br />

Airbnb, Odigeo, Hotels.com<br />

and more. PhoCusWright<br />

analysts will share<br />

insights on key European<br />

travel trends and deliver<br />

groundbreaking research<br />

on the emerging Middle<br />

East travel market and the<br />

travel payments landscape.<br />

Lively roundtable sessions<br />

will assess the state<br />

of travel startups and<br />

examine how travel’s<br />

new intermediaries are<br />

disrupting the marketplace.<br />

PhoCusWright@<strong>ITB</strong><br />

is followed by The<br />

PhoCusWright New<br />

Media Summit (7 th March<br />

2013), which draws new<br />

media professionals<br />

to <strong>Berlin</strong> each year to<br />

engage with other social<br />

media enthusiasts, share<br />

strategies and weigh in on<br />

what’s next for mobile and<br />

social.<br />

High Demand at<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> from the<br />

Middle East, Asia<br />

and South America<br />

Worldwide demand for<br />

floor space at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

is high, especially from<br />

Arab and Asian countries<br />

and South America. The<br />

Travel Technology Hall<br />

(Hall 6.1) features leading<br />

companies, eTravelWorld<br />

experts will be giving<br />

lectures and workshops<br />

debating the latest social<br />

media and mobile travel<br />

services topics, and the Gay<br />

& Lesbian Travel section in<br />

Hall 2.1 is also set to expand.<br />

Newcomers and regular<br />

exhibitors in the Mobile<br />

Travel and Social Media<br />

sections are presenting<br />

their innovations and new<br />

products in Hall 7.1c.<br />

At this year’s eTravelWorld<br />

experts are again debating<br />

industry topics including<br />

The Opportunities and<br />

Risks of the Social Web<br />

for the Travel Industry<br />

and More Efficient Travel<br />

Using eTravel, Navigation<br />

and Mobile Travel Guides.<br />

Focus on the<br />

Silk Road and<br />

the Danube<br />

region<br />

Together with UNWTO<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> will be paying<br />

special attention to the<br />

development of tourism<br />

along the Silk Road.<br />

Following its successful<br />

launch last year a second<br />

edition of the Silk Road<br />

Ministers’ Meeting takes<br />

place on 6 March 2013.<br />

Seven of the ten countries<br />

bordering the Danube<br />

are joining forces at <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> 2013 with the<br />

common goal of drawing<br />

visitors’ attention to this<br />

region. Austria, Bulgaria,<br />

Germany, Hungary,<br />

Moldova, Romania and<br />

Serbia are providing<br />

information on the various<br />

aspects and diversity of<br />

the region.<br />

New Travel Markets<br />

Spotlighted in<br />

Destination Days<br />

At the <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> Convention,<br />

this year’s Destination<br />

Days, sponsored by the<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> Advisory, provide<br />

wide-ranging information<br />

and highlighting best<br />

practices. The focus is<br />

on fast-growing travel<br />

markets such as health<br />

and barrier-free tourism,<br />

sustainable tourism, gay<br />

and lesbian tourism, as well<br />

as on emerging markets<br />

in Asia, South America,<br />

Spain, Turkey, Egypt and<br />

the Danube region. The<br />

Africa Forum is discussing<br />

Kaza, a joint development<br />

venture involving five<br />

African countries, for<br />

South America, the theme<br />

is Safety in Tourism, and<br />

a Health Tourism Panel<br />

features experts who will<br />

define target audiences, and<br />

analyse the market situation<br />

as well as this segment’s<br />

future prospects.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


20 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />

The Many Faces of In<br />

Beyond Bali, the archipelago’s countless treasures are highlighted<br />

As many people from Europe think of Indonesia<br />

primarily for places like Bali and Jakarta, the<br />

Indonesian government plans to increase<br />

awareness of 16 destinations including Sumatra,<br />

Java, Lombok, Flores, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and<br />

Papua… We asked Hon. Dr Mari Elka Pangestu,<br />

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy to tell<br />

us more.<br />

Hon. Dr Mari Elka Pangestu<br />

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy,<br />

Republic of Indonesia<br />

Prior to her current position as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Pangestu<br />

was the Minister of Trade for Indonesia for seven years (2004-2011). As Minister of<br />

Trade she played an active role in the WTO representing her country as well as groups<br />

of developing countries such as the G33; initiated and led various Ministers of Trade<br />

meetings; provided leadership in regional cooperation, including during the year Indonesia<br />

being the Chair of ASEAN in 2011, and at APEC; and prepared and led all international<br />

trade negotiations for Indonesia. In her current portfolio, she has also been active in<br />

regional and international fora such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum, T20 (Tourism Ministers<br />

of G20 Countries), and various bilateral talks and cooperation focusing on tourism and<br />

travel facilitation. Dr Pangestu obtained her Bachelor and Master of Economics from the<br />

Australian National University and her Ph.D in Economics from the University of California<br />

Davis.<br />

We have faced, and will<br />

continue to face, the<br />

challenge of Indonesia<br />

to be known beyond Bali.<br />

Don’t get me wrong, Bali<br />

is a beautiful spot and<br />

absolutely worth visiting.<br />

We have developed 88<br />

strategic tourist areas<br />

under the National Tourism<br />

Development Plan.<br />

For the next three years, we<br />

will focus on 16 of these,<br />

including improvements in<br />

Bali, and will develop and<br />

promote existing sites with<br />

surrounding areas such as<br />

Borobudur, Jakarta, Lake<br />

Toba, Flores, Komodo and<br />

Toraja, as well as new<br />

specialized areas such as<br />

Wakatobi, Tanjung Puting,<br />

Derawan and Raja Ampat.<br />

In 2011, Indonesia<br />

experienced strong growth<br />

in tourist numbers from<br />

Europe’s key nations like<br />

the UK, Germany, France,<br />

etc. What has been the<br />

trend in 2012?<br />

Numbers are still on the<br />

rise. In the January-October<br />

2012 period, tourist arrivals<br />

in Indonesia were up when<br />

compared to the same period<br />

in 2011, despite the Euro zone<br />

crisis. For example, arrivals<br />

from the UK increased by 4<br />

percent, Germany increased<br />

by 9 percent and France<br />

increased by 5 percent.<br />

Only inbound arrivals from<br />

Holland declined, by 6.8<br />

percent.<br />

In addition to raising<br />

awareness, are you<br />

planning to build<br />

infrastructure to help<br />

bolster tourism in these<br />

regions… and in Indonesia<br />

in general?<br />

Firstly, we aim to extend<br />

international direct flights<br />

to Indonesia, with the new<br />

airport in Bali scheduled<br />

to be completed by the<br />

middle of this year and the<br />

airport in Lombok already<br />

finished. Secondly, we also<br />

compiled a cruise ship and<br />

port development plan:<br />

Benoa harbour as well as<br />

nine other ports across the<br />

country will be ready to<br />

receive large ships in 2013-<br />

2014. We hope to increase<br />

the current cruise arrivals<br />

from 118,000 to 500,000 by<br />

2016. Thirdly, we experience<br />

a strong investment growth<br />

in hotels and restaurants.<br />

From January to September<br />

2012, foreign investments<br />

tripled compared to the<br />

whole of 2011, domestic<br />

investments doubled in the<br />

same period. This last point<br />

is very important to us, as<br />

we see the MICE sector as<br />

a strong part of the national<br />

tourism strategy to enhance<br />

quality tourism.<br />

What is your main focus<br />

with your campaign<br />

“Wonderful Indonesia” and<br />

the colorful logo that goes<br />

with it?<br />

Aside from promoting our<br />

country, we want to focus<br />

on the people that live there,<br />

as they are an essential<br />

part of the experience of<br />

Indonesia. It is about the<br />

balance between Indonesia’s<br />

huge natural and cultural<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />

21<br />

donesia<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

We have<br />

developed<br />

88 strategic<br />

tourist areas<br />

under the<br />

National<br />

Tourism<br />

Development<br />

Plan.<br />

diversity. It conveys the<br />

idea that human creativity,<br />

as expressed in Indonesia’s<br />

cultural diversity, is<br />

inspired by nature and<br />

rests on sustainable<br />

natural resources. We want<br />

to inspire the creation of<br />

a better world through<br />

human understanding of<br />

graceful ways to coexist<br />

with nature and each other.<br />

There are certainly too<br />

many aspects of Indonesia<br />

to be done justice in one<br />

interview… Would it be<br />

fair to say that “Where the<br />

heart matters” is the other<br />

key message above and<br />

beyond the diversity, and<br />

if so, why?<br />

It certainly is. Caring is<br />

the Indonesian’s way of<br />

engaging and managing,<br />

which allows them to be<br />

open and resilient. What<br />

travelers can surely expect<br />

is a wide smile from the<br />

locals. Indonesians of all<br />

stripes share an innate<br />

hospitality and fascination<br />

with visitors. Interaction<br />

with the locals always has<br />

been and always will be a<br />

highlight of travels to the<br />

world’s largest archipelago.<br />

What are the goals of your<br />

partnership with <strong>ITB</strong> and<br />

what is the key message<br />

you wish to drive home<br />

to the trade visitors and<br />

media representatives?<br />

No matter what you wish<br />

for on your holidays, no<br />

matter what you search for<br />

during your travels – you<br />

will find it in Indonesia,<br />

our country has so many<br />

different cultures and<br />

nature, from laid-back<br />

Lombok to the rice fields<br />

of Java up to the highlands<br />

of Papua. And you will be<br />

surprised because you will<br />

discover even more than<br />

that… you will find a lot<br />

more. [Interview by Richard Barnes]<br />

Hall 26 A<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />

23<br />

Tourism Back on Rise in Egypt<br />

Incredible history and culture lure international visitors<br />

Hon. Hisham Zaazou<br />

Minister of Tourism - Egypt<br />

Hon. Hisham Zaazou, formerly the Senior Assistant to Egypt’s<br />

Minister of Tourism, was named the new Minister of Tourism<br />

for this renowned global destination in August 2012.<br />

Zaazou came to this position after more than 30 years in<br />

the public and private sectors. Beginning in 1980 in North<br />

America with R&H Tourism Co., he expanded operations<br />

to Egypt. He then moved on to Sakkara Travel as General<br />

Manager. His interest in the role of the public sector in<br />

tourism started when he was elected as the Director<br />

General of the Egyptian Tourism Federation followed by his<br />

appointment as Assistant to the Minister of Tourism in 2008.<br />

Egypt, the 2012 Partner<br />

Country for <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>,<br />

saw a 17% increase in<br />

tourists in 2012. Hon.<br />

Hisham Zaavou, Egypt’s<br />

Minister for Tourism,<br />

explains more about<br />

the national goals...<br />

Tourism is one of Egypt’s<br />

top priorities and a vital<br />

source of foreign currency,<br />

which also creates an<br />

outstanding opportunity for<br />

job creation. This has been<br />

reflected in the fact that the<br />

tourism industry employs<br />

12.6% of the total Egyptian<br />

workforce. Approximately<br />

14.7 million tourists visited<br />

Egypt before the 25th<br />

January Revolution. We,<br />

as the Tourism ministry,<br />

are working extremely<br />

hard in order to achieve<br />

our goal of bringing 30<br />

million tourists to Egypt by<br />

the year 2020. Egypt has<br />

started its transformation<br />

into becoming a stable<br />

and democratic country,<br />

and we hope that this will<br />

play an important role in<br />

attracting tourists to our<br />

great nation. Amidst the<br />

multiple changes Egypt is<br />

weathering, the impressive<br />

variety of history and<br />

culture, plus the splendor of<br />

the myriad experiences that<br />

can only be had here, are<br />

not only preserved, but also<br />

safeguarded by the People<br />

of Egypt.<br />

After a drop from 14.5<br />

million tourists in 2010 to<br />

a little under 10 million<br />

in 2011, 2012 has seen<br />

a healthy increase in<br />

visitors. How did the year<br />

finish?<br />

Egypt will always be a major<br />

worldwide destination and<br />

the number of tourists that<br />

visited Egypt in 2012 is<br />

11.5 million, an increase<br />

of 17% in comparison<br />

to 2011. During 2012,<br />

tourists spent 138 million<br />

nights in Egypt, which is<br />

a 20.67% improvement<br />

in comparison to 2011.<br />

Furthermore, the amount of<br />

income generated through<br />

tourism increased by 13% in<br />

2012 in comparison to 2011.<br />

The ministry is doing all it<br />

can to get back on the right<br />

path and achieve figures<br />

similar to the ones in 2010<br />

- and eventually even better<br />

ones.<br />

Corresponding with <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> we are seeing the<br />

reopening of the Kebbash<br />

road, connecting the Luxor<br />

and Karnak Temples.<br />

What new products are<br />

being launched?<br />

Egypt is a remarkable<br />

tourist destination offering<br />

an utterly unique and very<br />

special experience for<br />

tourists of all nationalities<br />

and cultures. The Tourism<br />

industry in Egypt – resilient as<br />

ever – continues to develop,<br />

plan and move ahead with<br />

various new and unique<br />

promotional programs and<br />

products. For instance, we<br />

have recently resumed the<br />

glorious super-long Nile<br />

cruises from Cairo to Aswan<br />

after a period of more than<br />

15 years when they did not<br />

run. The Kebbash Road,<br />

connecting Luxor Temple<br />

with Karnak Temple,<br />

will also be reopened to<br />

visitors in March 2013, after<br />

we are working<br />

extremely hard in<br />

order to achieve our<br />

goal of bringing<br />

30 million tourists to<br />

Egypt by the year 2020.<br />

restoration work has been<br />

completed. Furthermore,<br />

new measures are being<br />

taken to renovate the area<br />

around the pyramids. All<br />

tourist sites in Egypt are fully<br />

open to visitors as usual. All<br />

the new improvements and<br />

development processes<br />

that are taking place in<br />

countless places across<br />

Egypt could not have<br />

been achieved without<br />

the support of the current<br />

government and its<br />

acknowledgment of the<br />

tourism industry as one<br />

of pivotal importance.<br />

The Ministry of Tourism<br />

– once again – expresses<br />

its commitment to further<br />

develop and sustain this<br />

vital industry.<br />

How do you plan to<br />

encourage investment in<br />

the sector?<br />

I think the positive messages<br />

sent by the President and<br />

the Prime Minister to the<br />

whole world confirming<br />

their support of the tourism<br />

sector are important.<br />

Also, emphasizing that<br />

Egypt always welcomes<br />

its guests, promising them<br />

unforgettable experiences<br />

while encouraging foreign<br />

investments in all fields, is<br />

key to growing confidence<br />

for potential investors.<br />

[Interview by Richard Barnes]<br />

Hall 23 A<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />

25<br />

Driving a Multi-Brand Proposition<br />

Hilton Worldwide has multiple goals at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Hilton has six iconic hotel brands and over 240 properties across the European region, strong assets to attract and retain<br />

customers. But of late, there is a lot of change in the Eurozone and ensuring responding to the needs of customers continues<br />

to be a biggest focus for the group. Philip Garnier is Hilton Worldwide’s new European head of sales. We asked him the<br />

company’s main objectives are this year at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> for tour operators and travel agents…<br />

Philippe Garnier<br />

Head of sales, Hilton Worldwide,<br />

Europe<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> provides us with an<br />

opportunity to meet many of<br />

our customers under one roof,<br />

over one week, and not only<br />

does the event give us the<br />

chance to thank them for the<br />

support they have shown our<br />

hotels, but it is also a fantastic<br />

forum in which to discuss the<br />

changing needs of the industry<br />

and how we can best ensure<br />

we’re responding to new<br />

opportunities.<br />

What are you offering<br />

potential owners and<br />

franchisees?<br />

With our rapidly expanding<br />

portfolio, <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> is a good<br />

platform to demonstrate to<br />

our partners the added value<br />

that Hilton Worldwide brings<br />

in supporting our hotels’<br />

commercial success.<br />

We are seeing some Hilton<br />

brands that have traditionally<br />

been better known in the US<br />

arriving in Europe… Why is<br />

this so?<br />

We are focused on driving<br />

our multi-brand proposition<br />

and catering to a wide range<br />

of guests with our brands, of<br />

which our upscale DoubleTree<br />

by Hilton brand and mid-<br />

include the UK, Russia, Turkey,<br />

Germany and Poland.<br />

What are Hilton’s biggest<br />

strengths in the market?<br />

With more than 4,100 meeting<br />

rooms and over 5.8 million<br />

square feet of hotel meeting<br />

space, Hilton Worldwide is<br />

recognised as a leader in<br />

the delivery of Meetings,<br />

Incentives, Conferences<br />

and Exhibitions. Our brand<br />

strength, integrity of product<br />

and experience is what<br />

attracts our customers. We<br />

also offer the most versatile<br />

spaces in a wide range of<br />

convenient locations to suit<br />

the needs of our clients, with<br />

240 venues in 30 countries<br />

across Europe, and venues<br />

that are close to city centres<br />

and international airports. For<br />

example in terms of space<br />

there are not many hotels that<br />

can offer sizes of 500+ square<br />

feet whereas we have venues<br />

that can accommodate such<br />

requests. Our hotels are also<br />

run by experienced hoteliers<br />

who understand the needs of<br />

clients, and who can effectively<br />

provide support throughout a<br />

meeting, whether it’s a small<br />

gathering or a large function.<br />

Global Hotel<br />

Leaders<br />

Celebrate<br />

One Billion<br />

International<br />

Travellers<br />

and Call for<br />

“Smart Visas”<br />

to Facilitate<br />

Travel for<br />

Next Billion<br />

Two hospitality giants<br />

- Hilton Worldwide and<br />

Marriott International<br />

– recently addressed<br />

global business and<br />

travel industry leaders<br />

at the World Economic<br />

Forum in Davos to urge<br />

governments to move<br />

quickly to adopt “Smart<br />

Visa” policies which<br />

stimulate global travel,<br />

create new jobs and spur<br />

economic development.<br />

The two companies are<br />

working together with the<br />

World Economic Forum<br />

Governors for the aviation,<br />

travel and tourism industry<br />

to promote global action<br />

toward “Smart Visa”<br />

policies regionally by 2015<br />

and globally by 2020.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> (…) is<br />

fast becoming one<br />

of the key meeting<br />

places for the MICE<br />

industry.<br />

sector Hilton Garden Inn and<br />

Hampton by Hilton hotels<br />

have seen significant growth<br />

across the region. This multibrand<br />

approach has helped<br />

us develop the strongest<br />

European pipeline in the<br />

industry, with more than<br />

125 hotels due to open in<br />

20 European countries. Key<br />

growth markets in Europe<br />

How important is <strong>ITB</strong> as part<br />

of your global marketing?<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> is extremely<br />

important to our marketing<br />

plans. The show is fast<br />

becoming one of the key<br />

meeting places for the MICE<br />

industry. It offers a unique<br />

opportunity to network<br />

with opinion-leaders, event<br />

organisers and travel decision<br />

makers as well as providing<br />

an important forum in which<br />

to discuss emerging trends in<br />

the industry.<br />

Hall 15.2<br />

DoubleTree<br />

by Hilton<br />

Welcomes its<br />

First Guests in<br />

Ireland<br />

Ireland’s first DoubleTree<br />

by Hilton hotel opened its<br />

doors last month, bringing<br />

one of Europe’s fastest<br />

growing upscale hotel<br />

brands to the Emerald<br />

Isle. A thoughtful and<br />

contemporary renovation<br />

of the Morrison hotel, in<br />

partnership with operators<br />

Martinez Hotels & Resorts,<br />

has seen the property’s<br />

138 rooms and suites<br />

completely re-designed<br />

with a brand new concept<br />

centred on music and<br />

sound.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


ASIA<br />

REGION<br />

27<br />

© India Tourism<br />

Regional Spotlight: Asia<br />

Asian Inbound Travel Shows Robust Growth<br />

Visitor arrivals at<br />

destinations in Asia<br />

increased by about 9% in<br />

2012. Following are the<br />

latest statistics, based on<br />

calculations by TBA and<br />

sourcing DMOs, Pacific<br />

Asia Travel Association<br />

and the World Tourism<br />

Organization.<br />

Overall growth of inbound<br />

travel for Asia was strong –<br />

an average of 9%. Only two<br />

destinations- Hong Kong<br />

and Macau - counted a fall,<br />

but many others showed<br />

unusually fast growth,<br />

although this is partly due<br />

to a slow 2011.<br />

Mainland China saw an<br />

increase of only 2%, but<br />

because this is the region’s<br />

largest destination, that<br />

represents an additional<br />

500,000 visitors. Thailand,<br />

with a14% share, saw<br />

a rapid increase thanks<br />

to increased traffic from<br />

Russia, which is now the<br />

country’s biggest market in<br />

Europe, overtaking longstanding<br />

markets such<br />

as Germany and the UK.<br />

Singapore features new<br />

attractions including new<br />

theatres at the Marina Bay<br />

Sands, the Marine Life<br />

Park, a cruise terminal and<br />

the Gardens By The Bay<br />

(Singapore’s 2nd botanical<br />

garden).<br />

Malaysia’s 7% share<br />

represents growth of 1%.<br />

Malaysia is hoping for a<br />

boost in 2014 as the DMO<br />

has designated it ‘Visit<br />

Malaysia Year’. Korea’s 7%<br />

share, which translates to<br />

a strong 14% increase in<br />

2012, is primarily because<br />

of good growth in the<br />

Japan outbound market.<br />

The seemingly impressive<br />

35% growth for Japan is<br />

primarily a recovery from<br />

the fall in 2011. That 35%<br />

growth took the total to<br />

just below the 2010 peak.<br />

Visitor arrivals in Asia destinations, 2012<br />

Destination Arrivals* Growth,% Share,%<br />

Bhutan 43,941 17.2 0.03<br />

Brunei 250,000 11.0 0.2<br />

Cambodia 3,584,195 24.4 2.3<br />

China 27,221,554 1.8 17.5<br />

Hong Kong 12,850,404 -1.0 8.3<br />

India 6,627,241 5.4 4.3<br />

Indonesia 8,002,035 4.6 5.1<br />

Japan 8,368,819 34.6 5.4<br />

Korea 11,135,438 13.7 7.2<br />

Laos 3,360,000 23.4 2.2<br />

Macau 4,098,640 -3.7 2.6<br />

For Indonesia although<br />

much effort goes into<br />

facilitating and promoting<br />

travel into different parts<br />

of the archipelago, most<br />

of the visitor traffic still<br />

goes into the famed everexpanding<br />

exotic island of<br />

Bali. There is now also an<br />

attempt to spread the Bali<br />

visitor business around the<br />

whole island, rather than<br />

just around Denpasar.<br />

Destination Arrivals* Growth,% Share,%<br />

Malaysia 11,254,903 1.2 7.2<br />

Maldives 957,989 2.9 0.6<br />

Myanmar 1,058,995 29.7 0.7<br />

Nepal 598,200 9.8 0.4<br />

Philippines 4,272,724 9.1 2.7<br />

Singapore 14,677,120 11.4 9.4<br />

Sri Lanka 1,005,639 17.5 0.6<br />

Taiwan 7,311,309 20.1 4.7<br />

Thailand 22,147,037 15.2 14.2<br />

Vietnam 6,583,577 9.9 4.2<br />

Asia 155,409,758 9.1 100<br />

Notes:<br />

See below for special definitions of destinations where<br />

relevant. No data for Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Pakistan.<br />

*Calculations by TBA from latest-available data. ┼<br />

Source: DMOs, Pacific Asia Travel Association, Travel<br />

Business Analyst, World Tourism Organization.<br />

Definitions:<br />

• Brunei. Air arrivals.<br />

• China. Foreigners only, no matter where resident.<br />

Excludes ethnic Chinese arrivals from Hong Kong and<br />

Macau. Categorisation according to travel document.<br />

• Hong Kong. Excludes arrivals from China and Macau.<br />

• Macau. Excludes arrivals from China and Hong Kong.<br />

• Malaysia. Excludes land arrivals from Singapore, assumed<br />

to be 55% of grand total.<br />

• Myanmar. Includes land arrivals.<br />

• Singapore. Excludes land arrivals from Malaysia.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


ASIA<br />

REGION<br />

29<br />

Beautiful China Initiative<br />

to be Launched Wednesday<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

China continues to experience strong growth in tourism, thanks to increased impetus with the<br />

Silk Road project and new promotional initiatives – such as a new branding campaign being<br />

launched on Wednesday.<br />

Li Yaying<br />

Director of FVA China<br />

According to the<br />

director of FVA<br />

China (Chinese<br />

tourism board<br />

in Germany) Li<br />

Yaying, southern<br />

provinces are<br />

growing fastest:<br />

“In Yunnan and<br />

Sichuan, the<br />

figures of tourists<br />

increased by over<br />

10% last year.<br />

Also the Silk Road<br />

becomes more<br />

and more popular<br />

due to a better<br />

infrastructure built in the<br />

last couple of years in<br />

the provinces of Xinjiang,<br />

Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia<br />

and Shaanxi. Provinces like<br />

Fujian, Anhui and Zhejiang<br />

benefit from new direct<br />

flights from Europe and<br />

also increased their tourism<br />

figures over average.”<br />

“We are very happy to<br />

introduce our new logo<br />

‘Beautiful China’,” added<br />

Mr Li. “We are planning a<br />

ceremony on Wednesday<br />

with over 200 invited guests<br />

to reveal it.”<br />

New air connections are<br />

opening in coming months.<br />

In May, Air China will fly<br />

directly from Frankfurt to<br />

Chengdu, and Finnair is<br />

establishing a new route to<br />

Xi’an.<br />

Hall 26C<br />

Stand 311<br />

Japan Fights Back and<br />

Targets New Record<br />

Japan’s tourism authority, the JNTO, is forecasting major growth in tourism again this year,<br />

targeting a new record of 10 million visitors.<br />

Hideaki<br />

Nakazawa<br />

JNTO director<br />

Since 2003, when<br />

the “Visit Japan”<br />

campaign was<br />

launched, visitor<br />

numbers have<br />

grown from 5.2<br />

million to a record<br />

8.61 million in<br />

2010. Discounting<br />

the tragic events<br />

of 2011 that<br />

wreaked havoc<br />

with tourism that<br />

year, visits in<br />

2012 were back<br />

up to 8.27 million;<br />

almost back to<br />

the record of 2010.<br />

Speaking with<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News,<br />

JNTO director Hideaki<br />

Nakazawa says new local<br />

destinations are increasing<br />

in popularity: “As the total<br />

number of foreign visitors<br />

grow, many of them visit the<br />

‘off-the beaten track’ areas<br />

as well as the ‘Golden Route’<br />

(Nikko, Tokyo – Hiroshima).<br />

This tendency is very good<br />

for better activating the local<br />

economy.”<br />

Nakazawa-san says new<br />

air routes from Europe<br />

and other centres will play<br />

a big part in stimulating<br />

the new growth: “KLM is<br />

going to inaugurate from<br />

April a new flight between<br />

Amsterdam and Fukuoka,<br />

Kyushu Island, Japan. This<br />

will be the first air route<br />

to connect Europe directly<br />

with Fukuoka. Not only<br />

JNTO Frankfurt office but<br />

also JNTO’s London and<br />

Paris offices are going to<br />

make much of this occasion<br />

to promote Japan by holding<br />

a big campaign in 2013 in<br />

Germany, UK, Netherland<br />

and France.”<br />

Fukuoka Prefecture<br />

and Kyushu Island are<br />

participating for the first<br />

time in <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>, on the<br />

Japan Stand, to further<br />

promote the Kyushu Island<br />

in European market.<br />

Hall 26A<br />

Stand 129<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


ASIA<br />

REGION<br />

31<br />

“Thainess” – the Charm of Thai Culture<br />

The Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes unique Thai products… and sustainability<br />

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is a government agency with the objective<br />

of promoting tourism to the country on the basis of sustainable tourism, in line with<br />

maintaining the unique Thai identity and meeting international standards in order to<br />

achieve an economic, social and environmental balance. We asked Suraphon Svetasreni,<br />

Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, what key factors are influencing the<br />

success of this destination today?<br />

Suraphon<br />

Svetasreni<br />

Governor of the Tourism<br />

Authority of Thailand<br />

The marketing<br />

landscape is<br />

changing all<br />

the time, and<br />

in my point<br />

of view, any<br />

destination that<br />

can maintain<br />

sustainable<br />

development<br />

will survive<br />

and hopefully<br />

thrive. In the<br />

past, we focused<br />

on tourism<br />

development<br />

only for<br />

maximizing economic<br />

returns. In recent years, we<br />

have put more emphasis<br />

on balancing the three<br />

factors of the economy,<br />

environment and society<br />

so as to create sustainable<br />

tourism.<br />

In your role, what are<br />

your key priorities moving<br />

forward?<br />

As TAT is a marketing<br />

Number of Arrivals to Thailand<br />

by Nationality January - December 2012<br />

organisation to promote the<br />

tourism industry, then in<br />

my role, I have to promote<br />

TAT to be a marketing<br />

organization of excellence<br />

with human resources<br />

who are able to adapt<br />

their ability to changing<br />

environment conditions.<br />

We have to be able to be a<br />

good coordinator between<br />

the government agencies<br />

and private sector.<br />

In addition, we have also<br />

implemented marketing<br />

strategy tools, what I call<br />

the DISCO blueprint.<br />

D: is for Digital Marketing:<br />

TAT has been using digital<br />

marketing to promote Thai<br />

tourism for many years, and<br />

we will continue to tap into<br />

a wider pool of travellers<br />

through social networks,<br />

online games, and mobile<br />

applications.<br />

I : is Image Building:<br />

TAT will continue to<br />

reinforce the essence<br />

of the Thailand brand<br />

Chon Buri Pattaya Floating Market<br />

2012 2011 %∆<br />

Nationality Number %Share Number %Share 2012/2011<br />

China 2,789,345 12.51 1,721,247 8.95 62.05<br />

Malaysia 2,560,963 11.48 2,500,280 13.00 2.43<br />

Japan 1,371,253 6.15 1,127,893 5.87 21.58<br />

Russia 1,317,387 5.91 1,054,187 5.48 24.97<br />

Korea 1,169,131 5.24 1,006,283 5.23 16.18<br />

India 1,015,865 4.55 914,971 4.76 11.03<br />

Indonesia 448,748 2.01 370,795 1.93 21.02<br />

Source of Data: Immigration Bureau, Police Department.<br />

Thailand also has<br />

its own unique<br />

culture of “Thainess”<br />

that makes the country<br />

different from other<br />

destinations<br />

image, “Amazing Thailand:<br />

Always Amazes You”, with<br />

a focus on Authenticity,<br />

Value for Money, and<br />

Hospitality. According to<br />

the FutureBrand Country<br />

Brand Index 2012-13 (CBI),<br />

Thailand has consistently<br />

performed well for the Top<br />

list of Value for Money as<br />

well as perceived as eighth<br />

of the Top 25 tourism,<br />

tenth for Food, eleventh for<br />

Shopping, tenth for Beach,<br />

and ninth for nightlife in the<br />

world-class brand.<br />

S : is Sustainablility:<br />

Travellers are increasingly<br />

aware of the environmental<br />

impact of their own travel<br />

plans with a growing<br />

number willing to pay more<br />

for “green” options. TAT has<br />

long promoted sustainable<br />

tourism through the concept<br />

of the Seven Greens, which<br />

encourages Corporate<br />

Social Responsibility (CSR)<br />

among operators. We<br />

have collaborated with<br />

various partners to identify<br />

interesting options for ecofriendly<br />

travel; such as, the<br />

Green Hotels, the Green<br />

Islands of Ko Chang, and<br />

newer environmentallyfriendly<br />

tourism products.<br />

C: is Crystallization & Crisis<br />

Management: Through<br />

a combination of digital<br />

media tools and traditional<br />

channels, TAT is able to<br />

communicate accurate<br />

information that tourists<br />

need when a crisis situation<br />

occurs. Planning for such<br />

contingencies is becoming<br />

increasingly important<br />

in these days of constant<br />

change and unpredictable<br />

events.<br />

O : is Organizational<br />

Management: This is<br />

designed to boost internal<br />

organizational efficiency by<br />

making TAT a true learning<br />

organization in which TAT<br />

staff are presented with<br />

opportunities to undergo<br />

core competency training<br />

to further sharpen their<br />

marketing skills and<br />

individual capabilities.<br />

All in all, what differentiates<br />

Thailand as a destination?<br />

Apart from the variety of<br />

tourism resources, Thailand<br />

also has its own unique<br />

culture of “Thainess” that<br />

makes the country different<br />

from other destinations.<br />

The charm of Thainess<br />

also includes Thai food<br />

and the hospitality of the<br />

Thai people that always<br />

impresses travellers to the<br />

country. The good value<br />

for money that the country<br />

offers is also an important<br />

factor for tourists when they<br />

choose us.<br />

Hall 26 B<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


ASIA<br />

REGION<br />

33<br />

Macau Announces<br />

“Vibrant Moment”<br />

Helena de Senna<br />

Fernandes<br />

Director of Macau<br />

Government Tourist Office<br />

The Director of Macau<br />

Government Tourist Office,<br />

Helena de Senna Fernandes,<br />

reveals Macau’s expansion<br />

plans… beginning with what<br />

Macau will be highlighting<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013…<br />

Besides focussing on the strength<br />

of our product mix, leveraging<br />

the number of special events that<br />

will take place in Macau, we also<br />

announced at the beginning of<br />

this year that “Vibrant Moment”<br />

will be added to the existing line<br />

up of promotional themes. This<br />

year, two major events will be<br />

emphasized at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>; the<br />

celebrations of the 25th Macau<br />

International Fireworks Display<br />

Contest in September and the<br />

60th Macau Grand Prix.<br />

Macau welcomed over 28 million<br />

visitors in 2012 and we have<br />

seen overnight guests in hotels<br />

increase with double-digit growth.<br />

Gaming resorts have further<br />

expanded their onsite attractions<br />

like shopping, entertainment<br />

and nightlife as well as culinary<br />

delights, while visitors from<br />

international markets in particular<br />

also appreciate Macau’s cultural<br />

diversity.<br />

How do you differentiate your<br />

offering?<br />

The heritage of two cultures<br />

makes Macau truly unique. This is<br />

reflected through the architecture,<br />

the sightseeing spots, the people,<br />

and probably the earliest example<br />

of fusion cuisine influenced by<br />

eastern and western cultures. And<br />

it is so easy to explore Macau as<br />

many of the cultural attractions<br />

can be reached on foot. The<br />

modern side of the city also offers<br />

various extreme sports like the<br />

Skywalk or the Bungy jump on the<br />

Macau Tower.<br />

What are the key issues to<br />

improving tourism in your<br />

country, and what is being done<br />

to address these?<br />

Macau has experienced a<br />

continuous growth in visitor<br />

numbers over the previous years<br />

and, of course, our infrastructure<br />

needs to grow in line with that.<br />

Several projects are underway,<br />

for example, a light rapid transit<br />

system which will ease traffic in<br />

the streets. The first stretch of 1.9<br />

Kilometers is presently being built<br />

on Taipa, and once completed, 21<br />

stops will connect Taipa and Cotai<br />

with the outskirts of the peninsula<br />

all the way up to the Border Gate<br />

to Mainland China.<br />

Hall 26 C<br />

Stand 312<br />

Gardening<br />

– Gangnam Style!<br />

South Korea promotes the international garden expo and (what<br />

else?) Gangnam Style – at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013<br />

The global hit Gangnam Style again has the public talking about Korea. But what will the<br />

country be promoting at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> 2013? We put the question to Charm Lee, President of the<br />

Korea Tourism Organization<br />

The key products Korea is promoting<br />

at <strong>ITB</strong> are our “130+” project and<br />

the International Garden Exposition<br />

2013 in Suncheonman Bay. The<br />

International Garden Expo will be<br />

hosted in Korea for the first time.<br />

We are very proud to promote<br />

Suncheon Bay, one of the world’s<br />

five inshore wetlands. Moreover we<br />

offer special traditional programmes<br />

like performances, tea ceremonies<br />

and calligraphy art to show our<br />

clients our traditional culture. We<br />

will also offer modern culture and<br />

entertainment programs like K-Pop<br />

and 3-D movies.<br />

Gangnam Style has been a big hit<br />

worldwide… has this had an effect<br />

on hotel & restaurant business<br />

and shopping in Gangnam?<br />

Gangnam is the area south of the<br />

river in Seoul. It features modern<br />

lifestyle with high buildings,<br />

modern hotels and restaurants and<br />

shopping areas. Since the big hit<br />

“Gangnam Style” many tourists<br />

want to visit places which are<br />

shown in the music video. There<br />

is a new tourist office located in<br />

Gangnam and many restaurants<br />

and shopping centers do marketing<br />

campaigns with Psy or “Gangnam<br />

Style”.<br />

The annual Formula One grand<br />

prix has attracted a lot of interest<br />

to Korea, but it seems a lot of<br />

hotel and other infrastructure is<br />

still needed in Yeongam. How is<br />

this progressing?<br />

In the beginning, it was challenging<br />

for us to offer accommodation for<br />

so many people. Many hotels have<br />

been opened recently. We still do<br />

not have that many hotels in the city<br />

of Yeongam, but there will be many<br />

new hotels and infrastructure for<br />

the next season in the area around.<br />

How are your source markets<br />

evolving?<br />

The source markets are<br />

continuously growing. In 2012<br />

more than 11 Million people visited<br />

Korea. We still have most tourists<br />

from China and Japan as well as<br />

South East Asia but the number of<br />

tourists from Europe and America<br />

are rising every year.<br />

Hall 26 A<br />

Stand 135<br />

Charm Lee<br />

President of the Korea Tourism<br />

Organization<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


ASIA<br />

REGION<br />

35<br />

Truly<br />

Asia!<br />

Malaysia is on target to double visitors and triple<br />

revenue by 2020<br />

With the ASEAN Tourism Forum planned for Malaysia in 2014, many<br />

eyes are turning to that country as an even more important key player<br />

in the region. Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen, the Malaysian Minister for<br />

Tourism, tells <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News that the country’s 2012 visitor numbers<br />

are on target…<br />

Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen<br />

Minister of Tourism, Malaysia<br />

Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen is a Malaysian politician and the current Minister<br />

of Tourism. She is also the current Vice-President of the Malaysian Chinese<br />

Association (MCA). She was the chief of the Women’s wing of the Malaysian<br />

Chinese Association until 2008. Her appointment as minister marked a<br />

milestone as the first Malaysian Chinese woman to hold a cabinet position.<br />

In 2009, she was appointed Minister of Tourism, and under her stewardship,<br />

Malaysia has received and continues to reap accolades from the world over.<br />

Our target for 2012 was<br />

25 million visitors, and<br />

the latest results indicate<br />

we reached that. We are<br />

already the second-largest<br />

destination in Asia after<br />

China, and 9th largest in<br />

the world. By 2020 we aim<br />

to double the visitors and<br />

triple the revenue.<br />

What changes are you<br />

planning for this year?<br />

This year, a new terminal is<br />

due to open at Kuala Lumpur<br />

airport, mainly for lowcost<br />

carriers, and designed<br />

to handle 30 million<br />

passengers a year. There<br />

are also developments<br />

for airlines with a new<br />

Malaysia/Indonesia low<br />

fare airline, Malindo<br />

Airlines, due to start flying<br />

this year between the two<br />

countries, and Air France<br />

will start three weekly flights<br />

from Paris to Kuala Lumpur<br />

this April. And we are also<br />

working on plans for 2014,<br />

which we have designated<br />

Visit Malaysia Year [VMY].<br />

The theme will be ‘Malaysia<br />

– Truly Asia’. Our goal is to<br />

rally all the nation’s forces<br />

behind VMY. The prime<br />

minister himself exhorted<br />

all Malaysians to stand<br />

together and show their<br />

best in terms of hospitality<br />

and sense of welcome.<br />

The prime minister<br />

himself exhorted all<br />

Malaysians to stand<br />

together and show<br />

their best in terms of<br />

hospitality.<br />

major international event<br />

in 2014 that publicises<br />

Malaysia worldwide for the<br />

VMY. This is the first time<br />

the ATF has been held on the<br />

island of Borneo, so we are<br />

exploring all the potential of<br />

Borneo, particularly in terms<br />

of leisure and adventure.<br />

The other important change<br />

is that we have just agreed<br />

for Aseanta (Asean Tourism<br />

Association) to run the<br />

Travex trade show part of<br />

ATF.<br />

many of them being unique<br />

to the island of Borneo, in<br />

the states of Sabah and<br />

Sarawak, so I really want to<br />

show our original culture,<br />

what we call ‘asli’ in the<br />

Malay language. I also want<br />

to bring tourists to Carey<br />

Island, south of Port Klang<br />

and not too far from Kuala<br />

Lumpur. It is the home of<br />

the Mah-Meri, an aboriginal<br />

tribe which creates<br />

extraordinary sculptures.<br />

[INTERVIEW BY RICHARD BARNES]<br />

What plans do you have<br />

for the ASEAN Tourism<br />

Forum (ATF), due to be<br />

held in 2014 in Malaysia?<br />

The ATF will be the first<br />

What cultural and<br />

heritage attractions will<br />

you emphasise?<br />

Malaysia official records<br />

show 147 ethnic groups,<br />

Hall 26 A<br />

Stand 121<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


TRANSPORT<br />

SPECIAL FEATURE<br />

37<br />

Moving Your Way<br />

Adaptability And Customer Insight At The Heart of<br />

Europcar’s Revival<br />

Roland Keppler, CEO of the Europcar group tells<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News about the brand’s repositioning<br />

and what is next for hire car operator…<br />

Korean<br />

Air<br />

Announces<br />

Expanded<br />

Routes<br />

and New<br />

Aircraft<br />

Roland Keppler<br />

Europcar group CEO<br />

Educated as an engineer, Roland Keppler,<br />

47, began his career in 1992 as controller<br />

at Preussag AG, before joining airline Hapag<br />

Lloyd in 2002, where he was appointed<br />

Finance Director of its low cost branch,<br />

Hapag Lloyd Express. He was appointed<br />

CEO in 2005. Following the merger of<br />

Hapag Lloyd and HLX to form TUIfly, and<br />

having developed the company’s digital<br />

subsidiary (TUI Interactive) and organizing<br />

the integration of TUIfly in Central Europe,<br />

Roland Keppler was named CEO of TUIfly<br />

in 2007. In 2009, he was appointed CEO<br />

of Europcar’s German subsidiary, and in<br />

February 2012 he was named group CEO.<br />

We unveiled our new brand<br />

positioning “Moving Your<br />

Way” at the end of 2012<br />

in order to demonstrate<br />

that Europcar is evolving<br />

its services, processes<br />

and communication to<br />

adapt to customers’ ever<br />

changing mobility needs.<br />

“Moving Your Way”<br />

conveys Europcar’s total<br />

commitment to the client.<br />

As part of that positioning,<br />

a new logo has been<br />

designed to symbolise<br />

mobility and act as quality<br />

stamp on all Europcar subbrands<br />

and offers. We have<br />

also developed a brand<br />

new europcar.com website<br />

which offers a more efficient<br />

booking process and many<br />

great design features.<br />

The key will be to<br />

define the right mobility<br />

offer allowing real<br />

flexibility, easy access,<br />

value for money, plus<br />

environmental<br />

friendliness and a<br />

seamless experience<br />

The car rental scene is<br />

becoming increasingly<br />

competitive, and we are<br />

seeing numerous mergers<br />

and take-overs. How do<br />

you see the next couple of<br />

years in the industry?<br />

There is increased<br />

competitive pressure on<br />

services and flexibility,<br />

as well as on prices and<br />

profit margins, plus there is<br />

market consolidation and<br />

more segmentation. The<br />

key will be to define the<br />

right mobility offer allowing<br />

real flexibility, easy access,<br />

value for money, plus<br />

environmental friendliness<br />

and a seamless experience.<br />

We have seen “Car2go”<br />

taking off in some cities in<br />

Europe as part of a joint<br />

venture with Europcar.<br />

How is this partnership<br />

evolving, and what is the<br />

future of Car2go.com?<br />

The partnership has been<br />

evolving steadily, and both<br />

companies complement<br />

each other perfectly: car2go<br />

benefits from Europcar’s<br />

know-how in the field of<br />

fleet management and<br />

logistics, as well as from<br />

the large station network,<br />

whereas Europcar benefits<br />

from Daimler’s innovative<br />

technology. After Hamburg,<br />

several car2go launches<br />

followed in Vienna (2011),<br />

as well as in Düsseldorf,<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>, Cologne, London,<br />

and Stuttgart (2012). Up<br />

till now, more than 6,000<br />

vehicles were rented more<br />

than 5 million times by<br />

250,000 customers and we<br />

plan to launch the concept<br />

in about 40 to 50 European<br />

cities over the next few<br />

years.<br />

How are new technologies<br />

helping make Europcar<br />

more efficient?<br />

The development of digital<br />

services is a key component<br />

of our strategy and will help<br />

us to extend our position<br />

as a leading and innovative<br />

mobility player. We<br />

launched two new mobile<br />

applications for iPhone and<br />

Android that make booking<br />

a car easier than ever.<br />

Hall 9<br />

Stand 123<br />

With already more than<br />

400 flights per day to<br />

124 cities in 43 countries,<br />

Korean Air is set to<br />

expand its global network<br />

with the addition of nine<br />

next-generation aircraft<br />

to its fleet. The company<br />

will be receiving two<br />

A380’s, one A330-200,<br />

two B777’s-300ERs, two<br />

B737-900ERs, one B747-<br />

8F and one B7774.<br />

The arrival of the<br />

additional two A380s<br />

will bring the number<br />

of Korean Air’s A380s<br />

to seven. With just 407<br />

seats in total, the lowest<br />

configuration of any<br />

A380 operator so far,<br />

the carrier is the first to<br />

devote an entire deck to<br />

‘Prestige’ business class<br />

and also features an onboard<br />

Celestial Bar and<br />

Duty Free Showcase.<br />

In 2012, Korean Air<br />

launched direct services<br />

to Danang; Nairobi,<br />

Kenya; and Yangon,<br />

Myanmar and resumed<br />

services to Riyadh and<br />

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,<br />

after a 35-year hiatus.<br />

In 2013, Korean Air<br />

plans to provide a direct<br />

service to Colombo, Sri<br />

Lanka and Male, Maldives<br />

in March. The airline also<br />

plans to deploy A380<br />

aircraft on the Incheon-<br />

Atlanta route starting in<br />

August. On the Incheon-<br />

Frankfurt route it started<br />

in the beginning of<br />

February 2013.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


TRANSPORT<br />

SPECIAL FEATURE<br />

39<br />

We’re Not Resting<br />

on Our Laurels<br />

Sixt innovates interplay with new technologies to<br />

create new value for customers<br />

Malaysia<br />

Airlines<br />

Joins<br />

oneworld<br />

Regine Sixt<br />

Regine Sixt is a highly influential German<br />

entrepreneur. After her studies she started<br />

her career at Sixt, in these days a local<br />

car rental company, based in downtown<br />

Munich. Together with her husband Erich<br />

Sixt she has been determined to develop<br />

an international recognized enterprise. It<br />

is a unique success story in travel industry.<br />

Regine Sixt founded her own charity<br />

organisation, the Regine Sixt Childrens’ Aid<br />

Foundation “Drying little tears”, which is<br />

the official CSR-program of Sixt AG<br />

Named the “Woman of the Year” in last year’s World Travel Awards,<br />

Regine Sixt continues to forge forward with a company that stands<br />

out from the crowd and continues to set itself “ambitious targets”. We<br />

asked her how business is going…<br />

In more than 100<br />

countries around the<br />

world, our corporate<br />

colours of orange and<br />

black are synonymous<br />

with outstanding mobility<br />

services. We don’t,<br />

however, plan to rest on<br />

our laurels: instead, we<br />

continually set ourselves<br />

even more ambitious<br />

targets. As part of this, we<br />

are working flat out on our<br />

company’s expansion –<br />

within reason, of course –<br />

and always have our eye to<br />

establishing our company<br />

in yet more countries.<br />

Our presence on the US<br />

market is of tremendous<br />

importance. Our own<br />

rental facilities there have<br />

been a huge success, and<br />

we also started working<br />

with excellent franchise<br />

holders at the end of last<br />

year.<br />

Sixt is a very forwardlooking<br />

company in<br />

terms of technology. How<br />

did you come to be the<br />

first car rental company<br />

to be included in Apple’s<br />

Passbook?<br />

One of Sixt’s most deepseated<br />

characteristics is its<br />

dedication to innovation.<br />

This is borne out by the<br />

countless new leasing and<br />

car rental products and<br />

services we have launched<br />

over the course of the<br />

years. Due in no small part<br />

to my son Konstantin, Sixt<br />

was quick to recognise the<br />

potential represented by<br />

mobile services, and we<br />

responded by creating our<br />

own app. Today, we are<br />

present on all widely used<br />

smartphone brands, and<br />

we are constantly working<br />

to take our applications to<br />

the next level. Enabling<br />

our customers to hire cars<br />

using Apple’s Passbook<br />

was second nature to us,<br />

and we were, I might add,<br />

the world’s first car rental<br />

company to make this<br />

service available.<br />

What other technical<br />

innovations and updates<br />

can we expect to see this<br />

year?<br />

We keep tabs on how<br />

people’s understanding<br />

of mobility is constantly<br />

changing, and we adapt<br />

our products and services<br />

to keep up with new<br />

developments. With this in<br />

mind, you can be certain<br />

that we are working on<br />

making the rental process<br />

even more flexible and<br />

simpler. A good example<br />

of this is our system for<br />

using barcodes for issuing<br />

cars: we send a barcode<br />

to our customers’ phones,<br />

and this barcode gets<br />

scanned in at the rental<br />

station desk. It’s a system<br />

that does away with all<br />

other formalities. Our<br />

customers can also opt<br />

for BMW ConnectedDrive,<br />

which keeps them<br />

permanently connected to<br />

the internet while they are<br />

travelling.<br />

How is Sixt unlimited<br />

progressing?<br />

Sixt unlimited is another<br />

good example that<br />

illustrates how we<br />

understand innovative<br />

mobility. It is an integrated<br />

service offering that<br />

combines car rental and<br />

leasing, and it caters to all<br />

of the mobility needs our<br />

customers might have, no<br />

matter where they are in<br />

Europe. It’s no surprise<br />

that Sixt unlimited has<br />

been such a hit with people<br />

who have to travel a lot.<br />

We are now working on<br />

making the product even<br />

more flexible and creating<br />

an attractive range of<br />

added value features.<br />

How many members and<br />

users does DriveNow<br />

currently have? Are you<br />

thinking of expanding the<br />

service to neighbouring<br />

European countries, and<br />

across the US?<br />

An impressive number<br />

of people signed up for<br />

DriveNow in 2012, and our<br />

joint venture with BMW<br />

had 75,000 registered<br />

customers by the end of the<br />

year in Germany. Here, we<br />

are focusing on creating<br />

an even better network<br />

between different modes<br />

of transport for the benefit<br />

of our customers, and we<br />

are working hand in hand<br />

with other companies,<br />

such as public transport<br />

operators, to achieve this.<br />

DriveNow is international<br />

in scope, so from the very<br />

beginning, we planned to<br />

launch this service in other<br />

major cities in Europe and<br />

around the world.<br />

[Interview by Richard Barnes]<br />

Hall 9<br />

Stand 121<br />

On 1 st February 2013,<br />

Malaysia Airlines became<br />

part of oneworld, adding<br />

one of Asia’s leading<br />

airlines to the global<br />

airline alliance.<br />

For the airline, joining<br />

oneworld completes yet<br />

another successful phase<br />

of its business plan. By<br />

joining, Malaysia Airlines,<br />

which serves more<br />

than 60 destinations in<br />

almost 30 countries, will<br />

substantially expand the<br />

alliance’s network in one<br />

of the world’s fastest<br />

growing economic<br />

powerhouses, South East<br />

Asia. More significantly,<br />

it strengthens the<br />

alliance’s connectivity<br />

between many key<br />

business cities in Asia<br />

and other parts of the<br />

world.<br />

Meanwhile, the oneworld<br />

Visit Malaysia pass<br />

was also launched<br />

in February, offering<br />

discounts on regular<br />

published fares for<br />

Malaysian domestic<br />

flights bought in<br />

conjunction with a flight<br />

on a oneworld carrier to<br />

Malaysia.<br />

Hall 26.A<br />

Stand 121<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


40 SPECIAL FEATURE<br />

TRANSPORT<br />

Iceland - a Natural Hub<br />

Much More Than a Local Player, Icelandair Spreads its Wings<br />

Birkir Holm<br />

Guonason<br />

CEO of Icelandair<br />

Hall 18<br />

Stand 114<br />

Birkir Holm Guonason,<br />

CEO of Icelandair,<br />

reveals how the<br />

company is repositioning<br />

itself as<br />

both regional and<br />

trans-Atlantic player,<br />

and the importance of<br />

being on time...<br />

Icelandair’s business<br />

strategy is based on utilising<br />

the geographical position of<br />

Iceland on the natural flight<br />

route between northern<br />

Europe and North America<br />

to create an international<br />

hub and spoke network.<br />

Operating on three different<br />

and independent passenger<br />

markets (the North Atlantic<br />

market, the Icelandic home<br />

In its 2013 summer<br />

schedule Icelandair<br />

connects 25 European<br />

cities with 10 North<br />

American cities<br />

through the company’s<br />

hub in Iceland<br />

market and the tourist<br />

market to Iceland) gives<br />

the company a variety of<br />

options in network and<br />

revenue management. In<br />

its 2013 summer schedule,<br />

Icelandair connects 25<br />

European cities with 10<br />

North American cities<br />

through the company’s hub<br />

in Iceland.<br />

Iceland is growing in<br />

interest as a destination in<br />

itself. What are the most<br />

popular attractions?<br />

Yes, Iceland’s variety of<br />

landscapes and weather, the<br />

easy access to wilderness,<br />

glaciers, mountains,<br />

rivers and lakes as well as<br />

volcanoes and hot springs<br />

make Iceland a special<br />

place. But the cultural and<br />

historical aspects are also<br />

a draw – the vibrant music<br />

scene and the many quality<br />

restaurants are a surprise to<br />

many.<br />

What are the main new<br />

routes that have opened<br />

in the past year, and what<br />

is planned for 2013?<br />

In the past few years we<br />

have opened up Toronto,<br />

Seattle, Washington,<br />

Denver and now Anchorage<br />

in North America, and on<br />

the European side, we have<br />

new cities like Manchester,<br />

Brussels, Bergen and this<br />

year St Petersburg and<br />

Zurich. In 2013 we are also<br />

adding about 15% to last<br />

year’s capacity through<br />

increased frequency on<br />

many of our key routes.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES<br />

SPECIAL FEATURE<br />

41<br />

How Mobile<br />

Can You Go?<br />

Manfred Osthues, cofounder<br />

and managing<br />

partner – protel –<br />

has been at the very<br />

heart of hospitality<br />

software development<br />

for many years. We<br />

asked whether he felt<br />

hotels are catering<br />

adequately for the<br />

mobile revolution…<br />

Not enough to be honest.<br />

Many hotels now offer free<br />

Wi-Fi, which is a good start,<br />

but there is much more<br />

to consider. For instance,<br />

many hotel websites and<br />

web booking engines are<br />

not “mobile”, meaning they<br />

have not been adjusted to<br />

the smaller screen size of<br />

mobile devices. It is much<br />

more pleasant for guests to<br />

enter new room bookings<br />

via a web booking engine<br />

that is optimised for<br />

smartphones. And isn’t<br />

it the comfort guests are<br />

looking for – even before<br />

arrival?<br />

What new products/<br />

upgrades are you launching<br />

this year?<br />

We are highly motivated to<br />

guide our clients throughout<br />

the entire guest journey: to<br />

provide hoteliers with tools<br />

that aid in the interaction<br />

with guests before, during<br />

and after their stay to ensure<br />

repeat visits and increase<br />

customer loyalty.<br />

Our latest innovations<br />

which will be presented<br />

at the <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> include<br />

protel Messenger and protel<br />

Housekeeping mentioned<br />

above, new features of<br />

protel for iPad (mobile PMS)<br />

and a new version of protel<br />

Survey and protel Voyager.<br />

We are also very proud of our<br />

new Web Booking Engine<br />

(protel WBE 4.0), which is<br />

geared to maximize direct<br />

bookings and cut down on<br />

OTA commissions.<br />

We treat <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> as the<br />

main opportunity to present<br />

Manfred<br />

Osthues<br />

Co-founder and managing<br />

partner – Protel<br />

our latest innovations to our<br />

prospects and clients who<br />

are accustomed to finding<br />

out what’s new at protel<br />

during this time. Many, in<br />

fact, just visit our booth<br />

and ask us to present our<br />

newest releases because<br />

they know what to expect<br />

from us at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>. This<br />

year we will show the<br />

hotelier step-by-step how<br />

he can better interact with<br />

the mobile guest once he<br />

has the proper tools from<br />

protel – on-site as well as in<br />

the cloud!<br />

®<br />

Hall 8.1<br />

Stand 103<br />

Hotel Distribution<br />

Technologies<br />

The growing need to stand out… and reach your<br />

desired consumer<br />

How difficult is it for a hotel to gain recognition<br />

in today’s ever more complex market and how<br />

can a technology solutions company help? We<br />

put the question to Alex Alt, Chief Operations<br />

Officer of Sabre Hospitality Solutions, who is<br />

set to replace Felix Laboy as the company’s<br />

new President and General Manager, effective<br />

April…<br />

There are two interesting<br />

challenges when it comes<br />

to recognition. The first<br />

is the continued growth<br />

and diversity of hospitality<br />

developments in emerging<br />

markets. As competition<br />

grows, so too does the need<br />

to stand out and reach your<br />

desired consumer. The<br />

second is that of changing<br />

consumer profiles in<br />

emerging markets.<br />

These so-called ‘virgin<br />

consumers’ will engage<br />

and buy in different ways.<br />

Establishing recognition<br />

with this consumer group<br />

may necessitate new<br />

distribution strategies and<br />

brand positioning.<br />

Larger brands are<br />

increasingly adept at<br />

consumer engagement<br />

via multiple channels and<br />

CRM initiatives (e.g. the<br />

Delta /Starwood crossover<br />

rewards program) and<br />

therefore setting an<br />

important precedent.<br />

In comparison, smaller<br />

groups and independent<br />

properties find themselves<br />

challenged by a gap in<br />

knowledge, resource and<br />

tool sets. Sabre Hospitality<br />

Solutions operates as<br />

Idiso Continues Expansion in 2013<br />

Spanish hotel distribution<br />

company Idiso, who launched<br />

the Innwise hotel e-marketing<br />

service at the end of 2012,<br />

is continuing its expansion<br />

of its booking platform. The<br />

expanded platform allows<br />

for reservations in every kind<br />

of hotel, ranging from urban<br />

to holiday destinations and<br />

including both independent<br />

hotels and the big chains.<br />

The platform is accessible to<br />

end-users, tour operators, and<br />

travel agencies both on and<br />

offline. Idiso offers its clients<br />

more than 2000 hotels in 35<br />

countries through booking<br />

aggregators Amadeus, Sabre,<br />

Worldspan and Galileo,<br />

an extension to a hotels’<br />

revenue, distribution,<br />

marketing and property<br />

operations team. By<br />

understanding our hotel<br />

customer’s brand and<br />

commercial objectives,<br />

we can provide them with<br />

the same level of market<br />

visibility and distribution<br />

reach that a larger brand<br />

would typically enjoy.<br />

What are the biggest<br />

problems for hoteliers<br />

when it comes to<br />

distribution? How<br />

does Sabre Hospitality<br />

Solutions help?<br />

The biggest issues are how<br />

to attract and successfully<br />

convert website traffic<br />

into firm reservations and<br />

deciding which channels<br />

they should partner<br />

with to distribute their<br />

inventory sets in a way<br />

that supports their revenue<br />

management, CRM and<br />

content strategies<br />

Sabre Hospitality Solutions<br />

creates award-winning<br />

websites and has a proven<br />

booking engine that<br />

helps convert shoppers<br />

into bookers with usertested<br />

features like<br />

and the company is also<br />

significantly expanding its<br />

services with over half of its<br />

current offer consisting of<br />

newly introduced products.<br />

Hall 8.1<br />

Stand 104<br />

Alex ALt<br />

Chief Operations Officer of<br />

Sabre Hospitality Solutions<br />

custom booking paths,<br />

promotional pricing,<br />

comparison shopping and<br />

expanded photo galleries.<br />

In addition, we have<br />

experts that consult with<br />

our hotel managers to help<br />

them create and implement<br />

a distribution strategy that<br />

will support their goals.<br />

This combination of<br />

sophisticated technology<br />

and human touch is what<br />

differentiates us from<br />

many other providers.<br />

Hall 8.1<br />

Stand 125<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


42 SPECIAL FEATURE<br />

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES<br />

Increasing Direct Bookings<br />

Emotional Impact is key – but how is this achieved?<br />

It may seem odd but the latest innovation in website design<br />

is to have sites that produce bookings! Vincent Ramelli, CEO<br />

of WIHP gives us the latest run-down on website design &<br />

functionality in the tourism and hotel sectors…<br />

Vincent Ramelli<br />

CEO and Founder of WIHP<br />

Vincent Ramelli is the CEO and Founder<br />

of WIHP an online marketing agency that<br />

specializes in high ROI online marketing<br />

for hotels. Coming from a marketing<br />

background and having owned and run<br />

several hotels, Vincent’s global view of the<br />

hotel business combined with his marketing<br />

background has made WIHP a leader in the<br />

hotel marketing industry.<br />

Over the years,<br />

hotel websites<br />

have evolved<br />

from being a<br />

presentation<br />

of the hotel<br />

into a tool that<br />

increases direct<br />

bookings. At<br />

WIHP we have<br />

invested a lot<br />

of resources<br />

to analysing and tracking<br />

results and our designers<br />

have made huge progress<br />

in turning websites from<br />

a mere presentation page<br />

into an efficient booking<br />

tool.<br />

What are the latest<br />

innovations in helping a<br />

website stand out?<br />

In one word it would be<br />

emotional impact. However<br />

many factors affect the<br />

emotional impact, it’s not<br />

just great visuals. To make<br />

websites stand out they<br />

must also respect search<br />

engine guidelines in order<br />

to increase organic traffic,<br />

which stays relevant. The<br />

problem of over-optimising<br />

websites is finally being<br />

understood by the<br />

profession and marketers<br />

need to find the fine line<br />

between adequate and too<br />

much search optimising.<br />

Our partnerships with major<br />

search players in the market<br />

such as TripAdvisor, Sabre<br />

and Google has helped us<br />

work out how to properly<br />

make hotel websites standout<br />

while staying relevant.<br />

As a result, we have seen<br />

conversion rates increase in<br />

addition to organic traffic.<br />

What are your prime<br />

objectives at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>?<br />

Continuing the success of<br />

our Convert hotel website<br />

solution that has been an<br />

overwhelming success and<br />

helping hotels with their<br />

online advertising using<br />

our unique platform for<br />

TripAdvisor, Google and<br />

other channels. For us <strong>ITB</strong><br />

is the hub of all things travel<br />

and we’ve increased our<br />

presence here to meet the<br />

demand that continues to<br />

grow in the hotel marketing<br />

space.<br />

Hall 10.1<br />

Stand 120<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


TRADE NEWS<br />

43<br />

Buyers’ Circle<br />

© India Tourism<br />

VIP service for top trade pros means higher<br />

efficiency at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

David Ruetz<br />

Head of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Located in the Marshall Haus on the <strong>Berlin</strong> Exhibition<br />

Grounds, the exclusive <strong>ITB</strong> Buyers’ Circle Lounge,<br />

offers separate meeting rooms in quiet surroundings<br />

offers excellent opportunities for networking at<br />

length. We asked David Ruetz, head of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>,<br />

to tell us about the background to this service.<br />

We have for a long time<br />

watched the behaviour of<br />

our buyers at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> and<br />

noticed that some lacked<br />

adequate working space.<br />

We’re not talking about just<br />

handshakes and courtesy<br />

visits, but real working space.<br />

So we put together a package<br />

that has major advantages<br />

that otherwise would not be<br />

accessible. We did not want to<br />

copy other models, such as at<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> Asia, where we fully host the<br />

buyers. We felt that <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

needed something different.<br />

So by creating the <strong>ITB</strong> Buyers’<br />

Circle, we are offering leading<br />

buyers from the international<br />

tourism industry a suitable<br />

environment, concentrating<br />

valuable resources and thus<br />

significantly reducing their<br />

workload. Intense networking<br />

and obtaining the latest<br />

industry information are<br />

crucial to a buyer’s success.<br />

The services of the <strong>ITB</strong> Buyers’<br />

Circle save buyers’ time and<br />

significantly increase their<br />

efficiency. Members of the <strong>ITB</strong><br />

Buyers’ Circle also benefit from<br />

gaining free admission to <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> and Fast Lane access to<br />

…<br />

we have a<br />

team onsite<br />

at Messe<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong> that<br />

qualifies<br />

each<br />

application<br />

personally…”<br />

the exhibition grounds as early<br />

as 9 a.m. They can also make<br />

use of the Europcar shuttle<br />

service on the grounds and<br />

will receive a trade visitor<br />

ticket to <strong>ITB</strong> Asia from 23 to 25<br />

October 2013.<br />

Who qualifies?<br />

We have an online<br />

questionnaire that tells us<br />

about the size of the company,<br />

the purchasing volume, the<br />

estimated annual turnover,<br />

and then when the application<br />

is being processed online<br />

we have a team onsite at<br />

Messe <strong>Berlin</strong> that qualifies<br />

each application personally.<br />

People are thus hand-picked,<br />

attempting to have a balance<br />

between German and non-<br />

German buyers. From<br />

Germany we have around<br />

210 buyers, and the others<br />

are international buyers from<br />

Europe, the USA, Canada,<br />

South America, Australia,<br />

Asia and Africa. Their overall<br />

spending capability is 1.5<br />

billion euros. 61 per cent of the<br />

members are tour operators,<br />

11 per cent represent the<br />

corporate travel and MICE<br />

sectors.<br />

Trade Visitors<br />

Given a VIP Welcome<br />

at India Pavilion<br />

Trade visitors to <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> will be VIP guests at<br />

India’s Happy Hour on Wednesday from 5 PM to<br />

6 PM.<br />

The “India Pavilion” at <strong>ITB</strong> this year is again<br />

abuzz with more than 100 participants from<br />

India showcasing India as an attractive tourist<br />

destination. A delegation led by the Honourable<br />

Minister for Tourism, Dr K Chiranjeevi along<br />

with Senior Officials from the Central Tourism<br />

Ministry and several State Governments will be<br />

present for several business meetings.<br />

Meanwhile, Thursday morning sees the<br />

Incredible India Business Breakfast from<br />

7:30 to 9:30 AM at the Tiergarten Hall of the<br />

InterContinental Hotel, and Thursday night, a<br />

cocktail reception is an “invite only” event.<br />

Chic Outlet Shopping<br />

Launches New<br />

Packages Offering<br />

10% Commission for<br />

the Travel Industry<br />

For travel agents and tour operators looking to<br />

satisfy the needs of clients looking to embrace<br />

the latest Shopping Tourism trend Chic Outlet<br />

Shopping has launched a range of new packages<br />

across the Collection of nine Villages across<br />

Europe.<br />

Chic Outlet Shopping is the Collection of luxury<br />

outlet Villages by Value Retail, the only company<br />

specialising exclusively in the development and<br />

operation of luxury outlet shopping villages.<br />

Currently home to more than 900 boutiques,<br />

the nine Villages offer the authentic previous<br />

seasons’ collections of leading luxury fashion<br />

and lifestyle brands with savings of up to 60%,<br />

and sometimes more, on the recommended<br />

retail price, all year round.<br />

Available for travel agents and tour operators<br />

to book at a net rate, providing commissions<br />

starting from 10% on the retail price, the<br />

packages start at €44 and include return<br />

transport on the luxury Shopping Express coach<br />

service, Gift Card, a VIP card providing an<br />

additional 10% discount in selected boutiques<br />

and lunch in the Village.<br />

More info: www.ChicOutletShopping.com<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


44 responsible tourism<br />

© The Blue Yonder – Nila Foundation<br />

No Longer a Niche<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>: Taking Responsible Tourism Seriously<br />

CSR Day at the <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> Convention focuses on strategies for sustainable<br />

tourism and examples of best practices.<br />

This year’s <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Convention will feature<br />

discussions on climate<br />

change, gender equality<br />

and the successful<br />

marketing of sustainable<br />

tourism products, with all<br />

sessions available to trade<br />

visitors free of charge.<br />

In sessions on 7 March<br />

2013, topics will include<br />

tourist encounters with<br />

local residents, conflicts<br />

over water, a vital human<br />

resource, and protecting<br />

children from sexual<br />

exploitation.<br />

“Over the past four years we<br />

have used the CSR Day at<br />

the <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> Convention to<br />

place the topic of sustainable<br />

tourism centre stage”, said<br />

Dr. Martin Buck, Director<br />

of the Competence<br />

Center, Travel & Logistics,<br />

Messe <strong>Berlin</strong>. “This is our<br />

response to the growing<br />

importance of corporate<br />

social responsibility. The<br />

wide range of topics shows<br />

that CSR has long ceased to<br />

be a niche market, rather<br />

it has become an integral<br />

part of the global travel<br />

industry’s modern corporate<br />

philosophy.”
<br />

The tourism think tank<br />

kicks off with Dr. Kelly<br />

S. Bricker, University of<br />

Utah, Chair of the Global<br />

Sustainable Tourism<br />

Council GSTC and Chair<br />

of The International<br />

Ecotourism Society TIES,<br />

whose keynote is entitled<br />

“Sustainable Tourism and<br />

‘Millennium Development<br />

Goals’”. This will be<br />

followed by a discussion<br />

on gender equality<br />

and women at senior<br />

management level.<br />

Another topic is the<br />

effect that strategic<br />

decisions made by female<br />

management have<br />

on tourism products.<br />

This year’s Studiosus<br />

meeting is about “holiday<br />

encounters“.<br />

The discussion round will<br />

be talking about how to<br />

balance the expectations of<br />

tourists and local residents<br />

in a socially responsible<br />

way. Among the panel<br />

members are travel blogger<br />

Johannes Klaus, Gopinath<br />

Parayil, founder of The<br />

Blue Yonder India, Peter<br />

Strub, Managing Director,<br />

Studiosus, as well as Dr.<br />

Dietlind, Laßberg, Deputy<br />

Chairman, Tourismus<br />

und Entwicklung e.V.<br />

Dr. Stroma Cole, Senior<br />

Lecturer, Geography<br />

and Environmental<br />

Management, University<br />

of the West of England,<br />

will be speaking about<br />

the potential conflict<br />

between tourists and local<br />

residents over water, a<br />

vital human resource, and<br />

its availability.
<br />

The <strong>ITB</strong> Destination Days<br />

will also be focusing on<br />

CSR topics. On 8 March<br />

2013, a keynote panel will<br />

be addressing the subject<br />

of “Barrier-free tourism<br />

for everyone: the quality<br />

and success criteria for<br />

ensuring the marketability<br />

of destinations.“<br />

Other events on the same<br />

day include Kaza, which<br />

involves five nations in<br />

southern Africa and is<br />

recognised as a beacon<br />

project furthering<br />

development cooperation.<br />

Tourism is making it<br />

possible for one of the<br />

world’s largest nature<br />

conservation projects to<br />

The wide range of topics<br />

shows that CSR has long<br />

ceased to be a niche<br />

market, rather it has<br />

become an integral part<br />

of the global travel<br />

industry’s modern<br />

corporate philosophy<br />

attain sustainability goals<br />

as well as economic and<br />

peace objectives. Ministers<br />

from Angola, Botswana,<br />

Namibia, Zambia und<br />

Zimbabwe will be reporting<br />

on this groundbreaking<br />

project.<br />

Meanwhile, the example<br />

of the Hizir Treetop<br />

Camp in Turkey, founded<br />

and managed by Ahmet<br />

Yazman of Sarikiz Gida<br />

Turizmve Danismanlik Tic.<br />

Ltd. Sti., demonstrates that<br />

luxury and sustainability<br />

can still go hand in hand.<br />

Egypt’s tourism minister,<br />

the Hon. Hisham Zaazou,<br />

will be providing an insight<br />

into the country’s Green<br />

Star initiative.<br />

The United Nations<br />

Environment Programme<br />

(UNEP) has examined<br />

ways of measuring<br />

and controlling<br />

sustainable tourism and<br />

compiled a criteria list,<br />

implementation concept<br />

and monitoring system<br />

that will be presented at<br />

the <strong>ITB</strong> Workshop on 8<br />

March 2013.<br />

More information on the<br />

CSR Day at the <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Convention can be found at<br />

www.itb-kongress.<br />

com/program.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


45<br />

HOSPITALITY / RESTAURANTS / BARS<br />

Where<br />

to goin<br />

berlin<br />

www.wheretogoinberlin.com<br />

CLUBS / EVENTS / SHOPPING / CULTURE<br />

The Governing Mayor of <strong>Berlin</strong>, Klaus Wowereit, is delighted to once again be welcoming the global travel<br />

industry to <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong>. He told <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News what the event means to him and to the City of <strong>Berlin</strong>…<br />

‘This City is a Living Work of Art’<br />

Klaus Wowereit<br />

Governing Mayor of <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Hall 12<br />

Stand 101<br />

First of all, I would like to extend a very warm<br />

welcome to all the exhibitors and visitors of <strong>ITB</strong><br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>. <strong>Berlin</strong> is now one of the most creative and<br />

culturally vibrant places in Europe. It is a city with<br />

a human face. A city that is much appreciated<br />

for its outward-looking and liberal atmosphere.<br />

And therefore it is a city one can love, and love<br />

living in.<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> being the Tourism Show, how do you feel<br />

this event fits into <strong>Berlin</strong>, and how important<br />

it is for the city ?<br />

It is a perfect match. <strong>Berlin</strong> is a top tourist<br />

destination having tripled the number of visitors<br />

in the last two decades since the fall of the wall.<br />

And it is an ideal place for fairs, congresses and<br />

conferences. <strong>Berlin</strong> is ranked number three behind<br />

London and Paris as a tourist destination and is<br />

among the top four venues for fairs, exhibitions<br />

and congresses worldwide.<br />

The city is seeing a number of new hotel<br />

projects coming to fruition. How do you see<br />

the future of this wonderful city?<br />

With regard to the current boom in tourism,<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>’s tourism PR experts have analyzed what<br />

exactly makes <strong>Berlin</strong> so appealing internationally.<br />

They found out that <strong>Berlin</strong> was considered an allround<br />

work of art. Many said they were fascinated<br />

above all by the city’s history, its unique cultural<br />

density, its attitude towards life, and its quality of<br />

life. That is the reason why more and more hotels<br />

are built.<br />

What cultural Highlights might visitors to <strong>ITB</strong><br />

be able to take in while thy are staying here ?<br />

The Museum of Islamic Art is presenting an<br />

exhibition on the legendary royal city of Samarra,<br />

north of Bagdad on the banks of the Tigris, which<br />

“<strong>Berlin</strong> is ranked<br />

number three<br />

behind London<br />

and Paris as a<br />

tourist destination<br />

and is among<br />

the top four<br />

venues for fairs,<br />

exhibitions<br />

and congresses<br />

worldwide.”<br />

served as the government capital of the powerful<br />

Abbasid Caliphate from 836 to 892. Equally<br />

interesting is the Nationalgalerie's collection of<br />

19 th century German sculpture, the exhibition 'In<br />

the White Light' presents the public with a last<br />

chance to view the 36 sculptures together. Last<br />

but not least, the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus<br />

Collection is presenting an extensive special<br />

exhibition on the Amarna period at the Neues<br />

Museum on <strong>Berlin</strong>'s Museum Island to mark<br />

the anniversary of the discovery of the bust of<br />

Nefertiti on 6 December 1912.<br />

www.wheretogoinberlin.com<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013


46<br />

Where<br />

to goin<br />

berlin<br />

Hospitality<br />

Apartments am<br />

Brandenburger Tor<br />

Apartments am<br />

Brandenburger Tor, in central<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>, near the Brandenburg<br />

Gate and Potsdamer Platz<br />

offer you reasonably priced<br />

accommodation in the heart<br />

of <strong>Berlin</strong>. The apartments<br />

in central <strong>Berlin</strong> are an<br />

excellent starting point for<br />

exploring and discovering the<br />

metropolis. They’re situated<br />

only a few minutes‘ walk away<br />

from many of the city’s sights<br />

and cultural offerings.<br />

Location, location, location<br />

Immediately adjacent to your<br />

apartment you will find Unter<br />

den Linden, Pariser Platz,<br />

the Holocaust memorial the<br />

government district, and many<br />

tourist attractions and cultural<br />

sites. Its central location in the<br />

City and good links to public<br />

transport (U-Bahn, S-Bahn,<br />

bus), mean you can reach all<br />

the destinations you want in<br />

the city and its surroundings,<br />

easily and quickly.<br />

Many of the apartments have<br />

a good view of the skyline<br />

of Potsdamer Platz and the<br />

Tiergarten.<br />

Apartments am<br />

Brandenburger Tor<br />

Behrenstraße 1C<br />

10117 <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Tel: +49 30 200 75 70<br />

info@apartments-mitte.de<br />

www.apartments-mitte.de<br />

Metro: S+U Brandenburger<br />

Tor U55 S1 S2<br />

Restaurants<br />

Restaurant Good<br />

Friends<br />

Food is an essential part of<br />

Chinese culture. Meals with<br />

friends and family have been<br />

an important part of Chinese<br />

lifestyle for thousands of<br />

years, and in the Good Friends<br />

restaurant you can taste the<br />

Chinese dishes that will give<br />

you a chance to experience a<br />

unique flavour sensation.<br />

Kantstraße 30<br />

10623 <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Tel: +49 30 313 26 59<br />

Metro: S Savignyplatz S5 S3<br />

becoming the<br />

Bars<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>, reflecting pure lust for<br />

life. The Puro covers about<br />

1,000 square meters on 3<br />

floors, offering the perfect<br />

stage for anykind of event.<br />

Whether an exclusive party,<br />

a huge business event or an<br />

amazing dinner, everything is<br />

possible and the guest will have<br />

an unforgettable evening or<br />

night!<br />

You will have an amazing view<br />

over <strong>Berlin</strong> with the famous<br />

shopping mile Kurfürstendamm<br />

and the Gedächtniskirche. With<br />

such a unique view, you will<br />

feel "on top of the world".<br />

Tauentzienstraße 9 - 12<br />

10789 <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Tel: +49 30 26 36 78 75<br />

Metro: U Kurfürstendamm<br />

U1 U9<br />

Riedel Boat Tours<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>’s waterways offer the<br />

unique possibility to discover<br />

the inner city with its sights<br />

from the water. The city round<br />

trip lasts about 3 hours and<br />

covers a stretch of about<br />

23 km. Not only does this<br />

trip lead you to the historic<br />

and modern buildings of<br />

the metropolis <strong>Berlin</strong>, but<br />

also to the green riverbanks,<br />

the densely populated and<br />

industrial areas and the elevated<br />

railway. Hear interesting facts<br />

about the ancient and recent<br />

history of <strong>Berlin</strong> and enjoy<br />

listening to the peculiarities of<br />

the different districts, which<br />

are being travelled through:<br />

Mitte, Moabit, Tiergarten,<br />

Charlottenburg, Kreuzberg,<br />

Neukölln and Friedrichshain.<br />

The tour covers the river Spree<br />

and Landwehrkanal. Experience<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>’s legendary abundance of<br />

bridges – the tour will bring you<br />

under 63 of them. It is said that<br />

there are more bridges in <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

than in Venice!<br />

Planufer 78, 10967 <strong>Berlin</strong>,<br />

www.reederei-riedel.de<br />

Tel: +49 30 67 96 14 70<br />

Metro: U1 U8<br />

Puro Sky Lounge<br />

The Puro Sky Lounge combines<br />

the culture and the luxury of<br />

Sightseeing<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013<br />

www.wheretogoinberlin.com


HALL PLAN<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com <strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • 2013


®<br />

Hall 3.2 / Stand112<br />

Hall 4.2 A / Stand 201<br />

Hall 18 / Stand 125<br />

Hall 18 / Stand 126 A<br />

Hall 8.1 / Stand 103<br />

HALL PLAN<br />

The logos shown are<br />

those of kind sponsors<br />

of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>Berlin</strong> News.<br />

Hall 5.2 A / Stand 107<br />

Hall 5.2 A / Stand 114<br />

Hall 26 A<br />

Hall 26 A / Stand 134<br />

Hall 9 / Stand 123<br />

www.itb-berlin-news.com


Hall 10.1 / Stand 120<br />

Hall 12 / Stand 101 Hall 12 / Stand 101<br />

Hall 2.1 / Stand 225<br />

Hall 20 / Stand 138<br />

Hall 20 / Stand 138<br />

Hall 9 / Stand 202<br />

Hall 9 / Stand 202 Hall 25 / Stand 181<br />

Hall 15.2 - Hilton Worldwide Lounge<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • 2013


BERLINMAP<br />

N<br />

S<br />

Hermsdorf<br />

1<br />

Tegel<br />

Charlottenburg<br />

Adagio<br />

Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1<br />

Tel: +49 (0)30 258989-0<br />

Info@adagio.de<br />

Wedding<br />

Tiegarden<br />

Schöneberg<br />

1<br />

Metro: S+U Potsdamer Platz<br />

U2, S2, S1, S25<br />

3<br />

6 11<br />

Tempelhof<br />

Prenzlauer<br />

Berg<br />

8 4 7<br />

5<br />

12<br />

5 2<br />

3 9<br />

Kreuzberg<br />

1 4<br />

2<br />

Neukölln<br />

Apartments am 2<br />

Brandenburger Tor<br />

Behrenstr. 1C - 10117 <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Tel: +49 30 200 757-0<br />

www.apartments-mitte.de<br />

Entrecôte<br />

Schützenstr. 5<br />

Tel: +49 30 201 654 96<br />

www.entrecote.de<br />

Metro: U Kochstraße U6<br />

Weißensee<br />

Buch<br />

Hohenschönhausen<br />

Friedrichsfelde<br />

Lichtenberg<br />

4<br />

Waldesruh<br />

<strong>Berlin</strong>-Moscow<br />

Unter den Linden 52<br />

Tel: +49 30 20058968<br />

Tom’s Hotel<br />

Motzstraße 19 - 10777 <strong>Berlin</strong><br />

Tel: +49 30 21 96 66 04<br />

www.toms-group.de<br />

Metro: U Nollendorfplatz<br />

U1 U2 U3 U4<br />

40 Seconds<br />

Potsdamer Str. 58<br />

10785 <strong>Berlin</strong>-Tiergarten<br />

Tel: +49 30 89 06 42 41<br />

Metro: U Kurfürstenstraße<br />

Friedrichshagen<br />

3<br />

Metro: S+U Brandenburger Tor<br />

U 55 S2, S1<br />

5<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Wannnsee<br />

Landschaftsschutzgebiet<br />

Kämmerei-Heide<br />

Lichtenrade<br />

Gosen<br />

2 Alexanderplatz<br />

3 Zoologischer Garten 4 Checkpoint Charlie 5 Ostbahnhof 6 Brandenburg Gate<br />

7 TV Tower<br />

8 Museum of Photography 9 KaDeWe<br />

10 Müggelsee<br />

11 <strong>Berlin</strong>er Dom 12 East-Side-Gallery<br />

<strong>ITB</strong> BERLIN NEWS • 2013

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