ITB Berlin News - Day 4

SATURDAY 

8 th MARCH 

2014 

DAY4 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: EUROPE SPECIAL FEATURE: LGBT 

TRADE TALK 

Dr Martin Buck 

Vice-President, ITB Berlin 

“We actually have gone beyond 

expectations. It’s estimated that 

we have 4% growth in trade 

visitors and more that 10% 

growth in attendees at the ITB 

Berlin Convention” Read page 3 

Peter De Wilde 

ETC President 

“I am convinced that 

we will be able to 

safeguard Europe’s 

position as top 

travel destination” 

Read page 12 

Norbert Kettner 

Head of Vienna Tourism 

“Gays have high 

spending power 

and like to enjoy 

themselves” 

Read page 16 

Michael Ho 

General Manager, 

Overseas Travel Service Ltd. 

“our outbound 

market is USD 

300-million. We are 

always looking for 

new opportunities” 

Read page 10 

Hall 22B 

Stand 

210 

Hall 18 

Stand 

125 

Hall 9 

Stand 

123 

FOLLOWING 

OUR LIVE 

EDITIONS 

DURING 

ITB BERLIN, 

DON’T MISS 

THE REVIEW 

EDITION 

ONLINE 

18 TH 

MARCH ON 

itb-berlin-news.com 

REVIEW 

EDITION 

People Power 

Enabling Smart Tourism 

ITB Berlin 2014: Tourism moves to a higher level of 

collaboration with stakeholders 

More than ever, ITB Berlin affirms its role as 

the leading indicator of essential trends in 

the travel and tourism industries; combining 

powerful business ideas with global 

responsibility and recognition of the vital 

nature of involving and empowering local 

populations in decisions, projects and their 

outcomes. 

While the industry professionals are packing 

their bags, leaving the way clear for the general 

public, ITB Berlin 2014 will be remembered as 

an extraordinary vintage – underlined by Dr 

Martin Buck, Vice President, ITB Berlin in his 

“trade wrap” interview on page 3. Beyond its 

exceptional business role, the rise of ITB Berlin 

as an aggregator on subjects of a political, 

social and legislative nature is impacting the 

industry more than ever. 

At the same time, ITB Berlin’s destination 

offering has become particularly enriched as 

underlined by the decision by Messe Berlin 

to partner with Mongolia as the show’s main 

sponsor in 2015. 

(Exclusive interview with Tsedevdamba 

Oyungerel, MP, Minister for Culture, Sport and 

Tourism – Mongolia – Page 8) 

Tsedevdamba Oyungerel 

MP, Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism – Mongolia 

AND FOLLOW US 

ALL YEAR ROUND ON 

ITB-BERLIN-NEWS.COM 

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: 

EUROPE 

The old continent is still the most 

popular place to visit in the world 

with close to 52% of all arrivals in 

the world in 2013. Tourism is one 

of the flagships of the European 

economy, worth over 8% of EU GDP 

and 30 million jobs. And compared 

to the slow GDP growth, European 

inbound tourism is doing much better 

(3.5% p.a.). The European Travel 

Commission is convinced that it will 

be possible to safeguard Europe’s 

position as top travel destination, 

given its unique character, history 

and cultures, but also with strong 

measures such as the announcement 

of a comprehensive simplification of 

visas. Read more, from page 11 

Bilbao’s Medieval Quarter, 

Casco Viejo, Spain

NEWS 

3 

Dr Martin 

Buck 

ITB Berlin Vice President 

© Messe Berlin 

2 Billion USD 

Return on 

Investment 

ITB Berlin Partner Country 

2013 – Indonesia – “The 

impact is clear” 

© Cleverdis 

2014 – We’re Still 

on the Rise! 

ITB Berlin organisers register a hike in trade 

and convention numbers 

With preliminary results from the first days’ attendance at the show, ITB 

Berlin Vice President Dr Martin Buck reports that this year’s event will 

mark a new record for trade visitors and convention-goers. We asked him 

for his initial prognosis of attendance. 

We actually have gone 

beyond expectations so 

far. It’s estimated that we 

have 4% growth in trade 

visitors and more that 10% 

growth in attendees at the 

ITB Berlin Convention. We 

have more than 20,000 

Facebook fans, which is 

also a feat for us. The very 

good weather certainly 

has contributed to the 

good atmosphere that 

dominates the show. But 

it’s not just about quantity… 

People have been telling 

me how well ITB Berlin 

brings the topics to the fore 

that are relevant to them 

and that are important for 

their business over the 

next twelve months. It 

especially has to do with 

online marketing. Many 

exhibitors have noticed 

that the online sphere is 

getting more and more 

important for them and 

they will not be successful 

in the future if they do not 

embrace that phenomenon 

and do something that 

makes online work for 

them. To whit, a growing 

number of thought leaders 

have come to our show. 

And it’s interesting to see 

what has been happening 

in the media. Germany’s 

biggest private TV network 

just bought several tour 

operators and rebranded 

them Pro Sieben House 

of Travel. The interface 

between media and 

goods or service providers 

has been changing 

dramatically we are in the 

eye of this tornado, as we 

had the company’s CEO on 

the stage here. The news 

also emerged during ITB 

Berlin that one of Egypt’s 

biggest tourism investors 

bought a stake in FTI, one 

of Germany’s biggest tour 

operators, and he was also 

on the stage at the show. 

It’s the luck of the busy 

man that the right people, 

who stand for significant 

market developments 

can all be fund at ITB 

Berlin. Lee McCabe from 

Facebook was just one 

other example. 

CSR has been a very 

strong element this year. 

Why is this so important? 

With four out of the five 

opening speeches at 

the show talking about 

sustainability, this shows 

the topic has arrived in the 

mainstream. We were one 

of the first to have detected 

this movement, and now 

Hall 4.1 is dedicated to 

the theme. It’s a very 

complex field, but one 

that tends to be misused, 

so it’s important to avoid 

a situation where tourism 

continues to contribute 

to the exploitation of a 

destination, and the people 

there, and the perception 

is diluted by talk about 

sustainability. For us, 

the challenge is really to 

implant this into peoples’ 

minds – their DNA, and 

not just have it as a label 

that is being used to avoid 

fundamental changes. We 

are the ones who can detect 

and represent the trend, 

and even bring people here 

to say something about the 

trend, but we are not the 

ones who implement the 

trend. 

Indonesia’s Vice Minister, Sapta Nirwandar (left) at 

ITB Berlin with Esthy Reko Astuty – Director General 

of Tourism Marketing 

Indonesia’s Vice Minister, Sapta Nirwandar, 

says his administration is extremely satisfied 

with the results of its investment as official 

ITB Berlin partner country 2013. 

“We were very pleased 

to be honoured with the 

presence of Germany’s 

Chancellor Angela Merkel 

at our Opening Ceremony 

last year, along with a very 

large number of senior 

dignitaries from around 

the world. This created 

an intangible but major 

impact for tourism in 

Indonesia, through the fact 

our tourism industry was in 

this way supported by true 

leaders from around the 

globe,” said Mr Nirwandar. 

“In economic terms, we 

were also able to measure 

the impact. After careful 

and long evaluation, we 

can say we had an increase 

in tourism turnover thanks 

in part to our major 

promotion at ITB Berlin of 

two billion dollars. With an 

overall increase in tourism 

figures of almost ten 

percent in 2013, numbers 

of German tourists 

increased to 167,340, and 

we expect 175,000 this year. 

French visitor numbers 

were over 196,837 and the 

UK was 220,935. Russia 

and the Netherlands are 

also growing healthily 

thanks to this “buzz”. 

All of Europe has been 

increasing, despite the 

crisis, and notwithstanding 

the fact that it’s a long haul 

flight. I am convinced this 

result is largely due to our 

promotion at ITB Berlin 

2013.” 

[Don’t miss our feature 

interview with Mr Nirwandar 

in ITB Berlin News Review 

edition - 18 th March 2014] 

Hall 26 A 

Stands 120 

/ 235 

ITB BERLIN NEWS • Saturday 8 th March 2014

4 NEWS 

Ready For The World 

Tourism plays a key role in rehabilitation of Haiti 

Four years after a 

devastating earthquake 

hit the Caribbean Republic 

of Haiti, the mission has 

been as much to rebuild 

the country’s reputation 

as its infrastructure. And, 

according to Stephanie 

Balmir Villedrouin, 

Minister of Tourism, 

Haiti, travel needs to 

play a crucial part in that 

rehabilitation. “Tourism 

contributes significantly to 

the national economy,” she 

said. “Every tourist who 

comes means thousands 

of dollars spent on hotels, 

food, taxes and souvenirs 

made by local artisans. 

And the more we invest 

in touristic infrastructures, 

the more visitors we will 

have.” 

The process of rebuilding 

and repairing those hotels 

and tourist sites damaged 

or destroyed in the natural 

disaster has been so 

successful that the number 

of destinations has actually 

risen. International hotel 

chains Best Western, 

Occidental and Marriott 

have arrived to increase 

the number of rooms 

available. 

One initiative being 

exhibited at ITB Berlin is 

the “Creative Village” – a 

project involving local 

communities in the Milot 

region, to the North of the 

country. In conjunction 

with the United Nations 

Organisation for Industrial 

Development (UNIDO), the 

pilot village construction 

will employ and benefit 

local inhabitants as well 

as offering a unique tourist 

attraction, rich in artistic 

and cultural activities, 

close to both beautiful 

beaches and the UNESCO 

World Heritage Site, the 

Sans-Souci Palace. 

Explaining the slogan 

“Experience Haiti”, 

Villedrouin highlighted the 

country’s unique qualities. 

“Haiti is a country where 

energy abounds. We 

have cultural, artistic and 

historical heritage, as 

Stephanie 

Balmir 

Villedrouin 

Minister Of Tourism, 

Haiti 

well as greenery, beaches, 

waterfalls, caves and 

mountains,” she said. “We 

are particularly interested 

in attracting those who 

seek adventure, who are 

interested in discovering 

our culture, who like 

contact with the Haitian 

people, who are interested 

in art and the Voodoo 

religion…“ 

She also indicated there are 

major new developments 

at Jacmel, Île à Vache 

and Côtes de Fer, using 

government funding to 

build resorts, airports, 

convention centres and 

an ecotourism destination 

island – all of which should 

be able to both attract and 

accommodate increasing 

numbers of visitors. 

With flights available 

again with Jet Blue from 

New York, and carriers 

including Bahamas Air 

and Air Canada scheduling 

new flights to Haiti, the 

Caribbean paradise is 

becoming more and more 

accessible. So despite 

the recent turbulence, 

there is plenty of hope 

that the world will want 

to visit Haiti. “We remain 

optimistic for the future!” 

said Villedrouin. 

THE 

CARIBBEAN 

PARADISE IS 

BECOMING 

MORE AND 

MORE 

ACCESSIBLE 

Hall 3.1 

Stand 102 

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ITB BERLIN NEWS • Saturday 8 th March 2014 

www.itb-berlin-news.com

ITB BERLIN CONVENTION 

5 

Bringing Better Technology 

to the Travel Industry 

ITB Berlin Hospitality Days: Former Microsoft Office boss Ariane 

Gorin works to help hotel partners optimise profitability 

Ariane Gorin 

Expedia Vice President - 

Market Management 

for the EMEA region 

Expedia’s Vice President - Market Management for the 

EMEA region, Ariane Gorin, runs a large EMEA-based 

market management team dedicated to working with hotel 

partners to optimise profitability and grow their business. 

ITB Berlin News asked her how she’s managing technology 

transformations in her new organisation. 

At Expedia, and in 

the travel industry 

in general, we’re 

going through a 

revolution in which 

people are looking 

more and more at 

mobile devices, at 

tablets, and they 

expect to find the 

same experience 

and to have a 

recognised login 

experience across 

devices. You have to 

manage consumer 

and traveller 

expectations in 

a world in which 

behaviour is 

changing in pace with 

all these technology 

changes. Mobile is 

the buzzword, and 

it’s one of the biggest 

traveller trends. By 

2015, mobile will 

account for onefifth 

of the overall 

European online 

travel market; so, it’s 

huge and growing 

rapidly. 51% of mobile 

bookings are made 

less than 24 hours’ 

before their stay, 

so people are really 

using mobile for last 

minute bookings, 

and 39% are made on 

Fridays or Saturdays. 

Consequently, we’re 

investing a lot in 

making sure we have 

the best mobile app, 

so that we can get 

our hotel partners’ 

hotels in the hands 

of all these travellers. 

How do you leverage 

ITB Berlin? 

You know, we’re 

always looking for 

ideas. Technology is 

changing the sector 

so much and things 

are moving quickly 

so what I’m excited 

about at ITB Berlin 

is to come and meet 

our hotel partners 

that we’re working 

with today and 

those we can work 

with tomorrow we 

talk to them about 

how we can help 

their organisations 

achieve their profit 

and occupancy goals. 

If I just look at my 

agenda for the next 

couple of days, I 

have meetings with 

partners from South 

Africa to Israel to 

the Nordic countries, 

Spain… all over my 

regions, so you really 

see the purpose of 

people coming from 

everywhere for the 

show. We have a lot of 

conversations around 

traveller behaviour 

and around how we 

can altogether better 

respond to it. 


6 ITB BERLIN CONVENTION 

Space Tourism Lifts 

Off in 2014 

From Virgin Galactic flights to proposed space hotels, exastronaut 

Prof Dr Ulrich Walter gives us an insight into how 

important space travel will be for the tourism industry 


A prestigious guest speaker at 

ITB Berlin, Prof Dr Ulrich Walter, 

Chair for Space Technology, 

Technical University Munich has 

first-hand experience of space 

travel. Having spent ten days 

in space in 1993 on the Space 

Shuttle Columbia’s Spacelab 

Mission, the German scientist 

and ex-astronaut is uniquely 

placed to speak about both the 

practicalities of space travel and 

the potential for space tourism. 

“People trust space travel now,” 

he said. “It has taken two decades 

to ensure the technology is 

ready for tourism. But it is very 

expensive – it can cost 500m 

dollars for one shuttle flight. In 

traditional tourism, the major 

cost is at the destination, not in 

travelling there. In space, it’s the 

other way round – the journey 

itself is the most expensive 

aspect. There is currently no 

shuttle system that transports 

more than 1 tourist at a time. This 

is not a tourism business model. 

You need a vehicle that can take 

a lot of people into space at once 

– which is something Robert 

Bigelow, Bigelow Aerospace, 

is working towards. He has a 

hotel ready to install next to the 

International Space Station, but 

there is not yet a vehicle to take 

the people there.” 

Dr Walter pointed out that, while 

longer stays in orbit were still 

a way off, space tourism is a 

reality in 2014. “600 people have 

already paid Virgin Galactic 250k 

each. It’s a big business, and 

flights start this year. Technically, 

it will not be a flight around the 

earth: it’s a sub-orbital parabolic 

flight to touch the edge of space 

and come back, with a total time 

of weightlessness of 3 minutes. 

Space begins at 100km altitude 

- so you go to 105km, and get a 

certificate saying you’ve been in 

space.” 

One of the benefits of space 

tourism is what Dr Walter 

describes as ‘Overview’ 

explaining that “It makes you 

realise that as a person you are 

a little too narrow-minded – we 

think the visible 10m around 

us is the entire universe, and 

that people are the priority – 

whereas from space you see that 

nature is everything, people are 

nothing.” Naturally, this shift in 

perception can impact attitudes 

to sustainability. 

Prof Dr Ulrich Walter 

Chair for Space Technology, 

Technical University Munich 

600 PEOPLE 

HAVE ALREADY PAID 

VIRGIN GALACTIC 

250K EACH. IT’S A 

BIG BUSINESS, AND 

FLIGHTS START THIS 

YEAR 


Bernhard 

Bohnenberger 

President of Six Senses 

Hotels Resorts & Spas 

Barefoot 

Indulgence 

CEO panel: luxury & eco – contradiction 

or entitlement? 

On Thursday 6 th March at the ITB Berlin 

Convention, the question was raised as to how 

luxury and eco can live together successfully. 

Bernhard Bohnenberger, CEO of Six Senses - a 

resort and spa management company based 

in Bangkok was a “star” participant in the 

event. We asked him how the philosophy of his 

company addresses this issue. 

From day one, our 

philosophy has been to 

bring our guests closer to 

the destination. I believe 

you travel, first and 

foremost, to feel a place, 

to try the local foods, to 

meet local people, and 

have a true experience. 

When we started, “luxury” 

tended to be a city hotel, 

put somewhere on an 

island on a beach. But we 

went to the other extreme 

to really go into very 

natural local materials 

and local architecture, 

having vegetable gardens 

and orchards in all our 

resorts, sourcing food 

locally, working with 

the local community on 

experiences. Six Senses is 

much more about crafting 

experiences in a socially 

responsible way rather 

than building hotels and 

selling rooms. 

How is the concept of 

luxury changing with 

time? 

It depends on where on 

the luxury cycle people 

are – in which generation; 

whether they grew up with 

luxury and are looking for 

new horizons or whether 

they are new into money. 

Initially people want to 

see glitz and gloss, but 

more and more the trend 

is towards the genuine – 

the real, and experiencing 

things you wouldn’t see 

at home. We call one of 

our values in Six Senses 

“emotional hospitality”. 

You could maybe call 

it Asian hospitality, but 

it can be applied on a 

worldwide basis. We call 

our employees hosts rather 

than staff. 

You are here as part of the 

ITB Berlin Convention; 

How important is this faceto-face 

contact between 

industry professionals? 

Hugely. We live in a 

technological age in 

which you could do 

videoconferencing; you 

could do everything online, 

without actually having to 

travel and meet, but these 

shows continue to have a 

huge attendance, because 

the human attraction of 

looking someone in the 

eye and being with them 

is so much more important 

and is so much more 

efficient when it comes to 

exchanging information 

– getting to know one 

another. 



ITB BERLIN CONVENTION 

7 

Loveleen Tandan 

Award Winning Film Director 

(Slumdog Millionaire) 


Luxury Markets 

“What money cannot buy... ” 

Jean-Claude 

Biver 

Chairman of the Board, 

Hublot 


Slum Tourism Can 

Benefit Locals 

Slumdog Millionaire, a worldwide box-office success, spurred an 

unprecedented wave of domestic and international tourism in the 

slums of Mumbai that has created an industry of its own. In a keynote 

speech at the ITB Berlin 2014 – “Slums, War Zones, Extreme Regions: 

Potential For Development And Tourism Goals?” – film director Loveleen 

Tandan spoke about the positive effects of slum tourism in India and 

the power of film to open up new destinations. 

Despite the long history of tourists 

visiting areas of urban poverty in cities 

like New York or Rio de Janeiro, film 

director Loveleen Tandan particularly 

attributes the worldwide success of 

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ – set in the slums 

of Mumbai – to the rise “of a new type 

of tourism” that has fundamentally 

changed the lives of the slum’s local 

population. Speaking about the power 

of film to “open up a new world to the 

audiences” and to create an emotional 

bond with unfamiliar places, the director 

says visitor numbers to Mumbai’s slums 

went up by almost 20% after film release. 

With an entire industry of tour operators 

now specializing in so-called “slumdog 

tours” across Mumbai, Tandan 

highlights the new employment and 

income opportunities that this type of 

tourism has created where local tour 

guides and vendors invest back in their 

communities: “The slums of Mumbai 

are not desolate dull places where the 

dwellers are sitting around waiting 

for tourist to come and have a look at 

them. These are places of enormous 

enterprise.” 

Calling the positive effects of slum 

tourism “direct and measurable,” she 

urges tourists not to feel self-conscious 

about their visits since the “daily footfall 

can only contribute and add value” 

and the heightened attention coaxes 

governments and those in charge to 

stay connected with the slum’s local 

population. 

Jean-Claude Biver, speaking 

at ITB Berlin, divulged that 

what he has learnt in his 

life is “To do things with 

passion and love,” and that 

this life philosophy was the 

basis of his success. 

Despite his HEC diploma, 

it is the ‘school of life’ he is 

thankful for. He gives three 

pieces of advice to anyone 

who wants to learn how to 

be successful: “Be different, 

be unique and be first! 

Innovation is more powerful 

than knowledge because 

when you innovate, you are 

first and you are unique.” 

He encourages young 

people to make mistakes 

because “it’s through 

mistakes we can grow 

up.” When young people 

introduce themselves with 

a resumé, he prefers to ask 

them what five mistakes 

they made in the last ten 

years. Most of them don’t 

know how to answer... and 

of his own five mistakes, 

Biver prefers to say nothing 

too. 

But in Luxury Markets, it 

is better to avoid mistakes 

altogether. Clients look 

for perfection and Biver 

understands that very well. 

The Swiss watch industry 

had to learn how to survive 

and offer more than just an 

instrument to tell the time. 

The genius of Swiss watches 

was to “replace jewellery 

with precious stone and 

materials to sell dreams, to 

sell a status symbol - not 

a watch. A product is not 

enough anymore. What 

money cannot buy is more 

important,” he said. In his 

boutiques, with their Golden 

Key Concierge managers, it 

is as much the experiences 

and services he offers as the 

products themselves, and 

thus he remains one step 

ahead of the market. 

THE ITB CONVENTION – IN VIDEO 

Gain a foretaste of the world’s premiere travel 

and tourism convention 

Click on the window to be transported to a new universe of novel 

ideas, debates, presentations and thought leadership. The ITB Berlin 

Convention has it all, and this year more than ever it’s the place you 

should be if you want to “grow your horizons” in more ways than 

one! 

Scan here 

to view 


8 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 


The Official Partner Country of 

ITB Berlin 2015 

David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin 

Exhibition Director; 

H. E. Tsedevdamba Oyungerel 

MP, Minister for Culture, Sports 

and Tourism of Mongolia (r.) 

Creating a Unified Voice 

to Move Mongolia Forward 

The official ITB Berlin Partner Country 2015: offering 

a connection to nature, people and animals unlike 

anything else in the world 

As a destination, the unique offerings of Mongolia make it an exceptional choice as ITB Berlin’s partner country for 2015. 

The official signature ceremony took place on Wednesday 5 th March at the Berlin show grounds, and the Mongolian 

Government Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Tsedevdamba Oyungerel MP, widely known to the Mongolian society 

as a passionate advocate for democracy, public speaker and author, also made the trip to Berlin to announce the launch 

of her country’s new “brand” – Mongolia – Nomadic by Nature. We asked her why these traditions persist in her country… 

Mongolia is true to this 

age-old lifestyle and we 

insist on perpetuating 

this in every aspect. Our 

constitution states that 

pastureland is common 

land; and that no land for 

pasture can be privatised. 

Our constitution protects 

the nomadic lifestyle by 

keeping our 1.5 million 

square kilometres space 

open as a common for every 

herder; but it is a common 

for every tourist too! This 

kind of connection to 

nature, people and animals 

is unlike anything else in 

the world. 

Until recently, Mongolia 

has been relatively 

unknown as a tourist 

destination. Do you 

see this as a positive 

or negative factor, and 

what is the result of this 

“mystique”? 

I could say there is a 

positive and a negative 

aspect. Negative from the 

point of view that there is 

little contribution for the 

moment to our economy, 

but from the point of 

view of sustainability and 

the committed dialogues 

between the stakeholders 

of tourism, maybe it was a 

good thing that we were not 

well known too early. Now, 

it’s a good time to open 

up wider opportunities 

for tourism because we 

now have many forms 

of social discussions and 

social dialogues between 

the local people, industry, 

local governments and 

central government, 

and many of Mongolia’s 

laws now oblige the 

government to listen to all 

the stakeholders affected 

by decisions related to 

budget, land or water. 

With the open input from 

all those concerned, we 

can create a much better 

and more sustainable 

environment for the future 

growth of our industry. 

What made you decide to 

forge this partnership with 

ITB Berlin? 

It was a very major decision 

for us. We never invested in 

big marketplaces like ITB 

Berlin before, because we 

were lacking in the finances 

and experience to do so 

adequately. But I believe 

that politically, it is a good 

decision for us. When we 

were looking to strategise 

our tourism sector, we 

realised we needed to 

create one big unified voice 

to consolidate everyone’s 

ideas. Participating in 

ITB Berlin will give us 

the opportunity to unify 

the sector’s voice. So the 

decision to be partner 

country is a commitment 

on both an economic and 

a political level. 

Mongolia is reputed for the 

friendliness of its people. 

Is this an important aspect 

of your communication? 

Yes, very much so. You 

know, sometimes, a 

holiday is not just visiting 



EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

9 

H.E. Tsedevdamba 

Oyungerel 

MP, Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism 

– Mongolia 

a place; sometimes 

a holiday is to make 

friends… lifelong friends. 

When an environmentally 

responsible tourist asks you 

where to go to make friends 

with local people, you can 

tell him or her Mongolia, 

because Mongolia can 

offer very warm friendship 

to anyone. People who go 

to Mongolia are not only 

captivated by the nature 

and the strange nomadic 

lifestyle; they also all say 

they are enchanted with 

their stay in Mongolia 

because people are always 

friendly with them and they 

made real life long friends. 

Sometimes you might 

make friends not just with 

people but also with horses 

or camels! Mongolia has 

around three million people, 

but also three million 

horses. You will experience 

the life that your very, very 

distant ancestors may have 

lived, long before there were 

cities or before there were 

farms. The people have 

warm hearts, and you will 

find it a very warm place. 

Even though Mongolia has 

an extremely cold winter, it 

is always sunny, the people 

are always happy, and 

when you have a sunny, 

blue, blue sky and it’s minus 

30 degrees, you don’t feel 

cold! You truly don’t feel 

cold especially during our 

winter festivals: the camel 

festival, the eagle festival 

and all kinds of winter 

adventures, you just feel 

very active, happy and very 

friendly towards each other. 

I don’t think I ever met 

a Government Minister 

before who grew up 

barefoot in the fields, with 

no car and no telephone. 

Does that give you a 

different way of looking at 

things compared to other 

people in this business, do 

you think? 

Totally. If you look at the 

world through television, 

or through the window of 

a building, it is very, very 

different world than the one 

a barefoot girl sees sitting 

on the grass, playing with 

calves and kissing her horse. 

When I grew up as a nomad 

child, my closest friends 

were animals. My everyday 

playground was pasture… 

kilometres and kilometres 

of pasture. And hiking to 

a mountain and bringing 

my horses back, or going 

to another mountain and 

bringing the sheep back, 

I would do this every day. 

It’s a very different kind of 

routine compared to people 

in the western world. 

When your Government 

came to power and you 

were given the portfolio 

of Tourism, Culture and 

Sports, how did you feel 

about that? 

I felt very blessed to have 

this position, because it 

gave me the opportunity 

to do what I am passionate 

about. I am passionate 

about saving the nomadic 

lifestyle. I am passionate 

about keeping nomadic 

I AM PASSIONATE 

ABOUT MONGOLIA, 

AS A COUNTRY, 

DEVELOPING ITSELF 

WITH THE DEEPEST 

CONSIDERATION FOR 

NOMADIC LIFESTYLE 

culture, and I am passionate 

about helping local people 

benefit from tourism. I am 

passionate about Mongolia, 

as a country, developing 

itself with the deepest 

consideration for nomadic 

lifestyle, and the deepest 

consideration of the culture 

that has been passeddown 

through thousands 

and thousands of years of 

history. It would be a crime 

to lose this in the process 

of rapid development we 

are seeing in our country. 

That’s why ITB Berlin will 

be used as a platform to 

explain where and how 

tourism should grow and 

what we should keep for our 

future generations while 

developing our economy. 

Hall 26 C 

Stand 339 


10 TRADE TALK 

ITB Berlin: Where Leaders 

Speak Directly to Leaders 

Michael Ho is General Manager of Overseas Travel Service Ltd., a General 

Sales Agency in Taiwan specialised in representing airlines, cruise 

companies, hotels and ground transportation companies. While staying 

in Berlin for the entire duration of ITB Berlin, we asked Mr Ho to tell us 

about the main goals of his visit… 

Michael Ho 

General Manager, 

Overseas Travel Service Ltd., Taiwan 

I am here to look for good 

and reliable partners 

for outbound market 

development, and also 

try to seek out new 

business models for future 

possibilities. ITB Berlin is 

the most important travel 

fair to my company for sure, 

because I can meet with 

European supervisors rather 

than branch managers. In 

the meantime, ITB Berlin 

also have diversity kinds of 

travel business to develop. 

What kinds of new products 

are you primarily seeking 

this year? 

I’m especially looking for 

new ideas with cruises, 

adventure tours & special 

interest tour operators. 

What volume of business do 

you do at ITB Berlin? 

Usually, we are searching for 

new suppliers or of service 

brands in the cooperate 

sector, and our outbound 

market is USD 300-million. 

We are always looking for 

new opportunities. 

I’M ESPECIALLY 

LOOKING FOR NEW 

IDEAS WITH CRUISES, 

ADVENTURE TOURS 

& SPECIAL INTEREST 

TOUR OPERATORS 

What do you see as being 

the main trends at the 

moment, and what is 

your personal forecast for 

business for the upcoming 

year? 

Two game changers are 

LCC (Low Cost Carriers) 

& the Internet with real 

time service. As a Travel 

Agency and Aviation GSA 

in Taiwan, our focus is 

more on transportation. 

The tourism market is 

blossoming in Asia, and we 

are trying to develop theme 

tours and all-inclusive 

tours, especially in the 

luxury high-end sector. 

Taiwan may become a 

good choice for Chinese 

travellers, as long as we 

can keep a focus on good 

service with customers 

offering excellent choice. 

We will intensify our efforts 

in branding by constantly 

improving our service. 

Do you follow any of the 

conferences at the ITB 

Berlin convention? 

That depends. I usually 

follow some when it 

comes to new travel 

technology solutions & 

new destinations. 



EUROPE 

REGION 

11 

TRAVEL TRENDS 

The European Travel 

Market 

MAIN TRAVEL 

DESTINATION 

[ by IPK International ] 

Europe has 740 Million 

inhabitants. European 

Russia (some 100 million) 

and Germany (82 million) 

are the biggest population 

concentrations, followed by 

UK, Italy and France (some 60 

million each). Whilst in many 

European countries GDP was 

not dynamic over the past four 

years, Russia and some other 

emerging markets in Europe 

registered rather high income 

growth rates. 

In 2012, Europeans undertook 

420 million international trips 

corresponding to some 45% of 

global outbound travel. Mean 

length of stay abroad was 8.2 

nights per trip. On their trips 

Europeans have spent 3.5 

billion nights abroad. Mean 

spending per international 

trip was 815 Euro. Total sales 

turnover was some 350 billion 

Euro. With an average growth 

of some 2% over the last five 

years Europe is a stable but only 

moderately growing outbound 

region. 

The biggest European travel 

markets of origin are Germany 

(74 Million), UK (57 Million), 

France (32 million), Russia 

(27 million), Netherlands (23 

million) and Italy (21 million). 

MAIN TRAVEL DESTINATION TO EUROPE 

Germany 

52 

Spain 

54 

France 

42 

Also Switzerland (18 million), 

Spain and Belgium (16 million 

each), Poland (15 million) 

and Austria (14 million) are 

important European travel 

markets of origin. 

INBOUND TRAVEL* 

In 2012 European destinations 

welcomed 394 million 

international overnight stays, 

counting for 3.1 billion inbound 

overnight stays. Mean length 

of stay of foreigners on a trip to 

Europe was 7.7 nights. Mean 

spending per international 

visit to Europe was 822 Euro 

resulting in a total inbound 

sales turnover of some 330 

billion Euro. Compared to the 

slow GDP growth European 

inbound tourism is doing much 

better (3.5% p.a.). However 

global inbound market share 

of European inbound is 

decreasing as Asian inbound 

is increasing at double speed. 

Main travel destinations to 

Europe are Spain (54 million 

visitors), Germany (52 million), 

France (42 million) and Italy (40 

million). Also UK (29 million), 

Austria (26 million), and Turkey 

(24 million) are important 

destinations of global travel to 

Europe. Best inbound performers 

over the last years were Turkey, 

Germany and Spain. 

in million visitors 

Italy 

40 

Turquey 24 

Austria 26 

UK 29 

48% of international visitors 

to Europe come by plane, 32% 

come by car and 8% by bus. 

There is also 7% travel by train 

but only 3% by ship/cruise. 

Preferred accommodation type 

is the hotel with 56% share, 

followed by holiday homes 

(as well paid as not-paid-for) 

with 21% share. From all hotel 

stays 57% are spent in upper 

class accommodations, 36% in 

middle grade and 7% in budget 

hotels. 

Most visitors to Europe come 

from Europe (86%). Major 

markets of origin are Germany 

(17%), UK (11%), France, 

Netherlands and Russia (5% 

each), not to forget Italy, 

Switzerland, Belgium and 

Poland (4% each). 85% of 

visitors to Europe come for 

leisure motivations and 15% on 

business trips. The main type 

of foreign holiday in Europe is 

sun & beach (30%) followed 

by city visits (21%) and touring 

holidays (17%). But there are 

also 25 million holidays spent 

for relaxation and hanging 

loose on the countryside or in 

the summer mountains and 

some 11 million international 

snow holidays. 

71% of international visitors to 

Europe have used internet for 

their trip decision making. 13% 

were in the internet exclusively 

as information lookers. 58% of 

international visitors to Europe 

were also booking online. 

* Only overnight stays, 

no day excursions 

Eds: While these figures pertain to 2012, 

IPK International outlined preliminary 

2013 figures in their ITB Berlin conference 

on Wednesday 5 th March. Confirmed 2013 

reports will be available for purchase in 

the next weeks from IPK. 

EUROPE 

ÅLAND ISLANDS HALL 18/128A-E 

ALBANIA HALL 3.2/112 

AUSTRIA HALL 17/104 

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA HALL 1.2/214 

BULGARIA HALL 3.2/101 

CROATIA HALL 1.2/218 

CYPRUS HALL 2.2/111, HALL 2.2/115 

CZECH REPUBLIC HALL 7.2B/102 

ESTONIA HALL 18/126C 

FAROE ISLANDS HALL 18/112 

FINLAND 

HALL 18/128A-E 

FRANCE HALL 2.2/201 

GERMANY 

GIBRALTAR HALL 2.2/114 

GREECE HALL 2.2/101 

GUERNSEY HALL 18/124 

HUNGARY HALL 2.2/209 

ICELAND 


IRELAND HALL 18/122 

ITALY HALL 1.2/101 

JERSEY HALL 18/124 

KOSOVO HALL 1.2/232 

LATVIA HALL 18/126A, HALL 10.2/101 

LITHUANIA HALL 18/126B 

LUXEMBOURG HALL 18/129 

MACEDONIA, THE FORMER YUGOSLAV 

REPUBLIC OF HALL 1.2/223 

MALTA HALL 1.2/222 

MOLDOVA HALL 1.2/234 

MONTENEGRO HALL 1.2/219 

NORWAY 


PORTUGAL HALL 2.2/208 

PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN 

HALL 17/102 

ROMANIA 

HALL 7.2B/101A-C 

RUSSIAN FEDERATION HALL 2.1/108 

SERBIA HALL 2.2/211 

SLOVENIA HALL 17/110 

SPAIN HALL 4.2/101 

SWEDEN 


SWITZERLAND HALL 17/101 

UKRAINE HALL 2.1/107 

UNITED KINGDOM HALL 18/121 


12 REGION 

EUROPE 

European Travel 

Commission Set to 

Boost Marketing 

© European Commission 

New ETC President, Peter De Wilde takes the helm 

and charts a new course for the industry 

Tourism is one of the flagships of the European economy, worth over 8% of 

EU GDP and 30 million jobs. The role of President of the European Travel 

Commission is thus one of vital importance when it comes to shaping the future 

of our industry. Elected as recently as January of this year, Peter De Wilde, 

already CEO of the Tourism Office for Flanders, thus has his work cut out for 

him. We asked Mr De Wilde, at ITB Berlin in this role for the first time, what he 

saw as being his key challenges… 

As President of the ETC I will 

focus on the following targets: 

To increase marketing 

efforts by clearly defining the 

position of Europe, rethinking 

the choice of target markets 

and further building up ETC’s 

market intelligence 

To let the organisation evolve 

into the primary partner of all 

relevant public and private 

tourism bodies 

To introduce a light and 

modern governance of 

the organisation and an 

appropriate stakeholder 

management 

And to structurally anchor the 

successful collaboration with 

the European Commission. 

It must be very exciting 

marketing one of the 

strongest brands in the world 

– and indeed the strongest 

tourism brand. What is 

needed in order to stave off 

the competition? 

We are indeed privileged to be 

able to promote destination 

Europe in selected long haul 

markets. Statistics show that, 

in this globalized world we 

live in, Europe is losing market 

share to other regions of the 

world. I am convinced that 

we will be able to safeguard 

Europe’s position as top 

travel destination, given the 

unique character of Europe, 

one to be combined with 

proper knowledge gathering 

and sharing and skilfully 

bringing together private and 

public efforts. 

How are feeder markets to 

Europe changing and how 

Peter 

De Wilde 

ETC President 

should people in the industry 

here be adapting to these 

changes? 

I would like to answer in more 

general terms. It is important 

for everyone involved in 

our sector to know one’s 

customer. By knowing and 

understanding our customer’s 

needs we will be able to adapt 

our services accordingly. That 

is why the ETC has a long 

history in market research, 

which forms the basis of all 

ETC’s operations. 

How does this new position 

change your work with 

Toerisme Vlaanderen? As a 

peripheral question, what key 

messages will be highlighted 

at ITB Berlin from your 

region? 

It means that my already 

stressed agenda is not being 

spared. But it is a responsibility 

which I take on gladly and 

with a lot of enthusiasm. As 

cofounder of the ETC, Toerisme 

Vlaanderen has always been 

a loyal supporter of the ETC, 

catering in the past for several 

presidents, executive directors 

and ETC-working group 

members. At this year’s ITB, 

Toerisme Vlaanderen will 

showcase its brand new stand 

and highlight themes like the 

commemoration of WWI, 

Rubens and his legacy, the Art 

Museum at the Sea and Cycling 

in the province of Limburg. 

What is your key message to 

the TOs and TAs from around 

the world attending ITB 

Berlin? 

Europe is a marvellous 

destination to promote to 

your clients. As ETC, we will 

gladly work together with key 

industry representatives who 

share with us a common goal 

in promoting Europe. 

Pedro Ortun 

Director for Tourism of the European Commission 

Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry 

Europe Proposes 

Easier Visas 

for Overseas 

Travellers 

On March 19 th , the European Travel 

Commission and the European 

Commission will officially present a 

proposal to simplify visa requirements 

for overseas travellers. The move could 

lead to a small revolution for European 

tourism. 

At ITB Berlin, more than anywhere else, you 

have every day confirmation that Europe 

remains global tourism’s most attractive 

continent. With close to 568 million of 

travellers, Europe represented 51.8% of all 

world international arrivals of tourists in 2013, 

according to preliminary figures of UNWTO. 

“However we could welcome even more 

travellers, if visa requirements were simpler. 

This has been a major source of complaint 

from overseas tourists,” recognises Pedro 

Ortun, Director for Tourism of the European 

Commission Directorate General for 

Enterprise and Industry. 

The European Commission is due to present to 

the public measures to obtain a visa in easier 

steps. “We will officially present our ‘visa 

package’ to the European Commission on 

March 19. It will be at least a leap forward as it 

will allow travellers to come into Europe. The 

measure will however request the approval 

from the parliament and from each country to 

adhere to EU visa rules. But I am confident as 

most countries recognize the need to facilitate 

tourism movements,” adds Mr Ortun. 

According to the Commissioner, the 

measures would include extending the visa 

waiver program to new countries. But also 

to allow, on the longer term, a two-to five 

year visa. The visa simplification for overseas 

travellers is part of the “Europe 2020” target 

for international tourism. 



EUROPE 

REGION 

13 

Lifestyle Serbia 

NTOS works in harmony with the ETC 

in raising visibility 

Gordana 

Plamenac 

CEO of the National Tourism 

Organisation of Serbia (NTOS) 

Tourism in Serbia is in constant progress. With an increase of foreign tourist 

arrivals and in the number of new airlines flying to Belgrade, as well as several 

prestigious awards for destinations and festivals is raising the awareness of 

the country’s offering. We asked Gordana Plamenac, CEO of the National 

Tourism Organisation of Serbia (NTOS) what products are being highlighted 

this year at ITB Berlin… 

This year at ITB Berlin 

NTOS will present the 2014 

thematic campaign “Lifestyle 

Serbia,” which mainly 

addresses young people 

and online marketing. 

However, city breaks, 

cultural heritage, active 

holidays, national parks, the 

Danube, gastronomy and 

wine, along with different 

festivals will be presented 

to the public. Serbia is 

also commemorating the 

beginning of World War I 

this year and has developed 

material to highlight relevant 

historic sites around the 

country. 

How has your work with 

the European Travel 

Commission helped place 

Serbia on a better pegging 

overall when talking to TOs 

and TAs? 

NTOS indeed has an active 

role in the work of ETC, 

sharing the philosophy and 

the spirit of pan-European 

thematic itineraries that 

have been prepared for 

the overseas markets. 

The participation of Serbia 

in these programmes 

represents the added value 

in promoting the destination 

and showcasing the concept 

BELGRADE IS 

A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE 

CONVENTION DESTINATION 

WITH PROXIMITY TO MAJOR 

MARKETS 

of working together with 

other countries and regions. 

In this manner, the country’s 

visibility is raised and 

the impact of its image is 

stronger, while also offering 

a richer experience to the 

traveller. Beyond promotion, 

ETC is the platform where 

joint work reduces the cost 

and enables an exchange 

of experiences, ideas and 

knowledge. 

Your challenge has been to 

get Serbia back on a par 

with other destinations as 

a reliable and competitive 

congress destination. 

How has this been coming 

along? 

The credit for the recognition 

of Serbia as an interesting 

convention destination 

is mostly thanks to the 

Convention Bureau of 

Serbia, which in the 6 years 

since its establishment, 

has managed to improve 

its ranking on the ICCA list 

from 72nd to 42nd place. 

In terms of prices, Belgrade 

is a highly competitive 

convention destination with 

proximity to major markets. 

How important is ITB 

Berlin to Serbia in terms 

of tourism promotion and 

why? 

It is more than evident 

that if a destination is not 

present at ITB Berlin it is 

as if it didn’t exist at all. 

ITB Berlin is the worldwide 

gathering of representatives 

of industry, media, 

inspirational presentations 

and educational guidelines. 

It is the “must be place” and 

Serbia is happy to make use 

of all the opportunities that 

such an event has to offer. 

Hall 2.2 

Stand 211 


14 REGION 

EUROPE 

Political Weight 

Behind French 

Tourism 

French Minister Sylvia Pinel 

visits ITB Berlin to support 

the nation’s tourism industry 

© Cleverdis 

France, like a number 

of other leading tourist 

destinations, is under 

increasing pressure from 

regional competitors with 

similar ambitions to be 

among the frontrunners 

in the field. It was this 

same concern that led to 

Brand USA being briefed 

by President Obama to 

shore-up the tourism 

industry in that country. 

It is in this context that 

Tourism Minister Sylvia 

Pinel visited the Atout 

One of the most popular 

destinations at the Atout 

France stand, Marseille 

has brilliantly followed 

through on its year as 

the European Capital of 

Culture by pulverizing 

targets with 5.6 million 

overnight stays in hotels in 

2013, a 7% increase from 

2012. Beyond its festive 

and artistic pursuits, 

Marseille Provence 2013 

will have given a powerful 

push to the tourist activity 

in the French regions of 

Provence and Camargue. 

At the same time, the 

Cruise industry has also 

France stand yesterday 

at ITB Berlin. Her show 

of support for the French 

exhibitors stresses the 

importance of tourism for 

France in terms of image, 

GDP, and employment; 

it also illustrates how 

seriously it is taken by toplevel 

politicians, as well as 

France’s will to “keep the 

yellow jersey”. The French 

president himself François 

Hollande has declared 

this industry to be a great 

national cause. 

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 

STATUS BRINGS REAL RESULTS 

grown by 30%, allowing 

the city to pass the 1 

million passenger mark 

once again. The whole 

region seems to have 

permanently joined 

the very exclusive 

club of major global 

tourist destinations. 

In fact, Marseille’s new 

reputation has been 

recognized worldwide: 

the very influential New 

York Times has just 

granted the city second 

place in its 

world ranking 

of must-see 

destinations. 

Hall 2.2 

Stand 201 

Building a New Industry 

in Bilbao 

The Basque country targets a bigger share of 

Spanish tourism 

“Spain in general has 

a reputation for great 

weather and beaches – but 

the weather in Bilbao and 

the Basque country is not 

typically so good, so we are 

focusing on big international 

events, cultural tourism 

and the best gastronomy 

in Spain to enhance the 

region’s reputation,” said 

Imanol Pradoles, Deputy 

Governor, Biscay, speaking 

at ITB Berlin. “This is our 

first time exhibiting at 

ITB Berlin, and it is a very 

important day. Fifteen years 

ago, the economy of the 

Basque country was still 

based on its traditional 

industrial heritage. There 

was no tourism sector. Now, 

tourism is becoming more 

and more important with 

visitor numbers increasing 

60% in the last eight years.” 

Tourism represents 12% 

of Spain’s GDP; Bilbao’s 

mission is to improve on 

their current level at 5.5%. 

“We received 2.6million 

visitors to the Basque 

country in 2013,” said 

Pradoles, “which makes us 

a relatively small market. 

But the tendency is that for 

every one of the last five 

years, visitor numbers have 

increased by 10% each year. 

Our goal is to double the 

number of visitors by 2020.” 

Central to the drive for a 

bigger share of Spain’s 

tourism income is the 

unique identity of the 

region. “We have our 

own language, a different 

culture – and this is crucial 

to differentiate us from 

Majorca, Ibiza or Catalunya, 

for example. There is 

also a need to change 

international perception 

of the territory, as it is still 

associated with its industrial 

past and for tourism people 

immediately think of San 

Sebastian – that is the old 

image of the Bay of Biscay,” 

said Pradoles. Seeking to 

change that perception, 

Bilbao’s ITB Berlin presence 

showcases music festivals 

and international sporting 

events – including its status 

as a host city for the 2014 

FIB Basketball World Cup 

this summer. 

Hall 4.2 

Stand 114 



EUROPE 

REGION 

15 

Croatia Gives You Wings 

Music festivals, movies and the Red Bull Air Race help bring a new 

audience to Croatia 

©N. Reberšak 

Darko Lorencin 

Minister of Tourism, Croatia 

Hall 1.2 

Stand 218 

The message from Croatia’s 

press conference at ITB 

Berlin was clear: “We are 

focusing on the Pre- and 

Post-Season (PPS)” said Meri 

Matešić, Director, Croatian 

National Tourist Board 

“when the weather is milder, 

the streets are less crowded 

and hidden treasures can be 

discovered.” 

This, combined with 

destination management, 

was also highlighted by 

Darko Lorencin, Minister of 

Tourism. “We are spending 

30% of our marketing 

budget on promoting the 

PPS, before and after the 

summer” he said before 

adding “Our drive is to focus 

less on numbers and more 

on the general product.” 

To illustrate this, he 

highlighted the arrival of 

the Red Bull Air Race in 

April as a major event likely 

to bring both numbers and 

attention to the European 

destination. The picturesque 

Adriatic coastline and 

idyllic countryside is also 

thoroughly showcased in 

the new German feature 

film, “The Penniless 

Millionaire” which tells the 

story of three generations 

of bereaved women on a 

journey through Croatia 

to discover the truth about 

their inheritance. Its star, 

German actress Michaela 

May, spoke at ITB Berlin 

about how she fell in love 

with Croatia while shooting 

what she referred to as the 

“modern road movie.” 

It is no coincidence that the 

film is a German production; 

as Meri Matešić pointed out 

“Germany is our number 

one market, with almost 

a quarter of all tourism 

to Croatia coming from 

Germany. “Croatia is in the 

top 5 holiday destinations 

for Germans,” she said. “But 

we want to go higher than 

that.” 

Minister Lorencin 

highlighted the country’s 

wildlife, its seven UNESCO 

heritage sites, gourmet 

culture and historical cities 

as factors that will lift 

Croatia’s tourism. “Only 40% 

of Croatia’s potential has 

been discovered,” suggests 

Lorencin. 


16 SPECIAL FEATURE 

LGBT 

Hall 3.1 

LGBT Icon: 

Vienna 

‘Kaffeehaus’ 

Vienna is increasingly a favourite among 

LGBT communities who appreciate its 

culture, history, elegant life style mixed 

with vibrancy and tolerance. 

Booming LGBT 

Tourism Industry 

in Pink Spotlight 

A wide range of events at this year’s 

ITB Berlin highlighted the LGBT travel 

market, including seminars addressing 

the integration of Pride events with 

urban tourism activities. 

What would be the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) 

travel hall at ITB Berlin without its famed Vienna “Kaffeehaus” 

with its glamorous transvestite waitresses? 

“Our Coffee house has turned into 

an icon of the LGBT Hall and is our 

best ambassador of our mindset,” 

explains Norbert Kettner, head of 

Vienna Tourism. “We have been 

present at the ITB Berlin as the 

Vienna Tourism Board since1968. 

ITB Berlin stands for new ideas and 

for emerging trends in the travel 

industry. It was only a logical step 

for us to be also present in the LGBT 

travel hall.” 

LGBT communities appreciate 

Vienna for its culture, history, elegant 

life style mixed with tolerance. 

“Classy but open-minded and safe 

for everyone,” stresses Kettner. 

For Vienna tourism, the gay market 

is an important niche segment. 

“Gays have high spending power 

and like to enjoy themselves. 

And today, it is a normal market 

Norbert Kettner 

Head of Vienna Tourism 

like many other niche segments. 

The fact we regularly organize LGBT 

Travel promotion events within our 

embassies abroad show how far it is 

an accepted fact,” explains the head 

of Vienna Tourism. 

“In an online survey answered by 

80,000 LGBT people in Germany, 

we arrived in first position as the 

most favourite destination. We are 

also very popular among Polish 

Gay/Lesbian travellers as well as 

generally in Central Europe,” he 

adds. 

Vienna works closely with Berlin 

to promote its gay life in overseas 

markets. Events have already been 

organized in Brazil, Canada or 

during the ITB Asia in Singapore. 

“We match perfectly well: Berlin is 

funky and party-driven while Vienna 

is positioned as a cultural hub.” 

Reflecting industry-wide 

growth, the Gay and Lesbian 

Travel Pavilion (“Pink Pavilion”) 

at ITB Berlin now has more than 

400sq. m in Hall 3.1, boosted 

by first-time exhibitors from 

Slovenia, Madrid, Majorca and 

Japan— as well as the show’s 

partner country Mexico. 

Long before this segment was 

acknowledged as a trend, as far 

back as 1998, ITB Berlin started 

showcasing travel products for 

the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and 

Transgender market segment. 

According to ITB Berlin’s CSR 

Commissioner and Manager 

of the Gay & Lesbian Travel 

Segment Rika Jean Francois, 

ITB Berlin’s success stems 

from the establishment of 

LGBT travel “as an equal travel 

segment” and from its pioneer 

efforts spearheading “the 

development and acceptance 

of this market.” 

Given the ITB Berlin’s pioneering 

role, it comes to no surprise this 

year’s ITB Berlin featured a wideranging 

program surrounding 

the topic of LGBT travel. Rika 

Jean Francois says, “There is 

no other trade fair where you 

find so many companies dealing 

with this segment and so many 

events”. 

Adds ITB Berlin’s LGBT 

Consultant and MD of Diversity 

Tourism UG, TomOnTour, 

Thomas Bömkes: “The ITB 

Berlin is the only global trade 

fair which provides both 

knowledge and business and 

international networking 

opportunities and gives LGBT 

Travel such a huge, diverse 

platform.“ 

Various seminars, receptions 

and the popular Gay ITB Party 

Holland Gay Pride 

(organised by TomOnTour) 

on the first evening of the ITB 

Berlin 2014 were all part of the 

platform. 

The 1 st Gay & Lesbian Media 

Networking Brunch focused 

on the latest news and 

development of some of the 

LGBT partners present in the 

‘Pink Pavilion’. This year the 

ITB Berlin LGBT conference 

slot stressed the growing 

importance of Gay Pride events 

for urban tourism.For example, 

CEO of Tourism Toronto 

David Whitaker discussed 

the challenge of developing 

products and services for 

tourists attending Toronto 

Pride Week, one of biggest 

Pride festivals in the world, and 

WorldPride 2014. 

Across the world, gay and 

lesbian events (attended by 

millions of people in the last 

years) will become increasingly 

important for the global LGBT 

travel map, as Bömkes points 

out. Sao Paulo alone attracts 

up to 4 million people yearly for 

its pride parade. 

“Opportunities will also arise 

in outgoing markets such as 

Brazil, China, India and Russia” 

notes Bömkes. 

© NBTC 



17 

HOSPITALITY / RESTAURANTS / BARS 

WHERE 

TO GOIN 

BERLIN 

WWW.WHERETOGOINBERLIN.COM 

CLUBS / EVENTS / SHOPPING / CULTURE 

Goodbye to Berlin… 

Romanisches Café in the Waldorf Astoria 

What strikes the firsttime 

visitor to Berlin is 

the freedom everywhere 

– freedom of expression, 

artistic freedom, intellectual 

freedom, creative freedom. 

Berlin is uninhibited. Berlin 

is afraid of nothing. Berlin 

is free and vibrant. The city, 

which was on its knees 25 

years ago, before the fall 

of the wall, has become 

a melting pot, a source of 

energy and creativity where 

artists, intellectuals, business 

people and tourists come to 

flourish. 

While barren for years, 

the underlying terrain was 

nevertheless fertile all along, 

Gérard Lefebvre 

Publisher of ITB Berlin News 

as demonstrated by the great collection of books from the 

beginning of the 20 th century about Berlin found at the 

Romanisches Café in the Waldorf Astoria – itself a beautiful 

symbol of Berlin’s dynamic, creative beauty. But we must 

salute the leaders and local political thinkers – whose openmindedness 

built the Berlin we know today. 

Goodbye to Berlin… 

DAY 1 Edition DAY 2 Edition Preview Edition 

DAY 3 Edition 

We would like to thank our Where to Go Berlin contributors for 

sharing with us this love of Berlin. 

Klaus Wowereit, Governing Mayor of Berlin…Markus Luthe, Chief 

Executive of the German Hotel Association (IHA)… and Burhard 

Kieker, CEO, visitBerlin.de 

For food-lovers, our MD Jean-Francois Pieri gives us all another 

reason to love Berlin! 

So, when you leave ITB Berlin, we can only advise you to dive further 

into the unique atmosphere of this city, and remember to make time 

to enjoy one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe – Berlin! 


18 

WHERE 

TO GOIN 

BERLIN 

Bars 

The Bellini Lounge 

The Bellini Lounge in Berlin- 

Mitte is modern bar culture in 

a subtly elegant atmosphere. 

The menu has been created by 

some of the best bartenders 

in Berlin featuring around 

100 cocktails and as many 

rums from around the world. 

Separated into a bar, lounge 

and sunny terrace, a highlight 

at Bellini is the four metre long 

aquarium with tropical fish. 

Bellini Lounge 

Oranienburger Strasse 42 

10117 Berlin 

Metro 

S Oranienburger Strasse 

S1 S2 S25 

U Oranienburger Tor U6 

Bellini Lounge 

Restaurants 

Ganymed Brasserie 

Ganymed Brasserie 

The Ganymed on 

Schiffbauerdamm 5 is one of 

the most traditional restaurants 

in the Berlin. The theme of the 

restaurant is French with classic 

lobster, foie gras, oysters and 

quail on the menu. Historically 

the restaurant was a meeting 

place for elites and free thinking 

artists in the GDR. 

Flammkuchen, or German 

pizza, is one of the house 

specials. 

Ganymed Brasserie | French 

Schiffbauerdamm 5 

10117 Berlin Mitte 

Tel: +49 (0)30 28 59 90 46 

www.ganymed-brasserie.de 

Metro 

S + U Friedrichstrasse 

S1 S2 S25 S5 S7 S75 U6 

KaDeWe 

Cultural 

Entertainment 

& Shopping 

KaDeWe 

Founded in 1907 KaDeWe 

is one of the world’s major 

department stores. Its fine 

and distinct feel for emerging 

trends, the elegant creations 

displayed in its shop windows, 

the design of the theme areas 

and, last but not least, the 

selection of products and 

services offered have all been 

instrumental in shaping the 

KaDeWe image. 

With 8 floors and more 

than 60,000sqm KaDeWe 

offers luxury goods, fashion, 

accessories, beauty, home & 

living, culture & entertainment 

and of course the legendary 

gourmet floor on the 6 th story. 

KaDeWe – KAUFHAUS DES 

WESTENS 

Tauentzienstraße 21-24 

10789 Berlin 

Metro: 

U Wittenbergplatz 

U1 U2 U3 

Museums & 

Exhibitions 

Deutsches 

Currywurst Museum 

Hip. Original. Unique. With 

great attention to detail 

Currywurst (curried sausage) 

is as much a part of Berlin as 

Brandenburger Tor. 

Traditional and unconventional 

at the same time, it is the 

culinary emblem of 

Germany’s capital city. No 

German national dish inspires 

as many stories, 

preferences and celebrity 

connoisseurs as this one does. 

Located centrally in Berlin, 

close to Check point Charlie, 

Deutsches Currywurst Museum 

Berlin presents the legendary 

snack creation and its own 

settings: from the invention 

of the Currywurst in the late 

1940s to the stories and its role 

in film, TV and music and its 

worldwide distribution. 

Opening hours: 

10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Audioguides available in 

German, English, Spanish, 

French and Russian language 

versions 

Deutsches Currywurst 

Museum 

Schützenstrasse 70 

- 10117 Berlin 

currywurstmuseum.com 

Metro: U-Bahn 

Kochstraße o. Stadtmitte: 

U6, Stadtmitte U2 

S-Bahn Friedrichstraße: 

S3, S5, S7, S75

ITB Berlin News - Day 4

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