ITB Berlin News 2019 - Review Edition

FRIDAY 

15 TH MARCH 2019 

REVIEW 

EDITION 

NEWS TRADE TALK EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 

A TOUR OF PLANET EARTH 

Dr Martin Buck 

Senior Vice President Travel & 

Logistics, Messe Berlin 

“One of the highlights that 

impressed me most was 

the introduction of the 

new segment, Technology, 

Tours and Activities” 

Read page 8 

Stephan Reichelt 

Product sourcing team lead, 

mydays GmbH 

“Individualisation is 

increasingly coming to the 

fore, mini-holidays are 

experiencing an upswing and 

the relevance of wellness is 

increasing” Read page 21 

YB Datuk Christina 

Liew 

Deputy Chief Minister, 

Minister of Tourism, Culture 

and Environment, Sabah 

“To attract more tourists to 

Sabah, we have to put new 

products in place – not just the 

same old thing” Read page 29 

Derek Hanekom 

Tourism Minister, 

South Africa 

“Growing numbers of 

tourists must benefit 

everyone involved, 

especially the micro 

and medium-sized 

enterprises” Read page 45 

Plotting the future course 

Giving direction to momentum 

– ITB Berlin leads the way 

The 2019 edition of ITB Berlin drew to a close 

with all involved agreeing that, more than 

ever before, the show has been a platform for 

planning a true course for the years to come – 

for the industry and indeed for the world. The 

numerous conferences and roundtables at ITB 

Berlin this year addressing the burning issues of 

our time, such as sustainability, overtourism, the 

move towards luxury tourism, future mobility, 

and travel technologies in all their shapes and 

forms. It is vitally important for all players in the 

industry to “sing in harmony” when it comes to 

the above topics, enabling the creation of a clear 

roadmap. In the following pages, we bring you a 

round-up of highlights from the show, as well as 

one or two items you may have overlooked. We 

also take you on a tour of some of the top stands 

– either as a memento, or if you couldn’t make it 

to Berlin, to give you an idea of what ITB Berlin 

was like this year. A highlight is our exclusive 

interview with Ahmed Bin Nasser Bin Hamed Al 

Mahrizi, Minister of Tourism for the Sultanate of 

Oman, ITB Berlin 2020 Official Partner Country 

(read page 27). 

Ahmed Bin Nasser Bin Hamed Al Mahrizi 

Minister of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman 

A TOUR 

OF PLANET EARTH 

© Messe Berlin GmbH 

In this edition, rather 

than concentrate on 

one single region, we 

take you on a global 

tour to look at some of 

the best that was on 

offer at ITB Berlin 2019. 

From Oceania, Asia, 

Europe, the Americas, 

the Middle East or Africa, 

there is news from each 

continent. Read from 

page 34.

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

NEWS 

5 

EDITORIAL 

Richard Barnes 

Editor-in-Chief, 

ITB Berlin News 

Culture meets culture 

REVIEW EDITION 

Friday 15 th March 2019 

CONTENTS 

News....................................... page 7 

Responsible tourism............ page 18 

Trade Talk............................. page 19 

ITB Berlin Convention.......... page 24 

Exclusive interviews............ page 27 

Stand out stands.................. page 30 


Asia............................................ page 34 

Oceania....................................... page 38 

Europe........................................ page 40 

Americas.................................... page 42 

Middle East................................ page 44 

Africa.......................................... page 45 

Where to Go in Berlin................ page 46 

The handover from Malaysia – Official ITB 

Berlin Partner Country 2019 – to Oman – 

Official ITB Berlin Partner Country 2020, 

represents the heart of what ITB Berlin is 

all about when it comes to discovering, 

understanding and promoting diversity 

in cultures. 

The meeting of these two cultures in 

this way is interesting, as while each 

is extraordinary, their bases are very 

different. On the other hand, each 

nation leads the way in its region when 

it comes to culture. 

A good example is Malaysia’s Istana 

Budaya national theatre, renowned as 

being number one in Asia since 1999, 

while in Oman, at the initiative of Sultan 

Qaboos, an accomplished musician 

himself, the Sultanate was the first in the 

region to open a veritable opera house 

– in 2011. 

Of course, Malaysia as a nation is very 

young, while the Sultanate of Oman 

dates back thousands of years. Malaysia’s 

catch-phrase “Truly Asia” is based 

on the fact that the nation is a highly 

diverse collection of different cultures, 

tribes, and national origins. This was 

indeed demonstrated in no uncertain 

terms at the opening event of ITB Berlin 

which also stood out through its colour, 

liveliness and professionalism. The 

baton has now been passed to Oman, a 

tiny nation in terms of population – just 

over four million, with Omani nationals 

making up around 60% of that. While 

being at the “heart” of the Middle East, 

bordering the UAE, Yemen and Saudi 

Arabia, Oman is also renowned as 

having a highly diverse culture, with 

one reason no doubt being its strategic 

location on the “Silk Road”. According to 

Ahmed Bin Nasser Bin Hamed Al Mahrizi, 

the nation’s Minister of Tourism, “We 

are open to all cultures and all religions. 

Churches and even Buddhist temples 

can be found in Oman and have been 

there for a long time”. 

So, from Malaysia to Oman… from the 

Far East to the Middle East. We look 

forward to seeing how the Sultanate will 

present its cultural riches at ITB Berlin 

2020. 

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ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 15 th March 2019

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

NEWS 

7 

Dr Christian Göke 

CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH 

Dr Michael Frenzel 

President of the Federal Association 

of the German Tourism Industry 

ITB Berlin 2019: 

3% rise in trade visitors 

The global growth engine that is the travel industry continues at full pace 

Uninterrupted growth at a high 

level: despite a slowdown in the 

world economy demand within 

the world’s travel industry remains 

extremely stable. As ITB Berlin came 

to a close last Sunday the economic 

outlook for the global industry in 

2019 is positive once again. The 

results of the five-day exhibition 

on the Berlin fairgrounds: trade 

visitor numbers rose to 113,500, 

a 3% increase compared with last 

year, underlining the fact that even 

in times of widespread uncertainty 

due to geopolitical and economic 

events such as Brexit and trade 

conflicts, ITB Berlin has retained 

its position as the World’s Leading 

Travel Trade Show. 

Trade visitors and exhibitors 

alike were highly satisfied with 

ITB Berlin 2019. In a survey, 

they gave ITB Berlin top marks 

for innovation. The trade show 

celebrated the successful launch of 

the Technology, Tours & Activities 

(TTA) segment, among others. 

Internationally, the ITB success 

story continues. Having already 

established ITB Asia in Singapore 

and ITB China in Shanghai, from 

15 to 17 April 2020 Messe Berlin 

will be holding the first ITB India in 

Mumbai. Within the travel industry 

India is regarded as one of the 

most important source markets of 

the future. 

ITB Berlin, which was booked up 

months beforehand, is seen as a 

reliable economic indicator and 

forward-looking trendsetter of 

the global travel industry. As a 

recognised think tank and driving 

force for the industry, the ITB Berlin 

Convention was the main attraction 

again for many trade visitors. This 

year there was a record number 

of high-ranking international 

speakers. The CityCube Berlin, its 

new venue, was also very well 

received. Topics focused on by the 

convention included overtourism, 

sustainability and climate change, 

the shift in customer demands 

particularly in the luxury travel 

market, and the topic of Future 

Mobility. 

“ITB Berlin is of great importance, 

particularly in times of widespread 

uncertainty. Even in a digitalised 

world, it is not possible for hitech 

communications to replace 

the confidence-building measure 

that face-to-face meetings and a 

direct exchange between business 

partners on issues concerning the 

global industry represent. That is 

why ITB Berlin functions”, said Dr 

Christian Göke, CEO of Messe 

Berlin. 

In Dr Göke’s view, there is good 

reason to believe that the global 

travel industry will do satisfactory 

business in 2019. On the one hand 

the travel industry had learned to 

deal with the consequences of a 

poorly performing economy, and 

on the other there was clearly no 

evidence yet of German consumers 

displaying the lack of optimism 

that had now spread throughout 

the global economy, he said. 

Dr Michael Frenzel, president of the 

Federal Association of the German 

Tourism Industry (BTW) said once 

again, the trade show was a place to 

inspire visitors to find out first-hand 

about important forward-looking 

topics, offering many opportunities 

to get to know each other better: 

“In a world in which the focus is 

far too often on confrontation, it is 

this understanding among peoples, 

this cultural exchange – which the 

tourism industry stands for more 

than any other, and which year after 

year is why ITB Berlin functions 

– that is the bottom line. ‘Yes to 

openness, and no to racism’: that 

is the clear message that we as the 

tourism industry continue to carry 

to the four corners of the world.” 

Norbert Fiebig, president of the 

German Travel Association (DRV), 

stated, “The German travel industry 

is optimistic about business in a 

year that will present us with a 

number of challenges. Despite 

ITB BERLIN IS OF GREAT 

IMPORTANCE, PARTICULARLY 

IN TIMES OF WIDESPREAD 

UNCERTAINTY 

that, Germans are as keen to travel 

as ever and the industry is wellequipped 

to meet the demand. 

At ITB we exchanged views on 

digitalisation and sustainability, the 

main trends, and made progress 

with our joint development 

projects. We established many 

international contacts and met old 

and new friends.” 

ITB Berlin 2020 will be taking place 

from Wednesday, 4 to Sunday, 8 

March, and from Wednesday to 

Friday will be open to trade visitors 

only 


8 NEWS 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

Dr Martin Buck 

Senior Vice President Travel & Logistics, 

Messe Berlin 

ITB Berlin 2019: a new dynamic 

Exclusive Interview: Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice President Travel 

& Logistics, Messe Berlin 

We sat down with Dr Martin Buck, 

Senior Vice President Travel & 

Logistics, Messe Berlin and asked 

him how the show has gone this 

year. 

One of the highlights that impressed 

me most was the introduction of the 

new segment, Technology, Tours and 

Activities, because this is actually the 

last part of the travel value chain that 

has not yet been digitalised. And now 

we see strong dynamics for doing 

this. This was an important part of 

our convention this year, especially 

in the eTravel World. What makes 

me very proud is that we obviously 

had perfect timing there – that we 

succeeded in “smelling” what’s going 

on, and this has been confirmed by the 

excellent feedback we have had. The 

presentations found a huge following, 

and were quite crowded. We also 

managed to acquire around 50 new 

exhibitors in Hall 4.1, and the hall was 

really buzzing. I was very happy that 

the ITB team had the right instinct with 

this. The second thing I like very much 

is having the big guys from the online 

travel industry, like Stephen Kaufer 

from TripAdvisor, or Mark Okerstrom 

from Expedia giving their presentations, 

as they are not only entertaining, but 

they really have something to say. It has 

been very important for us to establish 

the CityCube Berlin as the centre for our 

convention for the first time. Its capacity 

is double the size of what we had before 

in Hall 7.1. It was a big risk, but proof of 

concept has been delivered. The third 

thing is the establishment of our show 

in April 2020 in Mumbai, India. The idea 

has been there for a while, because it’s 

such a big market. In Asia, following 

the success of our show in China, this 

is the only big source market we had 

not been covering directly. Bringing the 

Indian buyers to Singapore or Shanghai 

was difficult for several reasons, and 

once again, the natural law of the trade 

show business has confirmed itself: the 

marketplace has to take place where 

the demand is. So, if the demand is in 

China, you have to be in China. If the 

demand is in India, you have to be in 

India. It’s always nice if you make the 

announcement and two days later you 

have the first bookings. I am happy 

about the dynamics we are producing 

at the moment and the shows we are 

doing abroad. The big challenge that 

remains is the digital challenge – with 

our new platform ITB.com. 

Next year’s ITB Berlin official partner 

country is Oman. I know that many 

countries are in the running each time. 

Why did you choose Oman? 

Just like our partner country this year, 

Malaysia, Oman is an absolutely 

wonderful country, but compared to 

Malaysia, it’s the total absence of jungle 

and the strong presence of desert. Oman 

has a very deep history. It is not only a 

beach destination or one for those who 

want to visit the desert, it is one where 

one can learn a lot about human history, 

as it is a kind of ‘interface’ between the 

oriental and the occidental worlds, and 

has been so for thousands of years. 

THE MARKETPLACE 

HAS TO TAKE PLACE 

WHERE THE DEMAND IS 

It seems like there were even more 

places this year where presentations 

were taking place in addition to the 

ITB Berlin Convention. Was this the 

case? 

Indeed, in addition to the CityCube, we 

had the eTravel World, Hall 4.1 – the 

adventure hall with two stage areas, 

Hall 11 with the universities, and the 

next big thing will be virtual reality… 

having started 10.2 which will no doubt 

grow… and AR will also be the next 

big thing for NGOs. The know-how 

and best practices are coming from the 

gaming world. 

What has feedback been like from 

exhibitors this year? 

I believe most of the exhibitors were 

very happy. I also had the feeling the 

atmosphere this year was very good 

ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 15 th March 2019 

www.itb-berlin-news.com

NEWS 

9 

ADVERTORIAL 

Official “Handover Ceremony” 

The Grand Final of ITB Berlin 2019 sees Tourism Malaysia senior 

staff members warmly congratulated by management of ITB 

Berlin 

Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice 

President Travel & Logistics, 

Messe Berlin with Datuk 

Musa HJ. Yusof, Director 

General of Tourism Malaysia 

Datuk Yusof handing over 

the baton to Salim Aday Al 

Mamari, Director General 

of Tourism Promotion of the 

Sultanate of Oman, the 2020 

Official Partner Country 

Mah Meri 

The new Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Musa 

HJ. Yusof was present at the official “farewell” for Malaysia 

as Official Partner Country 2019 at 3:30pm on Sunday 

10th March. Datuk Yusof and the entire support team were 

handed certificates from ITB Berlin “in recognition of the 

high commitment of Tourism Malaysia as the official partner 

country and trustful cooperation among all partners”. 

The certificates were handed over 

by Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice 

President Travel & Logistics, Messe 

Berlin (organisers of ITB Berlin), 

and Rika Jean-François, who is 

both CSR commissioner and in 

charge of partner country relations 

for Messe Berlin. Following 

this, the official “passing of the 

baton” took place, with Datuk 

Yusof handing over the baton to 

Salim Aday Al Mamari, Director 

General of Tourism Promotion of 

the Sultanate of Oman, the 2020 

Official Partner Country. 

Dr Buck and Datuk Yusof 

exchanged thanks and 

congratulations for the excellent 

relationship between the nation’s 

tourism authority and ITB, a 

relationship which, underlined 

Datuk Yusof, dates back 47 years, 

almost to the beginnings of ITB 

itself. He in particular thanked ITB 

Berlin for its support, while for his 

part, Dr Buck stated that there was 

no doubt that making Malaysia 

official partner country this year 

was “the right decision”. 

As part of what was a highly 

cultural event, dancers from 

Istana Budaya, Malaysia’s national 

theatre in Kuala Lumpur, opened 

proceedings, with the Mah Meri 

closing the event. 

Coincidentally, Istana Budaya 

this year celebrates its 20th 

anniversary. Indeed, on a par 

with the world’s best, Malaysia’s 

National Theatre, 20 years after its 

inception, is still number 1 in Asia, 

and one of the top few worldwide. 

Known locally as Istana Budaya, the 

state-of-the-art theatre was officially 

launched by the 4th Prime Minister 

of Malaysia on September 15th, 

1999. It is located in Kuala Lumpur 

and covers a total area of 5.44 acres 

with the physical dimensions of 

the theatre encompassing 21,000 

square meters. Its architectural 

design is based on a blend of 

various aspects of Malay traditional 

culture. Malaysia’s National Theatre 

takes pride as being the #1 theatre 

in Asia, and one just a few in the 

world with such sophisticated 

state-of-the-art stage mechanism 

for theatre performances, staging 

musical theatres from drama to 

comedy and concerts from classical 

to pop. 

Local arts & culture are highlighted, 

providing opportunities for 

creative expression and enhancing 

excellence in performing arts. 

Istana Budaya’s main function is 

to provide quality entertainment 

to the public, in accordance with 

Malaysia’s National Culture Policy. 

Istana Budaya continues to 

upgrade its technologies to be 

on par with those used by other 

theatres in the world. These 

include computer-controlled stage 

mechanisms, lighting systems, 

audio visual systems, and special 

effects. The Panggung Sari stage 

consists of 4 double deck stage 

lifts and 5 moving platforms 

also known as wagons. Double 

deck stage lift can be elevated or 

lowered up to 4.5 meters from the 

stage level. The moving platforms 

are made up of 4 side wagons and 

1 rear wagon. The 4 side wagons 

are movable side to side and the 

rear wagon can be moved to the 

front and back. There are also 

61 fly bars and a staggering 169 

point hoists. The speed, levels 

and points of these mechanisms 

can be controlled individually 

or in formation. Combined with 

their network of state-of-the art 

lighting, audio visual and special 

effects systems, the stage offers 

endless possibilities in creating 

spectacular stage orchestrations 

for any form of stage productions. 

The Mah Meri (meaning “jungle 

man”) is a group of indigenous 

people or “orang asli” living on 

Carey Island, about 28km south of 

the city of Klang in Selangor state, 

and just a couple of hours’ drive 

from Kuala Lumpur. There are five 

MAKING MALAYSIA 

OFFICIAL PARTNER COUNTRY 

THIS YEAR WAS “THE RIGHT 

DECISION”. 

Mah Meri villages on Carey Island 

with total population about 4,000. 

Mah Meri is indeed a subgroup 

of the Senoi ethnic group of 

indigenous people in Malaysia. 

Senoi are generally found in the 

central part of the Malaysian 

peninsular, and are believed to 

have come originally from Yunnan 

via Southern Thailand around 

10,000 years ago 


10 NEWS 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

Awards @ ITB Berlin 

ITB Berlin is renowned not only 

as a meeting place and platform 

for thought leadership… that 

thought leadership is rewarded in 

a number of award ceremonies 

during the show. These include 

the LGBT Pioneer Awards, To Do 

Awards, Columbus Awards, the ITB 

BuchAwards… the list goes on. 

At the book awards, winners 

included Cristina Mittermeier and 

Paul Nicklen, Andrew Solomon, 

Marco d’Eramo, Olivier Rolin, Per J. 

Andersson, Joshua Foer with Dylan 

Thuras and Ella Morton, Matias 

Faldbakken, Elke Heidenreich and 

Tom Krausz, Ilija Trojanow, Roberto 

Saviano and Giovanni di Lorenzo, 

Frank Vorpahl, Peter Hinze, Fredy 

Gareis, Rüdiger Frank and the 

publisher Roland Esterbauer. On 

this page, we also highlight a few 

of the other top award events. 

SUSTAINABLE DESTINATIONS: 

WORLD’S TOP TEN 

ANNOUNCED @ ITB 

BERLIN 

Making women visible 

in tourism 

Female executives and entrepreneurs 

in tourism, politics, media and NGOs 

again came together at the Palais am 

Funkturm at ITB Berlin on the eve of 

International Women’s Day for the 

Celebrating Her Awards. 

Women and their qualities shape the 

business world by mutually supporting 

each other, working tenaciously 

to improve working conditions 

for women and gender equality, 

exchanging views with one another, 

and by building and maintaining 

a close network of contacts. In this 

case, they each persistently shape 

their own area of tourism into a 

sustainable, peace-making, and 

flourishing industry. “Each one of 

you is a role model for every one of 

us,” said US Moderator and Strategic 

Advisor Anita Mendiratta of CNN’s 

TASK Group. 

The Celebrating Her Award is presented 

in five categories. This year, Egyptian 

Minister of Tourism Rania al Mashat 

was happy to receive the award for 

Tourism Policy and Leadership, her 

Greek colleague Elena Kountoura for 

Tourism Strategy and Resilience, and 

long-time fighter Mechthild Maurer, 

CEO of ECPAT Germany, committed 

to socially responsible tourism, for 

Child Protection in Tourism. ITB 

is a member of ECPAT as well. In 

her words of introduction, Anita 

Mendiratta spoke about how, for 

over 25 years, winner Jane Madden, 

managing partner of FINN Partners, 

has given a voice to the voiceless and 

looks where others turn away. Jane 

Madden received the Sustainability 

Award for her dedication to Corporate 

Social Responsibility. Founder and 

President Helen Marano of Marano 

Perspectives was honoured by the 

UNWTO community. The long-time 

advocate sent her thanks in a video 

message 

The world’s Sustainable Top Destinations – by 

Greendestinations.com were announced at ITB Berlin 

on 6th March. 

Sustainable tourism is 

usually a success when all 

those involved – in politics, 

administrations, neighbours 

and local residents – become 

part of the effort, and that 

is something the top ten 

sustainable destinations who 

received awards at ITB Berlin 

will know about. 

The competition is contested 

over a period of one year. 

To begin, 100 sustainable 

destinations qualify for the 

first round, after which the 

finalists are selected who 

present themselves in front 

of a large audience, and a 

panel including members 

of 12 leading international 

organisations at the Palais am 

Funkturm. 

Oman receives PATWA 

culture award at ITB Berlin 

The Sultanate of Oman made a new 

achievement in the tourism sector as it was 

awarded the “Best Destination - Heritage & 

Culture” in 2019 by the Pacific Area Travel 

Writers Association (PATWA), an official 

UNWTO affiliate. HE Ahmed Bin Nasser Bin 

Hamed Al Mahrizi, Minister of Tourism, 

received the Sultanate’s award, on the 

sidelines of ITB Berlin from Dr Taleb Rifai, 

former UNWTO Secretary-General, and 

Sagar Ahluwalia, the Secretary General 

of Pacific Area Travel Writers Association 

(PATWA) 


THE WINNERS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 

Best in Cities, Communities & 

Culture: QualityCoast, Western 

Portugal; Best in Nature: Chobe 

Makgadikgadi Okavango and 

Selinda, Botswana; Best in 

Seasides: Dutch QualityCoast 

Delta, Netherlands; The Earth 

Award: Kingdom of Bhutan; 

Best in Europe: Slovenia’s 

Green Destinations; Best in 

Africa: Volcanoes National 

Park, Rwanda; Best in the 

Asian-Pacific region: High 

Pamirs Mountain Region, 

Tajikistan; Best in the 

Americas: Vail in Colorado, 

USA; Best in the Atlantic: the 

Azores (Portugal); Best in the 

Mediterranean: Gozo, Malta. 

The theme of this year’s 

competition was “Tourism 

benefiting local communities”. 

It was the first time the awards 

ceremony took place at ITB 

Berlin. According to Albert 

Salman, director of Green 

Destinations, it had become 

clear that the award-winning 

top ten destinations were 

the best of the best in terms 

of quality, attractiveness and 

sustainable tourism 


BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

NEWS 

11 

Delicious 

Indonesia 

Working very closely with 

the UNWTO, Indonesia 

was strongly placing the 

spotlight at ITB Berlin 2019 

on Gastronomy Tourism. 

Vita Datau, head of the Culinary and 

Shopping Tourism Acceleration 

Team for Indonesia’s Tourism 

Ministry, says five destinations 

have been selected for special 

attention: Ubud (Bali), Yogyakarta, 

Solo, Semarang and Bandung. 

A year after beginning a programme 

with UNWTO in Ubud, results are 

already forthcoming. “We just did 

our preliminary report, and it will 

be used by UNWTO as baseline 

report to assess Ubud soon on 

May 2019,” explains Datau. 

“The programme will take more 

than a year before UNWTO can 

make a final announcement that 

Ubud is fulfilling the requirement 

as Gastronomy Destination 

Prototype. The process is excellent, 

as it encourages the stakeholders 

to contribute actively in finishing 

up the report, and also motivates 

the industry to enhance the service 

quality and promoting Ubud in the 

same time.” 

Spices, vegetables, fruits, wine 

and coffee all form part of Bali’s 

cuisine, with some Ubud 

restaurants regularly making it 

into lists of top restaurants in 

Asia. The region is of course 

also renowned for its “Babi 

Guling” – roasted suckling pig, 

a speciality in Bali. 

Indonesia’s Ministry of Health 

and Ministry of Tourism are also 

working to create food hygiene and 

safety standards across the nation, 

working together to develop 

standards to be implemented 

along with a massive training and 

certification programme. 

Several strategies are being 

developed in order to develop 

Gastronomy Tourism: 

• Strategy #1: Working with the 

Head of Region, or the owner of 

a destination, to improve facilities 

for culinary and shopping tourism; 

• Strategy #2: Working with 

communities and industries to 

promote culinary tourism in the 

region; 

• Strategy #3: Working with 

100 Indonesian Diaspora 

Restaurants all over the world 

as official partners of Wonderful 

Indonesia to promote Indonesia 

as a culinary destination, through 

their social media and in their 

restaurants, as well as through 

their customers. 

Datau says she hopes the new 

strategies will encourage more 

tourists from countries such as 

France, Italy and Spain, where 

gastronomy plays an important 

part of day-to-day life 


12 NEWS 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

AirDNA shines 

spotlight on global 

holiday rentals 

AirDNA presented its 

flagship tool MarketMinder 

which displays key 

hospitality metrics for 

Airbnb and HomeAway 

rentals worldwide, which 

helps users to make 

informed pricing decisions, 

spot peaks in travel demand, 

and better understand how 

their properties stack up 

against competitors. 

The tool also provides 

insights into the best 

locations for short-term 

rental investing. With 

neighbourhood and 

postcode level analytics 

available for all major 

markets worldwide, the 

web app allows users to 

explore different parts of 

town and discover the 

most profitable areas to 

launch a vacation rental 

business. 

AirDNA’s Market Summary 

Reports sheds light on 

the true impact and 

opportunity of vacation 

rentals for destination 

marketing organisations. 

Local authorities and 

tourism boards can use 

AirDNA data to put together 

accurate reporting, market 

strategically and devise 

effective tax policy. 

And in the near future, the 

demand for short-term 

rentals shows no signs of 

slowing down 

Duetto reaches 150,000 

rooms milestone in Europe 

Hospitality tech firm Duetto said it now 

provides revenue strategy solutions 

to more than 870 hotels, representing 

150,000 rooms in Europe, Middle East 

& Africa. 

Duetto said it continues to grow its 

presence in Europe, Middle East and 

Africa (EMEA), welcoming 10 new 

hotel companies in 2018. 

The San Francisco-based hospitality 

tech firm now services more than 50 

hotel companies across EMEA. In 2018, 

Duetto welcomed some of Europe’s 

leading hotel brands to its platform. 

The H-Hotels Group added its 

portfolio of about 60 properties in the 

DACH region (Germany, Austria and 

Switzerland) to Duetto in mid 2018, 

with plans to add further properties 

as it expands into other European 

destinations. 

Family-owned H-Hotels Group 

operates more than 10,000 rooms 

across its own brands: Hyperion, H4 

Hotels, H2 Hotels, H+ Hotels, H.omes 

and H.ostels, making it one of the 

largest hotel operators in the region. 

In November, Duetto announced its 

partnership with luxury hotel group 

Firmdale Hotels, which consists of eight 

luxury properties in central London 

and two in New York, including Ham 

Yard Hotel in London and The Whitby 

Hotel in New York 

CHINESE 

OUTBOUND 

TOURISTS SET TO 

DOUBLE IN FIVE 

YEARS 

Terry von Bibra 

European General Manager 

of the Chinese platform, 

Alibaba 

Prof Dr Wolfgang Arlt, Director of 

the COTRI China Outbound Tourism 

Research Institute, has announced at 

ITB Berlin that the number of Chinese 

people who can afford to travel 

internationally will double to 600 

million in five years. 

A Deep Dive Session (a new debate 

format at ITB Berlin), was devoted to 

the question of “How European hotels 

and tour operators can take part in 

this boom”. The debate was animated 

by Terry von Bibra, European General 

Manager of the Chinese platform 

Alibaba. Alibaba, often called the 

“Chinese Amazon”, is currently used 

by 642 million people. It should, 

according to research, reach two 

billion by 2036. 

Alibaba also offers a travel app within 

its platform: Fliggy is mainly used 

by Chinese millennials. “58% of our 

users are born after 1999,” says von 

Bibra. However, Alibaba does not see 

itself as the industry’s only player, but 

instead, as a technical “enabler” for 

its partners in the market. Fliggy is, 

therefore, not an online travel agency 

but an “online travel marketplace.” 

This means that Fliggy offers access to 

the Chinese source market. The system 

also includes a mobile payment option 

called Alipay, common in China, and 

every Fliggy customer is required to 

register. Fliggy’s goal is to connect 

local partners from all regions of 

the world and make them accessible 

to Chinese tourists, says von Bibra. 

These partners can implement ‘postpost-payment 

options’ as permitted 

by the legal framework. 

There are already partnerships 

between Fliggy and large tour 

operators and international hotel 

groups. But what about small tour 

and activity operators and boutique 

hotels? “This is still complicated,” 

von Bibra acknowledged, as the 

expense of implementation is not to 

be underestimated. However, Alibaba 

provides experts that can assist when 

entering the booming Chinese source 

market 



BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

NEWS 

13 

Launching The Originals brand 

New 

“Originals” 

brand 

targets 

authentic 

travellers 

A fundamental shift in tastes is 

driving customers to travel locally 

and enjoy a fuller experience in 

unique hotels. This desire for 

authenticity has breathed life into 

a next-generation hotel brand: The 

Originals, Human Hotels & Resorts. 

Founded 50 years ago by six 

independent hoteliers, the SEH 

United Hoteliers group developed 

into the fourth-biggest French hotel 

group. It also became Europe’s 

leading hotel cooperative with more 

than 600 hotels. With its vision of 

authentic hotel services, the group 

has now united all hoteliers under 

a single new brand. “We created 

The Originals, Human Hotels and 

Resorts to meet the new needs of 

travellers: a hotel brand offering a 

unique, human, full, personalised 

experience. Our aim is to develop 

this brand across Europe and 

showcase and pool the knowhow 

of thousands of independent 

hoteliers,” says Philippe Marguet, 

Chairman of The Originals, Human 

Hotels & Resorts Board. 

The wide range of hotels offers 

world travellers a rich palette of 

experiences and stays – from budget 

to luxury. The brand comprises 

six hotel offers, with different, 

easy-to-remember experiences for 

travellers: The Originals Collection: 

luxury hotels with exceptional 

spirit and character; The Originals 

Relais: high-end hotels located 

in the countryside, by the sea or 

in the mountains; The Originals 

Boutique: hotels in city centres 

with style and personality; The 

Originals Residence: fully equipped 

apartments, offering all the services 

of a hotel; The Originals City: 

city hotels, perfect for a work or 

family trip; The Originals Access: 

contemporary and functional hotels 

close to major roads. 

This development has also 

led to a digital and marketing 

transformation. By the end of the 

year, The Originals, Human Hotels 

& Resorts will provide guests 

with a booking site presenting the 

group’s 600 hotels and showcasing 

the know-how and originality of 

each hotelier. There will also be a 

quick and easy three-click booking 

module, and a paperless loyalty and 

reward programme 

Mauritius: Romance, 

culture and gastronomy 

Arvind 

Bundhun 

Director of the Mauritius Tourism 

Promotion Authority 

With Mauritius awarded the title 

“World’s Most Romantic Destination 

2018” at the World Travel Awards in 

December, it’s no wonder tourism 

has been enjoying a renaissance in 

the Indian Ocean island nation. 

“Tourism is a major engine of 

economic growth in the Mauritian 

economy,” Arvind Bundhun, Director 

of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion 

Authority, told ITB Berlin News. 

“We have been substantially growing 

the tourism industry by almost 5% 

per year,” he said, adding that the 

country has quickly reached its 

target of 1.4 annual million visitors, 

a figure that promises to expand. 

“Tourism is quite Eurocentric in 

Mauritius,” says Bundhun about a 

Europe-dominated source market. 

Traditionally led by France and the 

UK, this market has been buoyed by 

a large rise in arrivals from Germany. 

“We are very confident of maintaining 

this trend,” Bundhun said of a 

German market that increased by 

10% in 2018. 

This uptick was showcased with 

over 40 tour operators in attendance 

at an impressive Mauritius ITB Berlin 

stand that punches well above the 

island nation’s weight. 

As Mauritius taps deeper into the 

growing luxury resort market, the 

nation’s tourism growth should be 

further helped by emerging source 

markets such as China and Saudi 

Arabia. 

But while tropical beaches are the 

classical selling point, culture is 

another major draw in a nation 

where Hindu, Muslim, Chinese and 

Christian cultural traditions live 

side-by-side. “It’s not just a sun and 

sea destination. You have different 

cultures, different cuisines,” notes 

Bundhun, adding that “there’s 

something about Mauritius that 

other destinations don’t have: our 

service.” 

“The Mauritian is at the heart of 

the industry, and they are known to 

provide this legendary service with 

a smile,” he said. “That what makes 

Mauritius different.” 

Mauritius will be further showcasing 

this unique selling point to the wider 

travel industry when it hosts the 

World Travel Awards Gala for Africa 

and the Indian Ocean in June 2019 


14 NEWS 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

AMERICAN AIRLINES 

RETURNS TO BERLIN 

AFTER 25 YEAR 

ABSENCE 

Mohamed Sallauddin 

Hj Mat Sah 

General Manager Airline 

Marketing, Malaysia Airports 

The world’s largest airline American Airlines is 

back in Berlin after 25 years absence and will also 

inaugurate new flights to Munich on a seasonal basis. 

And there are positive signs that new routes from 

Berlin to Philadelphia and from Munich to Charlotte 

and Dallas might turn permanent in the future. 

Malaysia Airports: 

Kuching sees 

fastest growth 

Malaysia Airports (MAHB) is 

expecting to accommodate 

over 104 million passengers 

at its 39 airports in 2019, after 

passing the 100-million mark 

in 2018. We asked General 

Manager Airline Marketing 

Mohamed Sallaudin Hj Mat 

Sah which airports grew the 

fastest. 

Connectivity is improving in many of 

our airports and we have registered 

large interest from airlines for 

Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu and Penang. 

For example, Penang is now linked to 

the Gulf for the first time, thanks to 

Qatar Airways, which also launches 

flights this year to Langkawi. Last 

year, Kuching was however the 

fastest growing airport up by 9% in 

total passengers traffic followed by 

Kota Kinabalu and Penang with 8%. 

Please tell us more about the 

group’s evolution in 2018. 

We are generally happy that we 

reached the 100-million passenger 

mark last year although we saw 

growth moderating due to external 

factors such as national elections. For 

2019, we now expect further growth 

of 3.5% to around 104.5 million 

passengers. 

How is your future development 

going? Any increases in capacity? 

We are already thinking about 

the way to extend Kuala Lumpur 

International Airport as we slowly 

approach our saturation point. Our 

two terminals have a total capacity 

of 75 million passengers and we are 

currently working to optimize KLIA 

Main Terminal to stretch capacity to 

33 million. We also look at expanding 

Penang as total capacity is currently 

for 6.5 million passengers while 

last year the airport received 7.7 

million passengers. We are working 

on a masterplan which is due to be 

released soon. Kuching is also to be 

expanded in the near future. 

How important is ITB Berlin for 

MAHB? 

We actually chose Berlin to renew 

our marketing cooperation with 

Condor airlines in partnership with 

Tourism Malaysia. We also seized 

opportunities to talk with airlines and 

tour operators 

American Airlines is 

expanding its services in 

Germany by adding three new 

routes in 2019 from Berlin 

Tegel to Philadelphia and 

from Munich to Charlotte and 

Dallas/ Fort Worth. For Berlin 

it will be a historical event as 

American only flew there for a 

brief time 25 years ago. 

“Launching three new routes 

from Berlin and Munich to 

the US is a welcome addition 

to the German market,” 

said Tom Lattig, Managing 

Director Europe Middle East 

Sales for the airline. “We 

chose the route from Berlin to 

Philadelphia as it is one of our 

most important hubs in the 

Northeast. For Charlotte and 

Dallas Fort Worth to Munich, 

we see strong economic 

potential. These new routes 

will also facilitate connections 

from Germany to the rest of 

North America, the Caribbean 

and Latin America.” 

“Philadelphia is the third North 

American destination to be 

served non-stop from Berlin. 

This will further strengthen 

tourism and the economy of 

the capital region. Almost 

950.000 passengers flew 

from Berlin to North America 

and back in 2018. And I can 

assure American Airlines that 

the new BER airport will open 

its doors in October 2020, 

providing excellent facilities 

to the airline,” said Engelbert 

Lütke Daldrup, CEO of 

Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg 

GmbH. 

“With 2.7 million passengers 

per year, the USA is Munich 

Airport’s largest non- 

European market. The new 

routes will significantly 

enhance the overall 

connectivity for Munich and 

Bavaria”, added Thomas 

Weyer, Chief Financial Officer 

Munich Airport. 

Berlin will be flown four times 

weekly over the summer 

from Philadelphia while 

both Munich-Charlotte and 

Munich-Dallas will be served 

on a daily service. Charlotte 

will however be flown on a 

year-round basis 

American Airlines press 

conference at ITB Berlin 2019 



BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

NEWS 

15 

MESSE BERLIN TO 

BECOME MEMBER OF 

THE WORLD TOURISM 

ALLIANCE (WTA) 

James Jianzhang Liang 

Co-founder, Executive Chairman of the Board, 

Ctrip, at ITB China 2018 

Ctrip chairman to 

deliver keynote at 

ITB China 2019 

Event set to build on the success of the 

2018 edition with even more industry 

insights 

With 4,000 attendees featuring 120 

speakers and 70 topics last year, ITB 

China trade show and conference 

is expecting to build on the success 

of the 2018 event. Top speakers 

from China’s leading travel service 

provider and Conference Partner 

Ctrip, Partner Hotel Wyndham, 

Partner limousine services Shouqi, 

Mafengwo and many more will 

provide exciting insights into their 

markets. 

China’s travel think tank will 

kick off with a keynote speech by 

James Liang, Chairman of Ctrip, 

on 15 May, 10.10 am in Room A. 

He said: “I am proud to be in the 

travel industry, which enables 

people to move around, facilitates 

the communication of information 

and cultures, stimulates innovation 

in the society, and leads mankind 

to constant exploration. Thanks to 

ITB China for providing a platform 

of communication and cooperation 

in travel.” 

Decision-makers and opinionformers 

from the Chinese and 

international travel industry will 

impart their knowledge at the third 

ITB China Conference 2019, set to 

take place from 15 to 17 May at the 

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and 

Conference Centre. The Conference 

runs in parallel to ITB China, the 

business to business travel trade 

fair that focuses exclusively on the 

Chinese travel industry, and is coorganised 

by leading conference 

organizer TravelDail. 

THANKS TO 

ITB CHINA FOR 

PROVIDING A 

PLATFORM OF 

COMMUNICATION 

AND 

COOPERATION IN 

TRAVEL 

The three-day conference will 

provide up-to-date key insights 

relating to topics such as: 

Destination, Travel Tech, Online 

Travel, MICE, Business Travel and 

Education and Job Day 

WTA members include 

national tourism associations, 

influential tourism enterprises, 

academic institutes and other 

institutions from around the 

world. Messe Berlin, which 

is among the top ten trade 

fair and event organizers 

worldwide, has been officially 

awarded membership 

of the World Tourism 

Alliance. The partnership 

will help strengthen the 

communication between the 

global and Chinese travel 

industry. Through deep 

cooperation and the support 

and commitment of the WTA 

sustainable tourism growth 

WTA’s Secretary-General, 

Mr. Liu Shijun and 

Dr.Martin Buck, 

Senior Vice President, 

Travel & Logistics 

Messe Berlin 

In other ITB Chinarelated 

developments, 

the Adventure Travel 

Trade Association (ATTA) 

has been confirmed as 

the Official Adventure 

Travel Partner for ITB 

China 2019. For the first 

time, the association will 

join China’s travel trade 

show with a dedicated 

pavilion supporting its 

members, destinations and 

tour operators, in doing 

business with Chinese 

buyers. 

Shannon Stowell, CEO, 

ATTA said: “We are thrilled 

to cooperate with ITB 

China and co-host the 

first Adventure Pavilion. 

from China can be fostered. 

WTA’s Secretary-General, 

Liu Shijun attended multiple 

events at ITB Berlin and met 

with David Axiotis, General 

Manager of ITB China and 

Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice 

President, Travel & Logistics 

Messe Berlin, to talk about 

possible initiatives and 

projects. “We are very much 

honored that Messe Berlin 

has joined WTA and confident 

that with its expertise and 

experience we can build 

a more competitive and 

responsible tourism industry 

for the benefit of all”, said Liu 

Shijun 

ATTA PARTNERS 

ITB CHINA 

The ATTA is committed to 

developing a high standard 

of adventure travel 

throughout the world, and 

believe that our partnership 

with ITB China can bring 

long-lasting benefits. ITB 

China’s foresight to include 

adventure travel as a main 

component of the 2019 

event is exemplary. It will 

undoubtedly stimulate the 

delegates to explore the 

authentic and meaningful 

experiences that adventure 

travel can bring. We look 

forward to this next step 

in developing adventure 

travel connections 

between China and our 

international community” 


16 NEWS 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

ITB India 2020 launch unveiled 

ITB makes its way to the South Asian subcontinent in 2020 

with the inaugural edition of ITB India 

Organised by world-leading 

trade fair company Messe 

Berlin, ITB India will be 

a three-day business-tobusiness 

travel trade show 

and convention focusing on 

the Indian travel market. It 

will take place at the Bombay 

Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, 

India, from 15 to 17 April 

2020. 

India’s outbound travel expenditure 

increased 7% on average year-onyear 

between 2006 and 2016 and 

saw an even higher growth rate of 

8.5% from 2015 to 2016. This was 

higher than growth rates seen by 

China, Indonesia, and Brazil. 

“In recent years, we have given 

the ITB brand an increasingly 

international dimension,” said Dr. 

Christian Göke, Chief Executive 

Officer of Messe Berlin. “From a 

global and regional perspective, 

India is a vast source market for the 

travel industry with a huge growth 

potential. We are delighted that ITB 

India will in future complement 

the trio of ITB Berlin, ITB Asia and 

ITB China, making it a quartet 

and strengthening the global ITB 

brand.” 

The new ITB India show will bring 

together travel industry leaders 

and buyers from cities across India, 

and international exhibitors from 

the MICE, leisure and corporate 

sectors. ITB India will also have a 

Hosted Buyers’ Programme that 

will cater to buyers from first, 

second, and third tier cities in 

India. 

India’s economic growth means 

that its citizens are earning more 

disposable income to spend on 

travel. India’s outbound travel 

expenditure increased 7% on 

average year-on-year between 

2006 and 2016 and saw an even 

higher growth rate of 8.5% in travel 

expenditure from 2015 to 2016. 

This rate was considerably higher 

than growth rates seen by other 

major countries including China, 

Indonesia and Brazil for the same 

period. 

“Having successfully run eleven 

editions of ITB Asia, it is logical for 

us to progress to the next frontier of 

travel in Asia,” said Katrina Leung, 

Managing Director of Messe Berlin 

in Singapore, the organiser of ITB 

India. 

“We’re proud to be supporting 

Messe Berlin in organising its 

premier event in the Indian 

market,” commented Bernhard 

Steinrücke, Director General, Indo- 

German Chamber of Commerce. 

“As ITB is a renowned international 

brand, we’re delighted to be a key 

partner and together make ITB 

India the leading travel trade event 

for the India market.” 

Of the buyers at ITB India, 50% are 

expected to focus on leisure travel, 

with MICE and corporate travel 

buyers making up the remainder 

with 25% respectively. Almost a 

third of all buyers at ITB India are 

expected to have a purchasing 

power of more than US$1 million. 

C-suite level and key decision 

makers are expected to make 

the bulk of buyers present at ITB 

India with 70% of them from this 

segment. 86% of expected buyers 

at ITB India will also be from the 

western and northern parts of 

India. 

The excitement about ITB India was 

evident at ITB India Night, which 

took place on Thursday, March 

7. Hosted by ITB Asia and Messe 

Berlin (Singapore), the event was 

an opportunity to spend an evening 

with key leaders, networking and 

exchanging ideas on opportunities 

in the India travel market. The 

event took place in a relaxed 

atmosphere, with finger food and 

an open bar at Solar – Sky Lounge 

& Restaurant, Stresemannstraße 

76, 10963 Berlin, next to the 

Brandenburg Gate 

Incredible India ambassadors 

at ITB Berlin 

WOMEN IN 

RAJASTHAN 

UNDER 

SPOTLIGHT 

AT ITB 

BERLIN 

A seminar was conducted at ITB Berlin 

2019 on issues related to women 

travellers to Rajasthan. Rajasthan 

tourism organised a talk on the occasion 

of international woman’s day at their 

stand on 8 March at ITB Berlin 2019. 

Photo: Ms Meenakshi Sharma, Addl 

DG, Ministry of Tourism, India; Dagmar 

Gehm, Journalist; Ms Claire Martignier, 

Founder India and You; Ms Sreya Guha, 

Principal Secretary, Dept of tourism, 

Govt of Rajasthan and Dr Punita Singh, 

Jt Director, Dept of Tourism, Govt of 

Rajasthan. 



BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

NEWS 

17 

BLOGGERS’ FAVOURITES 

Sneak picks from a selection of bloggers at ITB Berlin 

Roberta Rianna 

Editor in Chief, L’Agenzia di Viaggi at Dugi Otok 

Escape from the overtourism 

in Dugi Otok 

by Roberta Rianna, Editor in Chief, L’Agenza di 

Viaggi, Travel Trade Newspaper 

“Hi Pavarotti, singing in the shower? Do not do it, wash 

quickly, here water is precious”. Maks and Dana welcome 

us in their Stone House Buljanovic, a stylish b&b in Dugi 

Otok, the land tongue of the Zadar archipelago, in Croatia. 

A welcome that is the first and fundamental lesson of life 

on the Long Island: respect the resources of the earth, food, 

even money, because there are only a couple of ATMs here 

and the connection is interrupted at the first drop of rain. It 

is likely, if not certain, to run out of cash and find yourself 

asking to borrow Kune to the inhabitants. Inhabitants soon 

turned into friends. 

Never heard of Dugi Otok 

before coming across a 

documentary: filmed by 

drones of cobalt blue bays, 

44 kilometres of steep curves 

on the Adriatic, barely a 

thousand dwellers. And then 

the final invitation: “Come, 

people, here you will find the 

Maldives of Croatia”. 

We arrive at the port of Sali, 

sleepy mooring of yachts 

and sailboats. Our house 

is on the harbour, from the 

window you can see the 

sea: crystalline as in the 

documentary. But the coast 

is mostly rocky. Nothing 

to do with the Maldives, 

except for the white sandy 

beach of Sakarun, the only 

overcrowded destination of 

Dugi Otok. 

We decide to rent a scooter 

and ride it across this Long 

Island, and yet small. From 

the park of Telašćica, green 

and wild with its magical salt 

lake, to the extreme north 

where the lighthouse of Veli 

Rat reigns. On the right, the 

sea with the Kornati on the 

horizon; on the left bushes 

and shrubs. The whistle of the 

wind and the buzzing of the 

bees as the only soundtrack 

of an island where Mother 

Nature still commands 

Transfăgărășan 

Transfixed by Transylvania 

by Rashi Sen, Editor, 

Travel & Tourism News Middle East 

Since I read Bram Stoker’s 

Dracula in my early teens, 

I have always dreamt of visiting 

the mysterious Carpathian 

Mountains of Romania, home 

to spooky legends, Romani 

gypsies and virgin, dark forests. 

Seven days in the country and 

we realised that rustic Romania 

is all that and much, much 

more. The Merry Cemetery in 

Sapanta, the wooden churches 

of Maramures and the stunning 

Transfăgărășan were just some 

of the places we were lucky 

enough to visit. 

My husband, my two-yearold 

daughter and myself 

started our road trip from Cluj- 

Napoca, the unofficial capital of 

Transylvania, from where we 

drove to Sapanta close to the 

northern border of Romania. 

Sapanta is home to one of 

the most unique cemeteries 

around the world - most of the 

tombstones are painted in a 

striking blue colour, mirroring 

the sky. The Merry Cemetery 

gets its name from the poems, 

paintings and stories that 

are inscribed on all the 600 

tombstones in this cemetery. 

The paintings often cite a funny 

anecdote from the deceased 

one’s life, such as an angry 

mother-in-law or a flirtatious 

drunk. 

This cemetery is not one to 

miss if you are a taphophile or a 

tombstone tourist – as the blue 

cemetery is one of those rare 

cemeteries that do not leave 

you feeling blue. 

Next on the cards for us were the 

centuries-old wooden churches 

of Maramures, eight of which 

have been awarded Unesco 

World Heritage Site status. As 

darkness fell and as the last of 

the tall dark wooden churches 

faded into the horizon, we drove 

south towards Transfăgărășan, 

one of the country’s highest and 

most expensive roads. 

Transfăgărășan is, without a 

doubt, the most stunning road we 

have ever driven on, and we have 

done all the top drives of Europe: 

the winding roads interspersed 

with stunning glimpses of Lake 

Balea completely did us in but 

the imposing fortress of Vlad The 

Impaler looming in the distance 

was definitely the cherry on the 

cake 


18 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 

Rika Jean-François 

CSR Commissioner at ITB Berlin 

Environment, equality, 

rights and respect 

Rika Jean-François, CSR Commissioner at ITB Berlin – 

on Responsible Tourism at ITB Berlin 

We asked Ms Jean-François 

what the highlights have 

been… 

During this year’s ITB we once 

again celebrated International 

Women’s Day, which had been 

recently declared a National 

Holiday in the city state of 

Berlin. There is hope. We are 

working on it. I am proud to 

have gathered many excellent 

and engaged women especially 

at our 2 nd Gender Equality in 

Tourism Seminar and at the 

4th ITB-IIPT “Celebrating Her 

Awards” which took place 

at the Palais in the eve of 

that new, remarkable Berlin 

Holiday. Male allies are always 

welcome – we still have a long 

way to go. On 8th March, we 

hosted a SheTrades panel in 

the Palais and welcomed many 

special female guests at our 

renowned ITB – Blue Yonder 

Responsible Tourism Network 

Event in the evening at 6 pm in 

hall 4.1b. 

Another subject close to your 

heart is Human Rights in 

Tourism. Please tell us more. 

At ITB, we foster dialogue 

and controversial discussions, 


as they pave the way to 

awareness. Violations of 

human rights are manifold; 

may they be because of age, 

gender, looks, colour of skin, 

disability, medical condition, 

economic status, origin, sexual 

orientation. It is important to 

address each one of them and 

to search for solutions rather 

than looking away. Tourism 

can help to open doors and to 

fight discrimination. It will even 

pay: On ITB Thursday we had a 

vibrant discussion on whether 

respecting human rights 

could economically benefit a 

destination. Indigenous rights 

and the challenge to promote 

an indigenous tourism which 

is a respectful and communitybenefitting, 

an often neglected 

subject, were addressed on 

Wednesday. One of the biggest 

challenges of the future is 

climate change. A 16-yearold 

girl from Sweden, Greta 

Thunberg, has become a global 

leader, skipping school on 

Fridays to demonstrate against 

the environmental sell-out – 

shaming and opening the eyes 

of all of us. School children 

from all over the world are 

joining in. 

Climate change, innovative 

mobility and changing 

customer demands were other 

key topics. What was discussed 

there? 

The ITB CSR Day, among 

other significant subjects, also 

addressed the pollution of our 

waters: 10 million tons of litter 

is dumped into the sea per 

year. This is not only having 

a negative impact on idyllic 

beach holiday destinations and 

tourism but on our ecosystem 

as a whole. To support best 

practices, ITB is proud to 

give out the ITB Earth Award 

to the Republic of Palau, a 

destination showing global 

leadership in combatting 

environmental degradation in 

the frame of the Sustainable 

Top 100 Destination Awards 

Ceremony that took place 

on Wednesday in the Palais. 

“There is no business on a 

dead planet!” Thank you for 

not looking away, thank you 

for participating and getting 

involved! 

ENHANCING 

TRAVELLERS’ 

EXPERIENCE 

AND 

MAXIMISING 

THE BENEFITS 

OF TOURISM 

FOR LOCALS 

WITH SOCIAL 

IMPACT TOURS 

Anula Galewska, Responsible 

Business Manager, Urban 

Adventures, Australia took to the 

stage in the Adventure Hall (4.1) 

to shed light on a case study of “In 

Focus” tours by Urban Adventures, 

followed by practical tips on how 

to design one’s own social impact 

tours that maximise benefits for 

locals and enhance traveller’s 

experience. Social impact tours can 

make travel into a transformational 

experience, letting travellers 

explore places from a completely 

different angle and support causes 

they truly care about. In Focus grew 

from Urban Adventures’ desire to 

give back to the communities. Their 

topics range from supporting Syrian 

refugees in Istanbul, to helping 

Kenyan women start their own 

businesses, to reef conservation 

in the Maldives. Each tour focuses 

on a local issue and community inneed. 

While the experiences vary 

in each destination, they all bring 

travellers face-to-face with a local 

issue and a program designed to 

address that issue. 

BEST CASES 

FROM INDIA 

Also on the adventure stage, 

Jayanthi Raghavan, Founder, Travel 

Responsibly and Sustainably, 

India delivered bets practices from 

India and featured destinations 

for responsible and sustainable 

tourism. The presentation included 

a quick peep into four states in 

India, and included a short video of 

each destination, followed by a case 

study from the destination. The case 

studies will include Best practice 

cases of homestays, community 

tourism, rural tourism, wildlife 

conservation, projects that give 

an alternative source of income to 

artisans, help conserve and promote 

languishing arts etc 


19 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

Arie Linsker 

CEO and COO, JetaLimo 

Delivering luxury to a 

broader demographic 

JetaLimo targets 

glamping and family 

travel 

Paul Gorman 

Senior Manager – Owner 

Engagement, Luxury Escapes 

ITB Berlin News spoke to Arie Linsker, CEO and COO at 

JetaLimo. We asked him about his company and focus at 

ITB Berlin. 

JetaLimo is a fast track and 

transfers integrator connecting 

travellers and agencies to its travel 

suppliers across the globe 

What are the main trends you are 

seeing in terms of buyer demand? 

There is no easy way to pre-book 

a transfer in advance at a remote 

location. JetaLimo was the first to 

introduce the real-time, seamless 

booking of this great airport 

solution. To date we cover over 

275 airports and only a handful 

of competitors have joined in 

the auto-provisioning of these 

solutions. 

What are you hoping to gain from 

this year’s ITB Berlin? 

Over the last three years of 

participation at ITB Berlin, 

JetaLimo has recruited 271 affiliates 

worldwide who are the backbone 

of our operation. We believe in 

strong, profitable relationships 

with our local providers, without 

compromising on quality and 

pricing for our clients. We hope to 

recruit as many as an additional 75 

affiliates this year to buy services 

from the across the globe. 

Are you interested in particular 

travel themes? 

There are two travel channels 

we are interested in this year, 

glamping and family travel. We’ve 

seen tremendous amount of 

growth in these two channels over 

the past few months. 

How important is the speed dating 

organised at ITB for you? 

I strongly believe that the speed 

dating during ITB is the single 

most important event of the entire 

show. It creates the perfect energy 

for conducting fast pace business 

and achieving the utmost results 

in just a few hours. 

WE HOPE 

TO RECRUIT AS 

MANY AS 75 

ADDITIONAL 

AFFILIATES 

THIS YEAR 

How important is ITB Berlin for 

you as an event and why? 

We attend other shows around the 

world, but if we look at the ROI, 

the value for money at ITB is far 

superior than that of any other 

travel show on earth. Everybody 

comes to Berlin, and we always 

make a point of being there as 

well 

Paul Gorman is Senior Manager – Owner Engagement at 

Luxury Escapes, an e-commerce platform based in Australia. 

ITB Berlin News asked him about his business and its main 

focus. 

Luxury Escapes is at its core a 

strategic marketing acquisition 

platform that works with our 

selected partner hotels to deliver 

new guests (and incremental 

revenue) from outside their 

existing distribution channels. 



Our market demands a great 

experience, and if I look at the 

Australian and New Zealand 

Markets it is becoming more 

prevalent that consumers are 

more savvy about what represents 

a great deal. 

CONSUMERS 

ARE BECOMING 

MORE SAVVY 

ABOUT WHAT 

REPRESENTS A 

GREAT DEAL 

What were you hoping to achieve 

at this year’s ITB Berlin? 

I set out to introduce Luxury 

Escapes to a broader market and 

drive new campaigns with new 

hotel partners in regions that we 

have not showcased as yet. 

Are you interested in particular 

travel themes? 

I am focused on higher end luxury 

hotels and resorts, looking for 

independent and more boutique 

management companies that 

have hotels and resorts in 

locations that we believe we can 

drive new business to. 

How important was the speed 

dating organised at ITB for you? 

It is important, however, as I 

am looking for a certain type 

of product, it would be good to 

be able to segment the speed 

dating into product genres as I 

believe this would enhance the 

experience and ensure that most 

meetings are relevant to what 

both sides of the table are looking 

for. 

Why did you decide to join the ITB 

Berlin Buyers Circle, and what, 

for you, are the key advantages 

of being a member? 

I have been a member of Buyers 

Circle now for four years, and 

each year it has allowed me to 

be far more efficient in my time 

management at ITB. It is such a 

big show with a lot of ground to 

cover, Buyers Circle allows to be 

more strategic in my planning 


21 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

Bianca 

Meeuwissen 

General Manager, 

My World of Experiences, 

Andorra 

Driving new ideas for 

customers in Andorra, 

France and Spain 

Bianca Meeuwissen is 

General Manager of My 

World of Experiences, an 

agency based in Andorra. 

We started by asking her 

about her business and her 

experiences at ITB Berlin. 

My World of Experiences is focused 

on incoming tourism for Andorra, 

but also France and Spain. At ITB 

Berlin we were buying new ideas 

for Spain and France that I could 

combine with Andorra – and I was 

also looking at different overnight 

stay options in different places. 

What are the main trends you 

are seeing in terms of buyer 

demand? 

People are always looking for new 

options, which is not always easy, 

as Andorra, for example, is only 

486sq kilometres in size, so I’ve 

been trying to reinvent myself for 

25 years. Sometimes it’s a little 

difficult. 

Can you tell us about the 

formation earlier this year of 

Local Experts? 

We established Local Experts, 

which has been set-up by six likeminded 

businesses in different 

destinations. We all have one thing 

in common because we are all in 

love with our destinations, and we 

are all owners of our companies. 

After ITB Berlin, we will all share 

the business cards that we have 

gathered during the show. We are 

very much alike but all in different 

destinations – and it’s great fun. 

What was your experience of the 

speed networking event? 

Speed networking was good. I liked 

it and I made some nice contacts, 

because I’m also thinking that 

within My World of Experiences, 

one of my dreams is a World of 

Wellbeing. I’m a practitioner of 

reiki, I can massage and am a 

yoga teacher and I wanted to do 

something with that and at ITB 

Berlin I met some people that can 

help me with that part. 

What are the main benefits of 

being in the ITB Buyers Circle? 

I think it is an ideal place to 

work and rest and to be able to 

charge devices. It’s great to have 

refreshments and to be able to 

relax a little bit. The 15-minute 

massage made my day, but I could 

have done with some reflexology 

as well 

SPEED 

NETWORKING 

WAS GOOD. 

I LIKED IT AND 

I MADE SOME 

NICE 

CONTACTS 

Experiencing 

unforgettable moments 

and extraordinary 

adventures 

Stephan Reichelt is product 

sourcing team lead - 

mydays GmbH. ITB Berlin 

News asked him about his 

business and its main focus. 

Thanks to mydays and Jochen 

Schweizer, more than a 

million people can experience 

unforgettable moments and 

extraordinary adventures every 

year. The tour operator Hip Trips, 

WE EXPECT 

WELLNESS 

TOURISM TO 

GROW TWICE 

AS FAST AS THE 

USUAL 

SEGMENTS 

OVER THE NEXT 

FEW YEARS. 

the leisure community Spontacts, 

the gift expert Joidy, the ticketing 

software provider Regiondo and 

Jochen Schweizer Technology 

Solutions also belong to our group. 



Three trends have become 

very clear: individualisation is 

increasingly coming to the fore, 

mini-holidays are experiencing 

an upswing and the relevance of 

wellness is increasing. When it 

comes to what people experience 

during their holiday, we expect 

wellness tourism to grow twice as 

fast as the usual segments over the 

next few years. 

What were you hoping to gain 

from this year’s ITB Berlin? 

Our focus at this year’s ITB was 

on building new relationships and 

strengthening existing ones. Our 

strategy is to further develop and 

expand our B2B MICE business. 

With our know-how, we want to 

position mydays Events as the 

expert for incentives, events and 

travel. 

How important was the speed 

dating organised at ITB for you? 

It’s a useful tool! It lets you make 

contact with as many people 

as possible in a short period of 

time. You can come home full of 

inspiration and fresh ideas. 

Why did you decide to join the 

ITB Berlin Buyers Circle? 

Thanks to the ITB Berlin Buyers 

Circle, we have access to 1,000 top 

buyers and key decision-makers 

from around the world. It means 

that we can immediately enter 

into concrete talks with the new 

contacts we’ve made during the 

speed dating event 

Stephan 

Reichelt 

Team lead Product Sourcing, 

mydays GmbH 


22 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

Agio Aminah 

Director of Baboon 

Adventure Safaris 

Iceland agency 

impressed 

with Speed 

Networking 

Gorilla trekking takes 

centre stage at the 

ITB Buyers Circle 

Lyn Ong Kai Lin 

Marketing Manager 

Marina TravelEngagement, 

Luxury Escapes 

Agio Aminah is Director of Baboon Adventure Safaris, 

a Uganda-based business that offers gorilla trekking to 

customers from Rwanda, Congo and Tanzania. We asked 

her to tell us about her business and first-time experience 

at ITB Berlin. 

The trekking can take up to 

three hours to get to where the 

gorillas are. In the morning, after 

breakfast, we guide you and tell 

you what to do. When you find a 

family of babies, the babies are 

very friendly, only the mothers 

are a little protective. We have 10 

families of gorillas. The Uganda 

Wildlife Authority is responsible 

for policing trekking. When a 

client comes and wants to book 

gorilla trekking, there is a permit 

that you must have, which costs 

€534 (US$600) 

Please tell us about your first 

experience of ITB Berlin 

At ITB Berlin, I was very 

impressed with the quality of 

the appointments that I had. We 

spoke to a potential client who 

has confirmed that they will come 

gorilla trekking in April. I was very 

happy to do this. I didn’t expect to 

get a client so quickly. I’ve also 

picked up interest from companies 

in Italy, Spain and Holland who 

are keen on becoming agents for 

my business. Also at ITB Berlin, I 

was approached by a company in 

South America that wants to use 

my cars in Uganda to operate a 

fleet service. My company will be 

their agent for that business. He 

will sign a contract for that later 

ITB BERLIN 

HAS SMASHED 

MY 

EXPECTATIONS 

this month, which has made me 

very happy. The fleet will start 

with 23 cars and we will keep 

adding and adding vehicles. 


ITB Buyers Circle? 

I am very grateful to be in the ITB 

Buyers Circle and I will definitely 

come back. I have had the best 

time here in Berlin and it has 

smashed my expectations 

Lyn Ong Kai Lin is Marketing 

Manager of Marina Travel, an 

Iceland-based travel agency, 

handling both inbound and 

outbound travel. We started 

by asking her what the main 

focus of her trip to ITB Berlin 

was. 

We do both inbound and outbound, 

but we were looking to expand 

our network and opportunities for 

outbound from Iceland. Basically, 

every country is interesting to us 

as we are expanding that part 

of our business and we came to 

ITB Berlin to meet operators and 

products from all the different 

countries that we could be selling. 

We are very open to opportunities. 

What are the main trends in 

terms of buyer demand? 

For us, a good number of our 

customers are looking for beach 

holidays, especially during the 

summer. They like to travel with 

their children to somewhere that 

is kid friendly and they can have 

some sunshine. We are open to 

exploring opportunities in Asia, 

South America and Africa. 

What did you make of the Speed 

Networking event? 

Speed Networking was amazing. 

Within the allotted time we had 

met around 30 people although 

there were only nine in my 

schedule. It was great to just sit 

there, and people come to talk to 

me, it was perfect. There were a 

couple of interesting companies 

at the speed networking event 

that there is very good potential 

we could be working with in the 

future. 

SPEED 

NETWORKING 

WAS AMAZING. 


ITB Buyers Circle? 

I joined the ITB Buyers Circle for the 

access that I get to many different 

places and people. I am able to 

speak with my boss without any 

noise or clatter. 

How important is ITB Berlin as 

an event and why? 

This was the first time I came to 

ITB Berlin, although I have been 

to ITB Asia before. ITB Berlin has 

been very interesting and moving 

forward, we may consider to be 

an exhibitor in the future. It’s been 

a successful trip and I have also 

had a chance to meet with existing 

providers 



23 

BROUGHT 

TO YOU BY 

Allison 

Heller 

Product Development 

Specialist, 

Gate 1 Travel 

ITB Berlin, 

the place to get 

business done 

Simone Lini is Chief Commercial and Product Officer at 

Jetcost and Lastminute.com. We started by asking him to 

tell us about his time at ITB Berlin. 

US customers 

opting for authentic 

experiences 

Allison Heller is Product Development Specialist at Gate 1 

Travel, which is based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. 

We started by asking her about the company. 

Gate 1 Travel is a family-owned 

and operated business, founded 

in 1981. We operate on all seven 

continents and we cater for mostly 

an American market. We do have a 

sales office in Florida, as well as a 

sales office in Australia. In the US, 

we send about 300,000 American 

clients around the world. We have 

over 26 offices worldwide and 400 

employees. 

What are the main trends you see 

in terms of buyer demand? 

I work on a lot of independent 

packages in Central Europe, as well 

as in Egypt. Gate 1 just got back into 

Egypt after a 10-year hiatus due to 

all the conflict in the Middle East. 

We got back into Egypt about a year 

ago and it’s one of our best-selling 

markets currently. Customers want 

authentic experiences. We have a 

tour series brand, called Discovery 

Tours, which tends to offer smaller 

tours. Our Classic Tours are 

generally 35-42 passengers per 

coach, and that includes a tour 

manager; with our Discovery Tours 

those have a maximum group size 

of 22 people. The Gate 1 clientele 

is typically older Americans that 

have a little bit more time to travel, 

who aren’t necessarily restricted 

by work schedules or holiday time. 

Did you take part in the Speed 

Networking event? 

It was a fantastic event, the first 

time I had done anything like that. 

I definitely need to bring more 

business cards next year. I got to 

meet a lot of different people – 

scheduling of the event was very 

easy. 

I 

DEFINITELY 

NEED TO BRING 

MORE 

BUSINESS 

CARDS NEXT 

YEAR 

Why did you join the ITB Buyers 

Circle? 

We thought we would try it 

out. There are some perks that 

come with it, such as the Speed 

Networking, which really enticed 

me. Having the lounge, to come 

and sit down, has been key. I’ll 

absolutely be back next year 

ITB Berlin has been super 

productive. We had a lot of 

partners at ITB Berlin and it is one 

of the most effective events, where 

you can have a lot of meetings. 

It’s always nice to see partners in 

person, but you’d have to fly all the 

way around the world, so it’s great 

to have one place where you can 

meet them all. 

ITB BERLIN 

HAS BEEN 

SUPER 

PRODUCTIVE 

What were your key highlights at 

ITB Berlin? 

I wear two hats, commercial and 

product. On the commercial side, 

we had a lot of partners and this 

was great to meet them to see how 

things are going and how we can 

improve with them. On the product 

side, we are always happy to take 

a look at what is going on with 

regards to start-up technologies 

that were being shown. 

On the first day we had 20 meetings, 

thankfully I had another three 

members of my team with me, so 

I didn’t have to do all 20 meetings 

by myself. 

What are the benefits of being 

part of the ITB Buyers Circle? 

When you are trying to make 

business decisions, it’s key to be 

in a quiet environment to have a 

private conversation. That’s why I 

am delighted to be part of the ITB 

Buyers Circle. 

How do you sum up your time 

spent at ITB Berlin? 

There is a reason why I’ve been 

to ITB Berlin for the last four 

years, it’s so effective. It’s hard 

to find other shows where you 

have the same density of people 

that are working in this industry 

as there are at ITB Berlin. Berlin 

is probably my favourite city in 

Europe, it’s so lively, and there’s 

always something going and it’s 

very relaxed. I love being here 

Simone Lini 

Chief Commercial & 

Product Officer, 

Jetcost 

and Lastminute.com. 


24 

Wellness tourism 

enjoying growth 

says GWI’s Ellis 

Mark Okerstrom (left) with Philip Wolf 

After the big numbers 

it’s time to look after 

the travellers 

Now in his third year as Expedia Group CEO, Mark 

Okerstrom joined PhoCusWright founder Philip Wolf at ITB 

for a conversation about the company, the travel industry 

and where it may go next. 

ITB delegates heard extraordinary 

numbers achieved by a company 

that is now in 75 countries 

with brands including Expedia, 

Hotels.com, Expedia Partner 

Solutions, Orbitz, Travelocity, 

Hotwire, CheapTickets, ebookers, 

CarRentals.com, Expedia 

CruiseShipCenters, Wotif, Egencia, 

HomeAway and a majority stake in 

Trivago. 

Founded in 1996, Expedia was 

initially a division within Microsoft 

operating solely as an online travel 

booking service. The company has 

since grown to become the world’s 

leading online travel agency that 

attracts 700 million visitors every 

month and serves two million 

corporate travellers, one million 

properties and 500 airlines. 

Before Expedia and other online 

booking services came on stream 

“the traveller was being served by 

a travel agent”, Okerstrom said. 

“Good agents would ask questions, 

make recommendations and 

follow up with the traveller after 

the experience. Our first 20 years 

was about building traffic and 

building platforms. The next 20 

years are about doing the work 

that an agent does and looking 

after the traveller.” 

Expedia is also about living up 

to the promise of the internet, he 

said. “You know when Tom Cruise 

is walking through the mall in 

Minority Report and all the ads on 

the screens around him change to 

suit his profile as he goes? Well we 

can do that now,” he said. And the 

untapped potential is huge. “There 

is no more global an industry than 

the travel industry. And what is the 

first thing that people do when they 

get money? They go travelling.” 

WHAT IS 

THE FIRST 

THING THAT 

PEOPLE DO 

WHEN THEY 

GET MONEY? 

THEY GO 

TRAVELLING 

But building – and operating – the 

right platform is “hard”, he said. 

“Airbnb has built an incredible 

business and a brand that stands 

for something.” What of rumours 

that Airbnb might start an airline? 

“Well with an airline you have 

to work with different groups of 

people, some of whom you might 

not want to work with,” Okerstrom 

said. “And there are 15 billion flight 

searches worldwide per month. 

Something like that needs a huge 

infrastructure” 

On Wednesday 7 March at the ITB Berlin Convention, Global 

Wellness Institute (GWI) Chairman and CEO Susie Ellis 

provided a wide-ranging analysis of the $4.2tr (€3.74tr) 

Wellness economy. She said: “10-15 years ago, we didn’t 

use the term very much – but today wellness is everywhere, 

from the workplace to tourism.” 

While the biggest contributors 

to the Wellness economy are 

personal care and nutrition, Ellis 

said that Wellness Tourism is also a 

large and growing market – worth 

$639bn in 2017. “All Wellness 

categories grew faster than GDP 

between 2015 and 2017, but 

Wellness Tourism was one of the 

strongest. At 6.4% it was nearly 

double GDP (3.6%). And we are 

projecting annual growth of 7.5% 

through until 2022.” 

Such is the dynamism of the 

segment that a growing number of 

countries and regions are putting 

Wellness “front and centre” of 

their tourism offerings, Ellis said. 

She cited examples from around 

the world including Costa Rica, 

Thailand, India, Norway and 

Bhutan. 

Wellness offerings around the 

world are very distinctive and often 

rooted in local culture, Ellis said, 

and she welcomed this, saying 

that “tourists want special and 

authentic”. 

She also said there is a distinction 

between “Primary” and 

“Secondary” Wellness Tourism. 

Primary is where wellness is the 

core reason for a journey, whereas 

secondary covers situations where 

wellness plays a part in a trip. “The 

latter category is by far the bigger,” 

she added. 

In terms of the key markets for 

Wellness, Ellis said North America 

and Europe are currently the 

biggest by some margin. However 

Asia-Pacific is growing fast, with 

The Middle East and North Africa 

close behind. 

Ellis said there is still some 

confusion between Medical and 

Wellness Tourism. She set out GWI’s 

definitions – saying that Medical 

tends to involve treatment, doctors 

and is reactive. Wellness is more 

about voluntary maintenance and 

stress reduction. “I think one of the 

confusions is due to the use of the 

term Health Tourism, which blurs 

things” 



25 

Promoting 

destinations with 

digital storytelling 

Michael Collins at the eTravel Lab 

How YouTube makes 

friends and influences 

consumers 

Invaluable insights into how 

the travel industry can use 

YouTube to dramatically 

improve engagement and 

reach out to potential 

customers emerged during 

a packed presentation by 

Travelmedia.ie founder and 

managing director, Michael 

Collins. 

Travel industry stakeholders who 

ignore YouTube do so at their peril, 

Collins said. 

“We all know that in today’s world, 

you cannot control your brand, 

only manage it. But you have to 

engage and manage it well. With 

YouTube you know other people 

are talking about your brand, 

sometimes in ways you don’t want 

them to,” he told the eTravel Lab 

event audience. 

The solution, he said, was to 

thoroughly understand and exploit 

YouTube’s listing and search engine 

optimisation (SEO) characteristics 

to ensure your video gained the 

highest profile possible, and was 

the first thing that appeared when a 

customer sought out your business. 

“YouTube is unique in three ways,” 

he explained. “As a search engine, 

social media platform, or television. 

It’s great, but most people [in the 

business] don’t use it, which I find 

strange. YouTube is the world’s 

second largest search engine and 

third most-visited site after Google 

and Facebook.” 

Collins was joined on stage by Tom 

Otley of Business Traveller, who 

explained how, with Travelmedia’s 

help, videos posted by the 

magazine rating the services of 

various airlines saw exponential 

increases in viewership in a matter 

of days, and continued to build its 

audience. 

“The same applies to any brand in 

this room,” said Collins. “Whether 

you are a hotel, an airline or a 

tourist board I can guarantee there 

are people out there making critical 

videos about you.” 

WITH 

YOUTUBE YOU 

KNOW OTHER 

PEOPLE ARE 

TALKING 

ABOUT YOUR 

BRAND... 

He said YouTube should be treated 

as a social media platform and a 

search engine like any other. It 

was important not to “dump and 

run” by putting videos online, and 

failing to engage with viewers or 

those who posted comments. 

Collins added that YouTube should 

be treated like news television with 

timely, relevant and useful content. 

Finally, research and trial-by-error 

were vital to pinpoint the right SEO 

phrases to draw viewers to your 

video 

Lola Akinmade Akerström 

Co-Founder, NordicTB.com 

At this year’s ITB Berlin 

Convention, Lola Akinmade 

Akerström, Co-Founder, 

NordicTB.com, spoke 

about “Creating Natural 

Ambassadors For Travel 

Brands And Destinations” 

The key theme was the need to 

promote destinations through 

high quality and authentic digital 

storytelling told by “natural 

ambassadors.” 

“Nowadays the travel industry is 

saturated with numbers that may 

not mean anything,” she told ITB 

Berlin News. “So what we’re trying 

to teach destinations: you want to 

create quality content about your 

destinations, SEO optimised, that 

lasts.” 

When potential visitors are 

researching your destination, 

they need to easily find content 

that “represents your destination 

comprehensively, properly and has 

a long life,” Åkerström said. 

Such quality storytelling demands 

that inspired travel bloggers 

and authors “who already love 

your brand” have “the freedom 

to write or speak in their own 

voice,” the Stockholm-based 

writer and photographer added. 

“The strength is the flexibility to 

discover things organically.” The 

result will be quality, authentic and 

above all timeless narratives about 

destinations. 

With Åkerström’s work having 

appeared in publications such as 

National Geographic Traveller, 

BBC, CNN, The Guardian, Travel 

+ Leisure, Travel Channel, Lonely 

Planet, and many more, Åkerström 

has the inside track on the best in 

travel writing. With NordicTB she 

is giving destinations to chance 

to utilize lasting stories by finding 

the best ways - often on a limited 

budget - to connect with writers 

and photographers who already 

have an affinity with a travel brand 

or destination. 

To this end, travel authors are 

often sourced by tracking their 

existing content discovered online. 

“You can find them by all the 

conversations that are going on 

about your brand on social media,” 

says Åkerström. The goal is to 

“reach out to them, see what they 

do. That’s how you start pooling 

natural ambassadors.” 

Unlike one-off press junkets or 

working short-term with star 

bloggers, the relationships between 

travel brands and destinations and 

natural ambassadors are therefore 

developed organically, for the longhaul 


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

27 

Ahmed Bin Nasser 

Bin Hamed Al Mahrizi 

Minister of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman 

WE HAVE 

OUR OWN 

HISTORY AND 

CULTURE AND 

WE WANT TO 

SHOW THIS. 

Oman: a different kind of 

destination in the Middle East 

Exclusive Interview: Ahmed Bin Nasser Bin Hamed Al Mahrizi, 

Minister of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman (Official ITB Berlin Partner Country 2020) 

Growth of visitor numbers to Oman has, since 2013 not been 

less than 5.7% per annum. We asked Ahmed Bin Nasser Bin 

Hamed Al Mahrizi, the nation’s Minister of Tourism, to tell us 

more. 

We think this kind of growth 

will continue up to 2028, and 

international reports confirm this. 

The government is taking care 

of the tourism sector, because 

we want to develop five sectors, 

including tourism, so as not to be 

so dependent on oil revenues. With 

oil prices constantly fluctuating, 

this is very bad for our future. Along 

with tourism, we aim to develop 

agriculture, light industry, logistics, 

and mining. One of our main 

exports is marble, which we even 

export to Europe. But we need to 

take care of our culture, our identity, 

and thus to avoid overtourism. The 

population of Oman is small: only 

three-million Omanis and a total 

of four-point-five million including 

foreign nationals. People are open 

to foreigners, but they don’t yet 

understand the tourism sector as 

a “business”. This is why we have 

created our own strategy up to 

2040, taking care of these aspects – 

specially the culture. We also want 

to target adventure tourism, with 

hiking, biking and climbing, and 

so on. We have mountains, desert 

and beautiful seas for diving. MICE 

is another sector we want to grow. 

We intend to limit the number of 

tourists, but concentrate on those 

who spend more. 

What are the main source markets 

and how are they evolving? 

The gulf countries – especially in 

June, July and August. They come 

to the south of Oman, because 

in these months, the weather is 

similar to India, with rain, and 

temperatures dropping to the mid 

20s, when the weather is very hot 

in the north of Oman. It’s not far for 

them, and they prefer to come by 

car. In the winter time, they come 

to the north of Oman. After that, 

there’s the Europeans, with the 

number one market being the UK. 

We also have many visitors from 

Germany and France. There are an 

increasing number of charter flights 

from Europe to the south of Oman – 

to Salalah. New markets for us are 

China, Iran and India. Indians have 

been coming for a long time, but we 

have been increasing our focus on 

this market since last year. Oman 

Air is increasingly opening up new 

destinations. They have been flying 

to new destinations in the United 

States and Australia since last year. 

What are the key aims of your 

Official ITB Berlin Partner 

Country status in 2020? 

The most important thing for us 

is to differentiate Oman from our 

neighbours. We have our own 

history and culture and we want 

to show this. We believe today’s 

tourists are looking for a different 

experience. They want something 

special, and we think we can 

offer this. We will be showing our 

culture, showing we are different, 

showing we are a safe destination. 

We are open to all cultures and 

all religions. Churches and even 

Buddhist temples can be found in 

Oman and have been there for a 

long time. In the next year, we hope 

more people will be talking about 

our culture and our key points of 

differentiation. 

What will next year’s opening 

ceremony be focussed on? 

It will really spotlight our culture, 

in particular our orchestra, which 

is renowned in the region. We send 

young people to Switzerland and 

Austria to learn music. We also have 

opera. We share many international 

values with Europe in this sense. 

What’s being done to develop 

infrastructure? 

Firstly, we have our new airport, 

we have a very good road 

system – even winning a prize 

this year thanks to our excellent, 

modern road network. In terms of 

communication, we have a better 

level of performance than even 

some European countries. Most 

of the world’s most famous hotel 

brands are present in Oman. 

What is your message to the world’s 

travel professionals at ITB Berlin? 

This is the real “authentic” place 

– Oman. Our people are always 

smiling, to the point that foreigners 

can even be surprised by their 

friendliness. Our country is very 

open to cultures from around the 

world 


28 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

Sam Turner 

Wholesales Sales & Sourcing Director, 

Hotelbeds 

Frank Wöller 

Retail Travel Agents Director, 

Continental Europe, 

Bedsonline 

Bedsonline expands China market 

Interview: Sam Turner, Wholesales Sales & Sourcing Director of Hotelbeds & 

Frank Wöller, Retail Travel Agents Director, Continental Europe of Bedsonline 

China is one of the most important markets for Hotelbeds. 

We asked Sam Turner, Wholesales Sales & Sourcing Director 

of Hotelbeds & Frank Wöller, Retail Travel Agents Director, 

Continental Europe of Bedsonline to tell us more. 

ST: As a source market, China 

remains the company’s largest 

wholesale market in APAC for the 

third year running. Additionally, it 

has now become the 4th biggest 

source market for the company 

globally in the wholesale channel, 

up from 5th place only last year – 

and from 22nd place in only 2011. 

Of course, this is in part a reflection of 

the fact that Chinese travellers have 

now become the world’s number 

one travel segment, spending one in 

five of all dollars spent on outbound 

tourism globally. 

But this success is also a reflection 

of Hotelbeds’ hard work and 

persistence, having been in the 

market for well over ten years and 

dedicated ourselves to creating a 

product tailored to the needs of the 

local market (with local commercial 

teams and local social media) – not 

least on the sourcing side, where 

we look for Chinese-friendly hotel 

accommodation and negotiate 

exclusive deals for Chinese B2B 

buyers. 

We are thrilled to confirm that we 

grew room nights by double digits 

year-on-year this year in China – 

and in this financial year, which we 

started back on 1 October, we are 

confident to experience the same 

growth or more. The demand for 

travelling continues to grow in 

China as many Chinese people take 

their first overseas trips. 

Why does Bedsonline only work 

with travel agents? 

FW: Since the inception of 

Bedsonline in 2004, it has been 

working exclusively with travel 

agents, combining our travel 

industry expertise and technology 

to help their businesses flourish. 

Our extensive portfolio of more 

than 170,000 properties in 185 

destinations and 140 source 

markets, 24,000 transfer routes 

and 18,000 activities makes us the 

perfect partner for travel agents. 

By working with us they would not 

only be able to have access to a 

global and wide portfolio but also 

to offer exclusive and local product 

– much of which we contract under 

exclusive terms just for travel agents 

– that they would never have been 

able to offer by themselves. 

Meeting the needs of travel agents 

is in the DNA of Bedsonline, we 

understand the needs and demands 

of travel agents and that’s why we 

decided to work exclusively with 

them. But not only do we give 

access to a great and powerful 

portfolio, but also, we help them 

to boost their sales by giving them 

selling tips and offering a powerful 

and easy to use platform to do their 

daily reservations. 

Since the acquisition of Tourico 

Holidays and GTA, what changes 

are taking place in the retail 

channel? 

ST: Last September, we announced 

the consolidation of all the retail 

brands we had acquired recently 

(GTA, TravelCube and TravelBound) 

under the Bedsonline brand identity 

and platform. In this sense, we are 

introducing the best elements of the 

GTA legacy brands’ platforms into 

the Bedsonline platform to create 

a new and enhanced platform that 

features best-in-class features. 

Feedback from customers trialing 

the platform has been very positive. 

Bedsonline customers are now 

able to benefit from an exclusive 

and significantly enhanced product 

portfolio of hotels, a significant 

proportion of which are directly 

contracted, and a platform 

specifically designed to drive 

growth in the highly competitive 

travel retail space. 

Bedsonline offers customers a 

360° travel partner offering that is 

customer centric and helps partners 

compete by offering unrivalled 

technology, the most competitive 

commercial terms, swift problem 

resolution and expert team support. 

WE ARE 

INTRODUCING 

THE BEST 

ELEMENTS OF 

THE GTA LEGACY 

BRANDS’ 

PLATFORMS INTO 

THE BEDSONLINE 

PLATFORM TO 

CREATE A NEW 

AND ENHANCED 

PLATFORM THAT 

FEATURES BEST- 

IN-CLASS 

FEATURES. 

In nearly all of our markets the 

booking capabilities of the legacy 

sites have been shut down. So 

ensuring that all agents from 

TravelBound, TravelCube and GTA 

have smoothly transitioned onto 

the new Bedsonline platform is 

essential for us. Old bookings are 

modifiable, of course, but all new 

bookings must take place on the 

new Bedsonline website 



EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

29 

New tourism product 

in pipeline in Sabah 

Exclusive Interview: YB Datuk Christina Liew, Deputy Chief 

Minister, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah 

WE ARE GOING TO INVITE ALL THE 

PALM OIL PRODUCERS, BIG OR SMALL, 

TO SURRENDER THEIR LAND TO CREATE 

A FOOD CORRIDOR FOR THE 

ELEPHANTS AND THE ORANGUTANS. 

YB Datuk Christina Liew 

Deputy Chief Minister, Minister of Tourism, Culture and 

Environment, Sabah 

YB Datuk Christina Liew has 

held the position of Deputy 

Chief Minister and Minister 

for Tourism, Culture and 

Environment in Sabah for 

around nine months, since 

the election of the new 

government. We asked her 

what she aims to change in 

her new position. 

Overall, I want to increase the 

number of new products on the 

market. To attract more tourists 

to Sabah, we have to put new 

products in place – not just the 

same old thing. We have a number 

of products – at least four or five 

in 2019. I have been in constant 

discussions with the GM and 

Chairman of the STB about what 

I have in mind, and that we need 

the support to get it changed. It’s 

time. Of course, after our initial 

discussion and planning, we will be 

sending it to the Chief Minister and 

cabinet to get it approved and get 

it done… and I am a very impatient 

person. Very impatient. Adding on 

more products for tourism is my 

number one goal. I also have a 

plan to expand existing product. 

For example, the hot springs in the 

National Park are rather old. They 

are very nice, but they are 45 years 

old, so we need to upgrade them. 

One of the major products we will 

be undertaking is in Tawau, as it 

is a gateway to Eastern Sabah. I 

have been in discussions with the 

Minister of Transport as well as 

the Malaysia Airports Bhd CEO, 

and they are fully supportive that 

Tawau airport will be a top priority. 

While not promoting its status 

from Domestic to International, 

we need at least to get the facilities 

upgraded. 

When reading social media about 

Borneo, many people claim that 

orangutans will be extinct in the 

next ten years. What is the real 

story? 

The orangutan is one of our 

very precious protected species 

– very precious to us. The state 

government, through our wildlife 

department, will do its best to 

protect this species. If I ever catch 

anyone killing an orangutan, I will 

ensure they are dealt with by the 

full force of the law. Some people 

are already behind bars for having 

killed orangutans. We take this 

very seriously. 

What about issues of deforestation 

and palm oil? 

A number of people think that 

there is deforestation, and the 

land is being converted into Palm 

plantations, depriving our unique 

wildlife, like orangutans, elephants 

and so on, of their habitat, 

depriving them of food, and the 

elephants damage the plantations 

looking for food. There are cases 

like this, but we are tackling the 

problem head-on. We are going to 

invite all the palm oil producers, 

big or small, to surrender their 

land to create a food corridor for 

the elephants and the orangutans. 

This means that on each side of 

the plantations, we will plant 

food. When I return to Sabah next 

week I will be holding discussions 

with the Chief Minister to move 

this forward. These animals are 

national treasures, and we need to 

protect them. They are priceless. 

How has the show gone for you 

this year? 

As far as Sabah is concerned, there 

is just one term to describe Sabah 

– and that is “exotic experience”. It 

is full of surprises and mysteries. 

In the past, tourists would visit 

Kota Kinabalu, the beaches, and 

the mountains. But now more 

and more are visiting the East 

Coast of Sabah. Another thing 

that is interesting more and more 

people is homestay. Last year in 

December, out of the 25 districts 

in Sabah, we set up 16 district 

homestays. It allows people to 

understand how our people live. 

The visitors live with the local 

people, eat with them, learn about 

the culture, and experience the 

local flavour of Sabah. Today, 

tourist is very much about meeting 

people 


30 AROUND THE WORLD 

STAND OUT STANDS 

A selection of some of the most interesting 

and spectacular stands at the show 

At the show and didn’t see everything? Weren’t at the 

show and want to know what it was like? In the following 

pages, we take you on a virtual tour of some of the top 

stands at ITB 2019. 

Malaysia – Official 

Partner Country 2019 

As Malaysia was this year’s official partner country at 

ITB Berlin, the booth was much bigger than in previous 

years. Underlining the extraordinary cultural diversity 

of this Southeast Asian nation, the ITB opening 

ceremony featured dances from numerous tribes 

and ethnic groups, and the stand also played host to 

regular performances. Malaysia has so much to offer 

- hardly any country is so diverse - in every aspect - 

and at the same time so easy and uncomplicated to 

travel to. The many cultures found in Malaysia bring 

along their very own eating habits. Therefore, the 

Malaysian cuisine incorporates Chinese, Indian and 

Malay ideas as well as inspirations from Arabian and 

European countries. 

Colombia 

– feel the rythm 

With a presentation this year entitled, “Feel the 

rhythm of diversity”, ProColombia was one of the 

most active when it came to fun and colour at their 

stand. ProColombia also participated in the music 

tourism event – “Combining music and tourism: 

how does that sound?” Julián Guerrero Orozco, Vice 

President of Tourism, ProColombia spoke about the 

power of music tourism and using it as a tool to 

promote places, shape experiences and stimulate 

economic growth. 




AROUND THE WORLD 

31 

Guatemala 

- soul of the earth 

Guatemala, heart of the Mayan world, offers Mayan 

archaeological sites, Spanish colonial vestiges, 

modern Maya with the varied multi-colour hand 

wowed textiles that identify what village they live 

in all fused in dynamic and active society, within a 

spectacular scenery of mountain, lakes, volcanoes 

and a unique and gifted natural environmental in a 

varied climatic setting. The most rooted indigenous 

culture can be found in the highlands. The pine 

forests and active volcanoes allow visitors to practice 

hiking, canopying and, ecotourism. 

Wonderful 

Indonesia 

At ITB Berlin, Indonesia underlined cultural patterns, 

traditions and lifestyles that are unusual different 

from those of the tourist and, in some cases, unique 

to one place can be of much interest to many tourists. 

These cultural patterns include customs, dresses, 

ceremonies, life styles and religious beliefs, and 

are often associated with rural and village life but 

may be prevalent in some urban places. Ministry 

of Tourism, Indonesia, is responsible for national 

tourism development. It focuses on promoting the 

nation’s image as being safe and worth visiting. It 

also facilitates tourism industries to promote tourism 

destinations and products to international market. 

hape experiences and stimulate economic growth. 


32 AROUND THE WORLD 


Imagine 

your Korea 

South Korea’s stand reflected the nation’s character 

as a multi-faceted travel destination. The capital 

Seoul pulsates day and night. Modern skyscrapers, 

latest technology and fashion trends as well as a 

busy nightlife characterize the special energy and 

atmosphere of this city. At the same time Korea holds 

numerous significant sites that preserve almost 5,000 

years of history. The traditional architecture of the 

past also sheds light on the philosophy of ancient 

Koreans, as importance was given to the building’s 

balance and harmony with its natural surroundings. 

Three sides of the country are surrounded by sea and 

70% of the landscape consists of mountains. Thanks 

to Korea’s four distinct seasons visitors can enjoy 

different sceneries throughout the year. 

Lufthansa 

– enter a virtual world 

Lufthansa Group airlines’ joint exhibition booth 

gave inspiring answers to the question, “Why do 

people love to travel?”, but also to many more 

that are important to the travel industry. Several 

fascinating and informative speeches took place at 

the stand each day, with experts addressing topics 

such as travel, sales and airlines, innovation and 

digitalisation. Parallel to the LIVE! Talks, visitors 

were able to immerse themselves in the world of the 

Lufthansa Group airlines with a 360° VR tour through 

cabins of Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and 

Brussels Airlines. The new Brussels Airlines Business 

Class seat was on show in this way for the first time. 




AROUND THE WORLD 

33 

Martinique 

– colour, culture, and… rum! 

Martinique’s stand at ITB highlighted the culture, 

and smiles of the local people on this island state. 

Their tourism strategy is based on developing air 

connections by securing the existing routes and 

by actively seeking out new airline partnerships 

working with key source markets: France, Germany, 

USA, Canada and South America. Martinique’s 

tourism authority has been raising awareness of the 

destination through communication campaigns with 

major media to broadcast the TV commercial that 

premiered in 2017. They have been improving the 

“digital experience” through a robust strategy that 

places the visitor at the heart of their digital ecosystem 

and, in this way, facilitates the preparation of their 

stay, follows-up on their holiday and encourages 

repeat visits. 

Sultanate of Oman 

– where the sun first touches Arabia 

All in white, the stand of the Sultanate of Oman 

(ITB Berlin Official Partner Country 2020) in Hall 

2.2 reflected the bright outlook of the nation; this is 

where the first rays of sunlight touch Arabia. It has 

a coastline exceeding 3,000km, is home to some 

of Arabia’s highest mountains and largest moving 

deserts. Its cultural, heritage and natural values 

make it a compelling destination as recognised by 

The National Geographic and Lonely Planet that 

recommend Oman and Muscat as a mustsee 

destination. 

2012 saw Muscat celebrated as Arabia’s Tourism 

Capital with a wealth of cultural, heritage and 

sporting events. Muscat is unlike any other Arabian 

city: it celebrates Omani heritage and culture in its 

architecture and every-day life, made stronger by 

iconic buildings and precincts. Here, high mountains 

form the skyline, not skyscrapers, and people take 

evening walks along sandy beaches, not pavements. 


34 

ADVERTORIAL 


ASIA 

Malaysia – smiles all around 

at ITB Berlin 2019 

Official Partner Country status at World’s Leading Travel Trade Show - 

a vital step towards achieving Visit Malaysia 2020 targets 

H. E. Datuk 

Mohamaddin 

Bin Haji Ketapi 

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, 

Malaysia 

With a total of 25.8 million 

international tourists 

arriving in Malaysia in 

2018, ITB Berlin is set 

to be instrumental in 

boosting visitor numbers 

to this exotic, exciting and 

welcoming destination 

in line with the nation’s 

ambitious growth plans. 

With the Visit Malaysia 2020 

campaign in the works, 

Malaysia’s Ministry for Tourism 

and Culture is targeting arrival 

figures 30-million and tourist 

receipts of RM100bn (eds: 

€21.66bn) by 2020. 

“I believe Malaysia’s cultural 

uniqueness is a big draw 

for the European market,” 

explained Mohamaddin 

Bin Haji Ketapi, Minister of 

Tourism, Arts and Culture for 

Malaysia, adding, “As you may 

know, Malaysia is a melting 

pot of cultures with influences 

from Malay, Chinese and Indian 

ethnicities, as well as from 

Europe, Arab and the Malay 

Archipelago. This has resulted 

in a mixed yet harmonious 

legacy that manifests itself 

in Malaysia’s architecture, 

clothing, language, cuisine 

and other aspects.” 

“Malaysia’s breath-taking 

nature, its warm, welcoming 

multi-cultural peoples, and its 

exceptional, varied cuisine, 

have made it a ‘must’ as 

a destination in Southeast 

Asia”, said David Ruetz, head 

of ITB Berlin, adding, “Having 

Malaysia as our Official 

Partner Country this year 

will have enhanced ever-soimportant 

cultural links and 

will engender more awareness 

and appreciation, both for us 

of their culture and traditions, 

and for them of ours.” 

Meanwhile, Zurab 

Pololikashvili, Secretary- 

General, World 

Tourism Organization 

(UNWTO), stated: “I wish to 

congratulate Malaysia on being 

ITB’s partner country for this 

year. Malaysia is a founding 

member of UNWTO and one 

of its most active members, 

involved at several levels of 

the Organization’s activities 

and governing bodies. 

Malaysia identified tourism as 

one of the forefront industries 

in its economy because of 

tourism’s great potential in 

job creation, socio-economic 

development as well as foreign 

income generation - tourism 

is currently the 2nd largest 

foreign exchange earner.” 

Visitors to ITB Berlin had the 

opportunity to experience 

Malaysia’s architecture, 

local food and cultural 

performances. The country’s 

colourful national cultural 

troupe showcased an hourlong 

performance during 

the Opening Gala, reflecting 

the beauty and diversity 

of Malaysian culture and 

heritage. 

ECONOMIC 

CONTRIBUTION 

OF TOURISM IN 

MALAYSIA 

The number of employees 

involved in Malaysia’s tourism 

sector rose to 3.4 million in 

2017 from 1.5 million in 2005. 

Employment in the tourism 

industry contributed 23.2% 

to total employment in 2017 

(2005: 15%). Most of the jobs 

in the tourism industry were in 

the retail trade industry (33.7%) 

and food & beverage serving 

services (32.3%) respectively. 

Tourism is also important 

to Malaysia as it helps to 

empower the local community 

economically. Taking 

the Malaysia Homestay 

Programme as an example, it 

offers the local village-folk to 

take part in offering authentic 

homestay experiences to 

tourists. In 2017, the revenue 

generated from the programme 

reached RM27.6 million (eds: 

€5.98m). 

“The ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ 

tagline has worked wonders 

to position our destination’s 

diversity”, explains the 

Minister. “It gets the message 

across that Malaysia is a 

kaleidoscope of customs, 

religions, traditions, festivals, 

heritage, arts and crafts, and 

cuisines of Malays, Chinese, 

Indians, and various ethnic 

group that continues to 

fascinate visitors from all over 

the world.” This “Malaysia, 

Truly Asia” branding continues 

till today to position Malaysia’s 

uniqueness. 

NEW DEVELOPMENTS 

UNDER WAY 

Upcoming developments such 

as Desaru Coast in Johor, and 

Impression City Melaka, once 

completed, will bring renewed 

interest in Malaysia. 

“We are seeing the industry 

invigorated by the opening 

of renowned hotel property 

brands here,” explains the 

Minister, adding, “Several 

established hotel brands have 

ventured into Malaysia for the 

first time recently, while some 

of them are poised to enter the 

market in the near future. We 

are pleased that brands such 

as Double Tree, Hilton, Marriot, 

Anantara, Westin, Mercure, 

Sheraton, W, St. Regis, Four 

Seasons, Hyatt and others 

see the value of Malaysia for 

their business expansion and 

investments” 



ASIAA TOUR OF PLANET EARTH 

35 

SELANGOR’S NEW 

HOST PROGRAMME 

HERALDS BUSY 

PERIOD FOR LUSH 

MALAYSIAN STATE 

Y.B. Datuk Abdul 

Rashid Bin Asari 

Chairman of Standing Commitees 

for Cultural and Tourism, Malay 

Tradition and Heritage, State 

Government of Selangor 

Maldives press conference at ITB Berlin 2019 

Maldives sets out 

masterplan for 

tourism expansion 

Among the many new tourism 

initiatives being devised by the 

Malaysian state of Selangor 

is the Local Community 

Host Programme, says Y.B. 

Datuk Abdul Rashid Bin 

Asari, Chairman of Standing 

Commitees for Cultural and 

Tourism, Malay Tradition and 

Heritage, State Government of 

Selangor. 

“This is a specialised training 

programme for individuals 

to become tour guides for 

visitors, with inclusivity 

as a guiding principle for 

sustainable growth and 

development in tourism.” 

The programme is very timely 

give all of the new tourism 

initiatives and attractions 

coming online –not least the 

Visit Sepang 2020 campaign. 

“As part of the National 

Tourism Policy 2020-2050, the 

Sepang Municipal Council will 

be one of the pilot districts to 

initiate the Special Tourism 

Investment Zone (STIZ),” says 

Datuk Abdul Rashid Bin Asari. 

“This designated zone will 

be equipped with world 

class tourism events and 

tourist convenience. Various 

activities will be carried out 

throughout the year including 

a celebration of Visit Sepang 

Year, with a 10 million goal of 

visitors coming into Sepang.” 

In addition to the main 

existing attractions that are 

already being promoted, there 

are also some new upcoming 

attractions such as: Sky Mirror 

Kuala Selangor, Royal Klang 

Heritage Walk, Selangor 

Fruits Valley, Tanjung Sepat, 

Gua Damai Extreme Park, 

Kajang Heritage Park and a 

host of newly-opened hotels. 

Hon. Amirudin Shari says: 

“Familiarisation tours for 

foreign tour operators and 

media members are ongoing 

to create awareness of these 

new products and attract more 

visitors to the state. Tourism 

Selangor also promotes 

these places at trade fairs 

and includes them in product 

presentations.” 

In terms of key selling points 

for Selangor, Datuk Abdul 

Rashid Bin Asari says the state 

is an important gateway to 

Malaysia because it is home to 

a busy port and Kuala Lumpur 

International Airport, which 

recorded 53 million visitors 

in 2017. He also says “ecotourism 

plays an important 

role for Selangor. Conservation 

and preservation efforts are 

ongoing to protect the tropical 

forests and wildlife” 

A senior delegation from The 

Maldive Islands gave ITB Berlin 

delegates an upbeat assessment 

of the island nation’s international 

tourism prospects at a Wednesday 

press conference. 

Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing 

Director at Maldives Marketing & PR 

Corporation, said 1.4 million tourists 

visited in 2018, up 6.8% on the 

previous year. With plans for more 

resorts to be built across the Indian 

Ocean archipelago, he is projecting 

further growth to 1.5 million in 2019 

– with figures from January 2019 

suggesting the country is on track to 

hit its target. 

Mohamed said the tourism industry 

is promoting itself as a destination 

for more than just honeymoons – 

by targeting areas like adventure, 

fun, spiritual and MICE tourism. He 

also made special reference to the 

German market, saying: “Germans 

are very close to the heart of the 

Maldives. They remain an important 

market for us, with 14% year on year 

growth.” 

Industry pioneer Hussain Afeef 

said the Maldives Islands attract an 

extremely diverse visitor base: “It is 

not only Europeans who come, but a 

growing number of Asians. Another 

positive is growth from the South 

African market, which is a significant 

development for the economy in the 

South of our country.” South Africa is 

also becoming an important gateway 

for Latin American visitors who want 

to visit The Maldives, Afeef said. 

Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed 

said the government has set out a 

strong sustainable masterplan to 

drive tourism growth while also 

“cherishing culture and protecting 

the environment”. The country’s new 

Tourism Development Plan identifies 

five zones that are being developed 

as different destinations – along the 

lines outlined by Mohamed. 

THE 

COUNTRY’S NEW 

TOURISM 

DEVELOPMENT 

PLAN IDENTIFIES 

FIVE ZONES THAT 

ARE BEING 

DEVELOPED AS 

DIFFERENT 

DESTINATIONS 

In addition, a new Decentralisation 

Act has given extra powers to local 

councils while developments are 

taking place at Velana International 

Airport. To mitigate the impact of 

tourism growth there is a green tax 

to fund environmental initiatives 


36 


ASIA 

Jaesung Rhee 

President & CEO, 

Seoul Tourism Organization 

Mario Hardy, PATA CEO; Jens Thraenhart, MTCO; Nick Ray; Rob Holmes, 

GLP Films and John WIlliams, BBC during Mekong Tourism Forum at ITB 

Berlin 2019 

Renewed Commitment 

for a Mekong Tourism 

Forum edition at ITB 

Berlin for 2020 

With PATA and the Mekong 

Tourism Coordinating Office 

hosting a Mekong Tourism 

Forum at ITB Berlin for the 

past three years, a fourth 

edition is already confirmed 

due to the success of the 

event. 

Produced by Destination 

Mekong, the third Mekong 

Tourism Forum at ITB 

Berlin was organized 

by the Mekong Tourism 

Coordinating Office 

(MTCO) in partnership 

with the Pacific Asia Travel 

Association (PATA) and the 

support of ITB Berlin. “We 

have been very happy with 

the output of the event, 

especially as we continue 

to vie for a sustainable 

community-based, inclusive 

tourism, encouraging 

players in the region to 

create unique products 

which are beneficial for local 

communities,” explained 

Jens Thraenhart, Executive 

Director for the Mekong 

Tourism Coordinating Office 

in Bangkok. The office is 

in charge of tourism for 

the six Mekong member 

countries (Cambodia, Lao 

PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, 

Vietnam and the Chinese 

provinces of Guangxi and 

Yunnan). 

The theme of the 2019 

Mekong Tourism Forum at 

ITB Berlin was “Leveraging 

Visual Storytelling to 

Promote Destinations and 

Effect Change”. The subject 

was leaning into the MTCO’s 

growing reputation of 

promoting and empowering 

regions through different 

visual storytelling means. 

Participants to the forum 

included prestigious 

speakers such as BBC 

Worldwide’s John Williams, 

GLP Films CEO Rob Holmes, 

Lonely Planet Author & 

Hanuman Films Cambodia 

Producer Nick Ray, and 

PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy, 

who collectively showcased 

how visual storytelling and 

film can impact destination 

tourism. 

“We love the way a video 

can give new life to our 

most extraordinary Mekong 

memories, but visual 

storytelling can also effect 

turn us into more conscious 

travellers,” explained Jens 

Thraenhart. 

“It’s the reason why we 

started our Mekong Mini 

Movie Festival—to celebrate 

those inspiring and stunning 

Mekong moments. And we 

appreciate our partnership 

with ITB as well as PATA to 

give us a platform to drive 

sustainable and inclusive 

tourism in the Greater 

Mekong Subregion, I can 

already confirm that we 

will be back in 2020,” he 

added 

KOREAN CAPITAL 

SEOUL ENJOYS 

TOURISM PEACE 

DIVIDEND 

South Korea’s capital Seoul is one of the major 

beneficiaries of inbound tourism to the North 

Asian creative and economic powerhouse. In 

2018, says Seoul Tourism Organization President 

& CEO Jaesung Rhee, 80% of Korea’s 15.3 million 

international visitors spent some time in the city. 

In part, this is down to the popularity of phenomena 

such as K-Pop, K-Drama and K-Food. But the 

city itself has also has a lot to offer: “It is a highly 

attractive tourism capital in which tradition and 

modernity co-exist, as well as a global tourism 

city that offers a wealth of cultural options and a 

dynamic lifestyle,” says Rhee. “As a result, Seoul 

has put a lot of effort into promoting itself and 

offering visitors a seamless experience. The city 

regards tourism as a high value-added industry and 

is making various efforts to transition towards a 

qualitative improvement.” 

To this end, says Rhee, Seoul is “also making a name 

for itself in the MICE sector, in which it is ranked 

the third best city for international conferences. 

MICE enhances Seoul’s standing as a truly global 

city.” 

Seoul is one of the most advanced cities in the world 

in terms of technology, and this expertise extends to 

tourism. “In January 2019, we introduced our Smart 

Tourism Team,” says Rhee, “and to promote a smart 

tourism system in Seoul we operate a website 

(visitseoul.net) and mobile app (I Tour Seoul). In 

addition, we have introduced our Discover Seoul 

Pass. To offer greater convenience to FITs (free 

independent travellers) visiting Seoul, the pass 

offers free admission to 16 tourist attractions and 

can be used as a public transportation card.” 

The STO has attended ITB Berlin for five consecutive 

years and this year is focusing especially on FITs. 

Among its key themes are “Delicious, Relaxing, 

Historic, Extreme, K-wave, Fashionable and 

Exclusive.” Rhee says he has encountered a very 

warm reception from European operators this 

year, which he believes is down to the positive 

peace talks taking place between South and North 

Korea 



ASIA 


37 

TOURISM IN 

LOMBOK BACK 

ON ITS FEET 

AGAIN IN 2019 

Banyan Tree Ungasan 

gets top listing 

Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali has 

been listed as one of the 58 

Most Luxurious Hotels in The 

World by Forbes Travel Guide. 

In February, Forbes Travel 

Guide’s inspectors visited 

more than 1,000 hotels in 60 

countries to determine the 

2018 Star Award winners. 

The 1,000 hotels consisted of 

various five-star, four-star and 

recommended hotels known 

to deliver superior service 

and guest facilities. Fifty-eight 

hotels in 17 countries earned 

the coveted designation, 

representing the top 6% of 

Star-Rated hotels in the luxury 

category. 

Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali’s 

General Manager Alfonso 

Romero, said: “We were 

pleasantly surprised when we 

received the news because we 

were unware of the judges’ 

arrival. However, I trust that 

our staff did and will always 

do their best to offer guests 

the complete Banyan Tree 

experience. Not only is this 

award a recognition to the 

hotel, I will like to take this 

opportunity to thank our 

associates for their excellent 

service.” 

Banyan Tree Ungasan, 

Bali offers 71 pool villas 

perched on the pristine cliffs 

southernmost of Bali. Located 

just 35 minutes by car from 

Ngurah Rai International 

Airport, the resort is near the 

Uluwatu Temple and beaches 

of Nusa Dua. The resort offers 

panoramic ocean views and 

cultural discoveries for new 

and returning visitors to Bali 

alike 

Around 90% of tourism operations in 

Lombok, Indonesia, are back in business 

following the devastating earthquakes of 

August 2018. In the north west of Lombok, 

the island of Gili Trawangan is leading the 

recovery, followed by Gili Meno and Gili 

Air. 

That’s the assessment of Khiri Travel 

Indonesia General Manager Herman 

Hoven who inspected Lombok’s tourism 

destinations during Christmas/New Year 

2018-19. 

Hoven said Gili Trawangan was recovering 

well due to its reliance on the backpacker 

and “flashpacker” markets. Some hotels 

on Gili Meno, more reliant on the couples 

and honeymoon market, and Gili Air, will 

take time to rebuild. 

“But this is not affecting the visitor 

experience available now,” said Hoven. 

“Beaches have been cleared of rubble 

and streets re-paved. It was encouraging 

to see, probably up to 90% of tourism 

businesses rebuilt, renovated and open 

for operations. We’d like to see all the 

tourism businesses back in demand to 

speed up economic recovery in the area.” 

Tourism businesses in the south of 

Lombok, with its deserted beaches, were 

hardly impacted by the earthquakes 

anyway, and are open as normal, he said. 

Renaissance debuts in Indonesia 

Renaissance Hotels debuted its 

first hotel in Indonesia, when 

the Renaissance Bali Uluwatu 

Resort & Spa opened in June. 

Owned by PT. Alam Bali 

International, the hotel is the 

southernmost Marriott hotel on 

the island and overlooks Bali’s 

Bukit peninsula, best known 

for the cliff-fringed coastlines. 

George Fleck, Vice President 

of Global Marketing & 

Management, Renaissance 

Hotels, said: “The spectacular 

new Renaissance Bali Uluwatu 

Resort & Spa sets the stage for 

discovering the beautiful island 

of Bali. With its artful design, 

vibrant authentic dining scene 

and engaging experiences 

around every corner, the hotel 

joins the current global portfolio 

of more than 160 hotels, with 

15 new hotels scheduled to 

open in Asia-Pacific over the 

next two years.” 

With views of the Indian Ocean 

or the lush lands of the Bukit, 

each of the 207 guestrooms and 

suites feature a private balcony, 

bathrooms that include 

freestanding tubs and designed 

interiors that layer Ikat patterns 

on tiles and textiles. 

Clay Craft Restaurant is the 

hotel’s signature three-meal 

restaurant that incorporates 

an interactive pottery school 

concept to its space, while 

Double Ikat Restaurant offers 

authentic Indonesian cuisine 

with a Cooking Studio that 

allows guests to learn the 

techniques and secrets of 

Indonesian cookery, as taught 

by the Chef in the restaurants’ 

open-plan kitchen. 

The Pool Bar is the perfect place 

to grab a drink and enjoy one of 

the multiple pools overlooking 

the ocean. R Bar, located in the 

hotel’s lobby, offers some of 

Bali’s best views 

South Lombok beach 


38 


OCEANIA 

© Rottnest Island Authority.jpg 

Artists impression of the Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay 

Aerial view of Rottnest Island 

Western Australia 

New hotels, new attractions, new ideas… 

Western Australia was very 

much under the spotlight at 

the Australian stand this year 

at ITB Berlin. And its state 

capital, Perth, is increasingly 

attracting visitors from 

around the globe. 

Sitting pretty on the shores of the 

sparkling Swan River and nestled 

alongside Kings Park and Botanic 

Garden, Perth’s renaissance 

continues as new attractions, 

accommodation, food and drink 

offerings, as well as cultural, 

entertainment and sporting 

precincts open across the city and 

nearby hubs of Northbridge, Mount 

Lawley, Burswood, Leederville, City 

Beach, Cottesloe and Fremantle. 

So, what’s new, and what’s to 

come? 

NEW HOTELS 

Perth now offers some of the 

best value hotel and short-stay 

accommodation in Australia 

following the raft of new and 

refurbished properties that have 

opened in the CBD and surrounding 

urban and coastal areas. Not 

only are visitors enjoying more 

choice in accommodation with a 

broad selection of boutique, big 

name and luxury accommodation 

options, Perth hoteliers are also 

offering up some great deals. 

Since 2012, 31 new or redeveloped 

hotels have opened in and around 

Perth, adding more than 3,100 new 

rooms to the local market with 

names such as The Westin, COMO 

The Treasury, Crown Towers, Alex 

Hotel, Intercontinental, QT, Aloft 

and Tribe among the mix. 

By 2020, a further 10 new or 

redeveloped hotels will come 

online, adding another 2,400 new 

rooms. Among the names still to 

come are Doubletree by Hilton 

and the Ritz-Carlton, which will be 

its first Australian property in 10 

years. 

DAY TRIPS 

Within an hour of Perth’s central 

business district, visitors could be 

taking a #quokkaselfie on pristine 

Rottnest Island, tantalising their 

tastebuds in the Swan Valley 

or Perth Hills wine regions, 

swimming with wild dolphins at 

Rockingham, cruising the coastal 

city of Mandurah’s scenic canals, 

or discovering maritime history, a 

World Heritage listed prison and a 

bohemian lifestyle in the eclectic 

port city of Fremantle. 

COASTAL REVIVAL 

• Rottnest Island is set to receive a 

major boost to its accommodation 

offerings, with the announcement 

of a major expansion for Hotel 

Rottnest, and the official start 

of construction of the new $20 

million luxury ‘glamping’ resort at 

Pinky Beach. Hotel Rottnest will 

double in size and add 80 rooms 

to its current offering of 18. The 

hotel will be rebranded as Hotel 

Rottnest Resort and combine four 

pools, restaurant, function rooms, 

gym and rooftop bar. Meanwhile, 

building has commenced on 

Discovery Eco Village Rottnest 

Island at Pinky Beach. Expected to 

open in March 2019, the retreat will 

include 83 high-quality eco-tents 

with ensuite pods, connected via 

elevated walkways to the Pinky’s 

Beach Club complex which will 

feature a swimming pool, alfresco 

bar and dining area. 

• Fremantle was included in Lonely 

Planet’s 2016 Best in Travel guide 

for good reason. With more than 

$1 billion dollars of redevelopment 

in the planning pipeline, look out 

for new venues such as Seashells 

and the Sweetwater rooftop bar 

in the Richmond Quarter, COAST 

at Port Beach, Segway and selfguided 

walking tours, a range of 

cruises and a thriving craft beer 

scene. 

• Scarborough Beach is on its way 

to becoming one of Australia’s 

best beachfronts. A $100 million 

foreshore redevelopment saw its 

first milestone in early 2018 with 

the opening of an eight-lane, 

50 metre beach pool. Known as 

Scarborough Beach Pool, the 

complex surrounding it includes 

Chocolat Café and alfresco Italian 

restaurant La Capannina. The 

new public precinct also includes 

Sunset Hill – which offers scenic 

views over the ocean and naturebased 

activities spaces, a Beach 

Hub with a mix of recreational and 

retail spaces, including the new 

Scarborough Surf Life Saving Club, 

and an Intergenerational Plaza – a 

multi-use space for activities and 

events with a climbing wall, halfcourt 

basketball area, children’s 

playground, and the feature 

attraction, the Snake Pit skate park 

bowl. The popular Scarborough 

Sunset markets are on from 

November through April. 

• Slightly further south, popular 

City Beach is home to lush lawns, 

white sand and an expanding 

range of waterfront dining options 

including the chilled-out deck at 

newly opened Odyssea Beach 

Café and watching sunsets from 

Clancy’s Fish Bar. 



OCEANIA 


39 

New tourism chief 

promotes Tahiti 

attractions at ITB 


Maïlee 

Faugerat 

Board Chair, 

Tahiti Tourisme 

Christopher Korenke, Senior VP Commercial and Marketing, 

Air Tahiti Nui and Jean-Marc Hastings, General Manager 

France & Europe, Air Tahiti Nui (l. to r.) 

Air Tahiti Nui 

Updates Fleet 

Maïlee Faugerat was elected Board 

Chair of Tahiti Tourisme in 2018 

and was present at ITB Berlin 2019 

in her new capacity. Recognised 

as an active and committed 

personality in Polynesia’s 

economy, she replaced Michel 

Monvoisin. Faugerat has more 

than twenty years’ experience in 

local and international marketing, 

management control and 

management of companies. 

In her new role, Faugerat plays a 

pivotal role in promoting tourism 

in a location that is widelyperceived 

as “Paradise on Earth” 

by people around the world. 

While the main island of Tahiti 

is especially famous, the Tahiti 

archipelago actually consists of 

118 beautiful islands, offering a 

range of touristic attractions. 

A key dimension of the Tahiti 

experience is authenticity. 

Guesthouses are usually smaller 

and more intimate than hotels, 

creating a secluded space to 

disconnect and unwind. The 

shared experiences, meals and 

relationships between guests and 

owners mean travellers feel like 

they are part of an extended family 

and privy to insider knowledge of 

the destination. 

In terms of its attractions, The 

Islands of Tahiti, officially known 

as French Polynesia, possess one 

of the most spectacularly beautiful 

and diverse environments on 

earth. A mixture of high volcanic 

islands and low-lying atolls, these 

specks of land are strewn across 

four million square km of the 

South Pacific. Clustered into five 

archipelagos: the Society Islands, 

the Tuamotu Islands, the Gambier 

Islands, the Marquesas Islands 

and the Austral Islands, The 

Islands of Tahiti have in common a 

delightful blend of Polynesian and 

French cultures, and a consistently 

tropical climate. 

French Polynesia’s world of 

oceanic islands offers vacationers 

an almost limitless range of 

vacation activities, both passive 

and active. From paragliding 

to beach combing to embracing 

the laid-back island lifestyle, the 

island is packed with a mix of 

tropical adventure and blissful 

relaxation. Visitors can swim with 

sharks, shop for cultured pearls, 

take a cruise, play a few rounds of 

golf. There’s so much to do, they’ll 

never want to leave 

The Air Tahiti Nui airline 

is a key means by which 

tourists are able to reach the 

islands of Tahiti in comfort, 

according to SVP Commercial 

and Marketing Christopher 

Korenke: “We are a small but 

very fine international airline 

that has a presence in markets 

including Asia, the Americas, 

Europe and Oceania. Where 

we don’t have a presence, we 

have agreements with other 

carriers – so that there is a kind 

of passenger pipeline into our 

main gateways.” 

A thriving business, Air Tahiti 

Nui is in the process of renewing 

its fleet, says Korenke. “We are 

switching from the Airbus 340 

to the Dreamliner. We have 

already received two of them 

and expect another two in May 

and August. They offer a very 

premium product, but also 

nice seats in economy.” 

The airline, which flies in and 

out of Los Angeles, Tokyo, 

Paris and Sydney among 

others, puts a strong emphasis 

on quality, which is important 

given the upscale profile of the 

end destination, says Korenke: 

“While Tahiti is open to every 

segment, the luxury profile of 

the market has to be reflected 

in the onboard experience, so 

we provide our guests with a 

nice experience.” 

While many tourists come 

to see the main island, there 

are 118 beautiful islands for 

visitors to sample. “We fly to 

the main island and then have 

co-operation agreements with 

domestic carriers that can take 

visitors on from there,” says 

Korenke. “But we have also 

opened up a new subsidiary: 

Tahiti Nui Helicopters. We saw 

a lack of civil helicopters in 

Tahiti, so we launched Tahiti 

Nui Helicopters as a way to 

transfer people between the 

islands, and offer upscale 

excursions to remote beaches 

and mountains.” 

Korenke says Tahiti is 

experiencing good growth – 

which is little wonder given 

its almost mythological status: 

“Tahiti has a good brand 

image and a strong position 

in the world’s collective 

imagination,” he explains. 

“There are dozens of exotic 

untouched islands, wellpreserved 

nature, beautiful 

people and beaches, and mana 

– the spirit of Tahiti in the air” 


40 


EUROPE 

Rovinj, Croatia 

Mehmet Ersoy 

Minister of culture and tourism, Turkey 

Targeting 70 million 

foreign travellers in 2023 

Turkey’s Culture and 

Tourism Minister Mehmet 

Ersoy has announced at 

ITB Berlin that 2023 should 

see 70 million visitors, with 

revenues topping €E62bn. 

The Minister came to ITB 

Berlin to highlight the 

ambitions of the Turkish 

government regarding 

tourism. “Our target for 2023 

is to host 70 million tourists 

and to earn US$70bn. We 

are working hard to achieve 

that target,” the Minister 

said, while also highlighting 

that Germans were among 

the most important inbound 

visitors for the country. 

Last year, from a total of 46 

million, Russia generated 

5.96 million arrivals (up 

by 15.1%), followed by 

Germany with 4.51 million 

(up by 11.4%), Bulgaria with 

2.39 million (up by 6%), the 

UK with 2.25 million (up 

by 5.7%) and Georgia with 

2.07 million travellers (up by 

5.2%). 

Luring more tourists will 

require further investment 

by the government, not 

only in infrastructure such 

as new highways, airports 

or ports, but also on the 

“soft” side: “We have three 

priorities: the sustainability 

of our tourism; technology 

and quality. We see the 

necessity to increase the 

quality of our service, as 

it will help us to generate 

more income for our 

tourism sector,” explained 

the minister, adding, “We 

just signed an MoU with 

the Ministry of Education 

to improve training of our 

students such as requiring 

them to learn three different 

languages. We will also 

encourage hotels to give a 

training to more students,” 

added Mr Ersoy. 

The Minister is also looking 

to turn more areas in the 

country into new tourism 

destinations. “There is a 

huge potential for history 

and cultural tourism as 

we continue to open more 

archaeological sites. Only 

10% of archaeology sites 

are visited currently, and 

we want to emphasise our 

rich gastronomy culture,” he 

explained. 

A new promotional body 

is soon to be founded, 

WE HAVE THREE 

PRIORITIES: THE 

SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR 

TOURISM; TECHNOLOGY 

AND QUALITY. 

gathering together 

government institutions and 

the private sector, with a 

potential budget of €135m. 

ANOTHER 

RECORD- 

BREAKING YEAR 

FOR CROATIA 

The European jewel of Croatia has been a 

trending destination enjoying year-on-year 

growth over the last few years, with just 

under 20 million projected arrivals and over 

106 million overnights in 2019, a 7% and 4% 

growth respectively in comparison to 2018. 

Foreign inbound tourists account for nearly 

90% of all arrivals and overnights. 

Croatia has a wide array of attractions, 

including the real-life King’s Landing from the 

globally successful TV series Game of Thrones. 

The series was filmed in Dubrovnik, which has 

been voted as the best cultural destination of 

2019 by readers of the US tourism platform 

AFAR. Zadar, meanwhile, has been included 

on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2019 Top 

10 cities to visit list. Furthermore, Rijeka is 

preparing to be the European Capital of 

Culture in 2020. 

In addition to all of this, Croatia offers 

an abundance of high-quality private 

accommodation, with new high-end hotels 

opening on a yearly basis and a few 5* hotels 

planned to be opened during 2019, with 

one in Rovinj slated for this spring. Overall 

investments in the tourism sector in 2018 

equalled €940 million, while this year over 

€1bn in investments are expected, with more 

than €626 million coming from private sector 

investments in hotels, camps, marinas and 

private accommodation. 

In 2018, Croatia basked in the celebrations 

of the FIFA World Cup finals, taking home the 

silver, with many of Croatia’s football greats 

including Luka Modrić the stars of Croatia’s 

promo video for the past year. Croatia also 

earned silver statuettes in the Best European 

Destination and Best European Tourism Board 

categories, as well as a Bronze Award in the 

Best Destination – Overall category at the 

prestigious Travvy Awards, held in New York 

City this past January. This recognition came 

from the travel industry’s experts, voted by 

travel agents throughout the USA 



EUROPE 


41 

France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine: 

Vision for the future 

Creation of value… and jobs… In 2020, Nouvelle-Aquitaine will be not only the 

biggest region, but also the number one sustainable tourist destination 

For 2020, Nouvelle-Aquitaine aims not only to remain the 

#1 destination for French tourists (up to 25m), but also to 

become the #3 French destination for international tourists. 

With 14 UNESCO world heritage 

sites and 28 of the “most 

beautiful French villages”, along 

with an incredible 720 km of 

coastline, Nouvelle-Aquitaine 

will be targeting local and global 

outbound tourism markets in 

order to achieve its ambitious 

goals. 

To achieve the projected targets, 

the capacity and quality of the 

region’s hospitality offering 

offering is increased in line with 

improved air, road and rail links, 

and new, exciting promotional and 

branding campaigns are offering 

will be increased in line with 

improved air, road and rail links, 

and new, exciting promotional 

and branding campaigns are 

organised by the Regional Tourism 

Board in order to foster interest 

among potential travellers. 

heritage (from the Lascaux caves 

to medieval villages and castles), 

but also of outdoor activities such 

as canoeing, golf, cycling, and 

fishing.As part of the Man and 

Biodiversity project, the Dordogne 

Valley was named a UNESCO 

Biosphere Reserve in 2012. 

ATLANTIC COAST 

From Marais-Poitevin to Pays- 

Basque via La Rochelle-Ile de Ré, 

Arcachon to the Landes, this is the 

kingdom of water sports, cycling 

paths and lively seaside resorts. 

Visitors are always taken aback by 

the Atlantic Coast’s unforgettable 

beaches and panoramas. 

the “Paradis”, the cellar where the 

oldest eaux-de-vie are jealously 

kept. 

PYRENEES, PAU BÉARN 

Pau enjoys a privileged situation 

that has earned it the name of 

“the heart of the Pyrenees”. In the 

city, the Boulevard des Pyrénées 

is one of the favourite spots 

among locals: they settle on the 

terraces of the cafés in the shade 

of the palm trees as soon as the 

sun comes out and admire the 

Pyrenean peaks. 

POITIERS & FUTUROSCOPE 

Futuroscope is one of France’s 

most loved theme parks. Visitors 

won’t find roller-coasters or 

carrousels at Futuroscope but 

dynamic cinemas, gigantic 

NIORT - MARAIS POITEVIN 

Imagine a magical landscape 

of shady cattle meadows 

crisscrossed by tranquil 

waterways; a landscape of pretty 

villages where bikes and boats 

are traditional forms of transport. 

Welcome to the Marais Poitevin 

or “Green Venice”, a protected 

natural area 

SOME OF THE 

REGION’S PRIMARY 

DESTINATIONS 

BORDEAUX CITY 

AND WINE AREA 

Bordeaux is the first urban area to 

be distinguished by the UNESCO 

with such a vast and complex 

boundary. Its classic and neoclassic 

architecture has seen 

barely and stylistic change for 

over two centuries and the city 

has over 350 buildings classified or 

listed as historic monuments. And 

when it comes to wine, names like 

Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Pomerol, 

Pauillac, Saint-Emilion, and 

Côtes de Blaye set the taste buds 

dancing. 

DORDOGNE VALLEY 

AND PÉRIGORD 

The Dordogne area is a land of 

many assets: from gastronomy 

(foie gras, truffles, etc.) to historical 

BIARRITZ - PAYS BASQUE 

It’s easy to discover an exceptional 

natural and cultural heritage 

and to enjoy gastronomy with a 

wealth of products. From Hendaye 

to Anglet, not to mention Biarritz 

and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, lovers of 

surfing and water sports will take 

advantage of numerous great 

locations. 

COGNAC COUNTRY 

In Cognac, town and eau-de-vie 

are one. So, a stay in Cognac 

would not be complete without 

a visit to a grand spirit merchant 

to learn the secrets of distillation 

or discover the ageing cellars and 

screens, and even dancing with 

robots. Meanwhile, Poitiers, also 

known as “the city of 100 bell 

towers”, with its 2,000-year-old 

history and heritage. 

LIMOGES - VASSIVIÈRE - 

PLATEAU DE MILLEVACHES 

Limoges offers a wide range 

of cultural and gastronomic 

discoveries. Thanks to the 

porcelain that decorates the world’s 

most prestigious tables, Limoges is 

recognized as a “UNESCO creative 

city”. To the north-west, on Plateau 

de Millevaches park, Vassivière 

Lake offers you an exceptional 

holiday area. 

Terrace on the harbour of La Rochelle 

(Atlantic Coast) 

Hikers at the foot of the Pic du Midi 

d’Ossau (Pyrenees) 

Market in Sarlat (Dordogne) 


42 REGION 

AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN 

ECUADOR: 

CENTRE 

OF THE EARTH? 

Manuel Antonio National Park 

Costa Rica’s top 

tourist attraction: 

the environment 

A small country with strong 

values, Costa Rica’s approach 

to tourism is taking the 

welfare of both its people and 

its visitors into account. 

Costa Rica abolished its army in 

1948. Since then its resources and 

energy have been channeled into 

improving the environment and 

making the nation hospitable to 

wildlife, the Indigenous population 

and tourists. 

A rainforested Central American 

country with Caribbean and Pacific 

coastlines, Costa Rica’s capital San 

José is home to a number of cultural 

institutions such as the renowned 

jade and gold museums. But the 

city is probably best-known for its 

forests, beaches, volcanoes and 

wildlife, all of which the authorities 

are determined to protect. Costa 

Rica also aims to be carbon neutral 

by 2050. 

Minister for tourism María Amalia 

Revelo, gave the Essential Costa 

Rica presentation at ITB Berlin, 

pointing out that the introduction 

of direct flights from Europe back 

in 2015 has boosted the country’s 

tourism. Germans make up the 

majority of visitors from Europe, a 

region responsible for 10% of the 

country’s tourism market. 

To strengthen the nation’s intention 

to develop tourism while improving 

and nurturing the environment, 

the Costa Rica Tourism Board 

established the Certification for 

Sustainable Tourism Program in 

1997 and updated it in 2018. 

The programme aims to promote 

best practices to protect the natural, 

cultural and social resources of the 

country by grading the sustainability 

of a tourism entity on the basis of 

four pillars: interaction with the 

environment; waste management; 

interaction with the client; and 

interaction with the community. 

“Our visitors become our friends,” 

Revelo said. “Partly because most 

of our hotels and small and run by 

their owners.” 

She added: “We have a population 

of five million and we welcome 

three million tourists each year. We 

know what type of tourism we do 

want and we know what type we 

don’t want. We need to underline 

the importance tourism has for the 

quality of life of our people” 

As Ecuador is crossed by the 

Equatorial line, it is said to be 

at the centre of the world. Its 

territory, 283,560 km², is made 

up of four regions: Pacific 

Coast, Andes, Amazon and the 

Galapagos Islands. 

Described as “The country 

of the four worlds”, it has an 

excellent road network and 

airport infrastructure, 12 hours 

of light every day and two 

seasons: winter and summer. 

Travelling to Ecuador is 

discovering a treasure at every 

step. 

The country that loves life has 

a diversity of climatic regions 

and short distances among 

destinations that allows one 

to travel through beaches, 

mountains, volcanoes, 

and lush vegetation and 

conservation sites. 

KEY SELLING 

POINTS: 

Ecuador has been chosen by 

the World Travel Awards as the 

leading Green Destination of 

the World for five consecutive 

years, due to the environmental 

care and sustainable practices 

in tourism. 

It is the most biodiverse 

country in the world in 

relation to its size. It has 45 

protected areas where more 

than 130 species of plants 

grow. In addition, it has seven 

Biosphere reserves declared by 

UNESCO. 

In Galapagos, located about 

1000 km from mainland 

Ecuador, there are the Darwin 

and Wolf Islands that holds 

the greatest amount of shark 

biomass in the world. These 

areas of Marine Sanctuary, are 

part of this Natural Heritage of 

Humanity declared by UNESCO 

in 1978. 

GETTING 

ACQUAINTED WITH 

SOME OF THE 

ACTIVITIES AT THE 

CENTRE OF THE 

WORLD 

Tours and walks pass 

through a hundred volcanoes 

at the centre of the world. 

Meet Chimborazo, the highest 

volcano in the world from 

the centre of the earth. In 

addition, Cotopaxi, Illinizas, 

Cayambe, Guagua Pichincha, 

Tungurahua, and Corazón are 

places to admire the world 

from above. 

Visit two regions aboard Tren 

Ecuador (Ecuador Train) to 

appreciate the diversity of the 

Andes and the Pacific Coast 

considered one of the World’s 

Best Luxury Trains, chosen by 

the World Travel Awards 



AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN 

REGION 

43 

Enrique Monroy 

Abunader 

Head of tourism promotion, 

Yucatan Tourism Board 

Rising Yucatan 

commits to sustainable 

development 

Yucatan state has become the 

rising star of Mexican tourism in 

recent years, with growth nudging 

16% in 2017, according to Enrique 

Monroy Abunader, head of tourism 

promotion at the Yucatan tourism 

board. 

Located with the Yucatan peninsula 

in Mexico’s east, the state has a vast 

wealth of natural, gastronomic, 

cultural and archaeological 

offerings. However the key point 

of difference is sustainability, 

especially for key source markets 

in Europe. 

“Our tourism development is 

planned and managed in a way 

that doesn’t cause impact on our 

environment, or social-cultural 

problems,” Abunader told ITB 

Berlin News. 

With sun 300 days per year, the 

Yucatan tourism board is strongly 

promoting solar power in the 

sector, with hotels like the Hyatt 

and Intercontinental already 

having “elite certification” for using 

renewables. 

The goal is to also to ensure that 

coastal infrastructure has minimal 

environmental impact via the 

maintenance of mangroves, 

estuaries and sanctuaries that 

sustain the region’s famed pink 

flamingo, for example. Moreover, 

there is a close dialogue with 

communities who manage these 

coastal zones that are also integral 

to the local Mayan culture. 

In this way, a new railway that will 

begin construction in 2019 will be 

encouraged to get off the beaten 

path along the coast and explore 

untapped nature reserves further 

inland - though with minimal 

impact. Chichen Itza, the iconic 

Mayan city and one of the “new” 

seven wonders of the world and a 

UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one 

of the stops along the route. 

While Yucatan is already a hit 

with the business segment, 

offering Mexico’s highest 

rated infrastructure for events, 

conventions and incentive trips, 

the destination is focusing on key 

markets that demand sustainability. 

“We are therefore aiming to be an 

ecotourism destination as well,” 

Abunader said of the low impact 

approach to tourism development. 

“We know that the European 

market is looking for this kind of 

destination that is more related to 

nature and culture” 

Colombia: A total 

South American 

experience in one 

European demand for travel 

to Colombia is currently 

outstripping flight availability, 

according to Deputy Minister 

of Tourism in Colombia, Juan 

Pablo Franky. 

“There is no room, this is 

something that has to be 

solved,” Franky told ITB Berlin 

News in the wake of expanding 

demand for a destination 

that promises to combine a 

total South American travel 

experience in one location. 

With 12% growth from the 

German market alone in 2017 

(though the Spanish market 

remains four times the size, 

benefitting from many more 

flight connections), Europe is 

being sold on the rising South 

American hotspot that boasts 

both diversity, and biodiversity. 

“From the Amazon to the 

Caribbean, we have one 

million square kilometres of 

tropical destination options, 

365 days of perfect weather 

conditions, and four thousand 

kilometres of sea coast, half 

the Pacific, half the Atlantic. 

You have the mountains, the 

coffee growing areas, the 

magnificent archaeological 

sites,” Franky explained. 

Communicating this diversity is 

therefore one of the challenges 

that the Colombian tourism 

authority was addressing at ITB 

Berlin. To this end, a particular 

focus is growing agritourism 

offerings, especially in the 

coffee plantations dotted 

around the highland region. 

Colombian coffee is regarded 

as some of the best quality in 

the region, if not the world, 

and the culture around the 

aromatic bean is another key 

tourism selling point. 

“It’s a unique experience to go 

and to see and to really feel 

what coffee is for us,” said 

Franky. 

Another key part of Franky’s 

mission at ITB Berlin is to 

“convince more investors 

to see Columbia as a great 

opportunity.” He describes 

Colombia’s tax benefit policy 

that was created as an incentive 

to tourism investment in the 

South American nation. Hotel 

developers, for instance, can 

obtain tax breaks for up to 20 

years. 

A number of major hotel 

chains, Marriott to Accor, 

have already taken advantage 

of the incentive, however the 

goal is to attract more resort 

properties. In this regard, 

Franky is hopeful that a major 

deal negotiated at ITB Berlin 

will soon be announced 

Ruins of the Ciudad Perdida, 

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 

Colombia 

© Gavin Rough 


44 REGION 

MIDDLE EAST 

Sharjah 

promotes 

“family 

friendliness” 

Sharjah Discovery Centre 

© Visit Sharjah 

Nestled between two coasts, Sharjah shares its heritage through its 20 

museums and galleries, local architecture and culture-packed leisure 

activities that are perfect for families. Sharjah is home to a wealth of 

noteworthy sites, museums, beaches and fun indoor and outdoor activities. 

Following are just a few… 

AL MONTAZAH 

WATERPARK 

Newly renovated Al 

Montazah Amusement 

and Water Park is 

Sharjah’s newest family 

entertainment destination. 

The 126,000-square-metre 

amusement park offers 

thrilling water rides, a 

leisure park and green 

space in the heart of the 

city. Al Montazah has rides 

and recreation options that 

tourists and residents of all 

ages are sure to enjoy. The 

park’s offerings are rounded 

off by attractions such as 

a souk, cafés, restaurants, 

sports facilities and live 

performance venues. 

DISCOVERY CENTRE 

Sharjah Discovery Centre 

is an entertainment centre 

designed for children aged 3 

to 12 years, providing them 

with the opportunity to 

learn, discover, understand 

the role of science and 

technology in their daily 

life and explore the world 

around them in a fun-filled 

and relaxing atmosphere. 

All the activities are based 

on real-life activities in the 

most fun way. 

SHARJAH CENTRE FOR 

ASTRONOMY & SPACE 

SCIENCES 

This cleverly designed 

attraction is an enticing 

place to take children, 

with informative and 

entertaining displays. The 

centre aims at developing 

and promoting education 

about astronomy and 

space sciences in the Arab 

World in general and the 

UAE in particular in order 

to be a destination for 

science, research, heritage, 

education and tourism for 

students and university 

students, researchers and 

families of all ages. 

SHARJAH AQUARIUM 

As an ancient port, 

Sharjah’s history is 

interweaved with the sea 

and there is no better place 

to learn about the emirate’s 

sea-faring traditions and 

local marine life than 

Sharjah Aquarium. More 

than 150 species, including 

the beautiful clownfish, 

delicate seahorses, moray 

eels, sea rays and reef 

sharks can be seen in the 

cleverly designed large fish 

tanks which wind through 

the building, displaying sea 

creatures in their natural 

habitats of rocky shores, 

coral reefs, lagoons and 

mangroves 

Ras Al 

Khaimah 

unveils luxury 

camp plan for 

UAE mountains 

Ras Al Khaimah mountain resort 

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) 

used ITB Berlin 2019 to unveil an agreement with Mantis 

to operate a “Luxury Camp” project on Jebel Jais, the 

highest mountain in the UAE. The announcement was 

made by Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism 

Development Authority and John Hanna Mih, MD of Mantis 

UK during a ceremony at the world’s largest tourism fair. 

The luxury mountain camp 

will be located at the height of 

approximately 600 to 700 metres 

above sea-level, offering visitors 

spectacular mountain views of 

the Hajar mountains, and a yearround 

retreat with temperatures 

around 10 degrees cooler than 

the rest of UAE. Expected to be 

completed in 2020, the tented 

camp will comprise a total of 47 

luxury units - 34 deluxe tents, 11 

one-bedroom tented suites with a 

private pool, and 2 two-bedroom 

tented suites with a private pool 

- complemented by facilities such 

as a health club, heated pool, spa 

& wellness centre, kids’ play area, 

fire pit, and a restaurant. 

The unique, eco-tourism project 

complements the array of 

adventure tourism attractions on 

offer in the Emirate and will feature 

the latest technology to minimise 

energy use and conserve water. 

Haitham Mattar said: “ITB Berlin 

is a significant platform to interact 

with the global travel market, 

and to promote Ras Al Khaimah’s 

breadth of outdoor offerings that 

range from pristine beaches and 

stunning desert landscape to the 

spectacular mountain range of 

Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest peak. 

With the right investment and the 

use of best practice to develop 

sustainable tourism, we envision 

a globally recognised destination 

attracting close to 1.5 million 

visitors by 2021, and 3 million 

visitors by 2025”. 

Mih added: “We are grateful to 

the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism 

Development Authority for their 

trust in us in contributing to the 

Emirate’s ever-expanding tourism 

industry. With a growing number 

of visitors to Ras Al Khaimah, 

the luxury camp is a valuable 

addition to the experiences that 

the Emirate offers” 



AFRICA 

REGION 

45 

South Africa heralds 

25 th anniversary of 

democracy 

International arrivals have quadrupled 

since 1993 

Hon Hamat N K Bah (second right) 

with colleagues 

Gambian Minister 

prioritises quality in 

bid to woo tourists 

It’s only two years since the 

beautiful West African country of 

The Gambia turned its back on 

two decades of dictatorship. But 

already the country’s Minister of 

Tourism and Culture, Hon Hamat 

N K Bah, has drawn up a national 

plan designed to remind the world 

of The Gambia’s varied appeal. 

Minster Bah, a tourism industry 

veteran, says the small nation has 

many things in its favour: “It has 

one of the mildest climates in the 

world and some of the friendliest 

people,” he told ITB Berlin News. 

“We have some of the best beaches 

you can find along the Atlantic coast 

as well as beautiful seafood. The 

Gambia River with its mangroves is 

a popular destination and we have 

amazing flora and fauna, including 

around 350 species of birds.” 

According to the Minister, the 

biggest challenge facing the 

country is competition from other 

destinations. “In response, we are 

promoting ourselves as strongly 

as possible and also placing an 

emphasis of improving standards. 

Quality is a top priority for the 

government, because service is 

how we will distinguish ourselves.” 

Notwithstanding its issues with 

governance, The Gambia remains 

a popular destination with tourist 

from around the world, Minister 

Bah said: “We are especially popular 

with Europeans – notably the UK, 

Spain, Netherlands and Belgium. 

We are also seeing growth from 

markets like Poland, the Czech 

Republic, Russia and Scandinavia 

but would welcome more support 

from German tour operators. The 

Gambia has always had a good 

number of German visitors, but 

we would like operators to help us 

explain that it is business as usual.” 

The Minister said that The Gambia 

is targeting 500,000 international 

arrivals, and sees the Americas as 

another potential growth market. 

“We are only a six-hour flight from 

the Americas. We are the home of 

the Kunta Kinte Roots story, and 

this will be the focus of a range of 

tourism activities in 2019/2020. 

We are also putting a stronger 

emphasis on eco-tourism” 

Derek Hanekom is Tourism Minister of South Africa. 

We started by asking him how South Africa’s tourism 

offering has evolved in the 25 years since democracy 

was installed. 

This year, South Africa 

celebrates 25 years of 

democracy, a milestone for our 

country and the foundation of 

a booming tourism industry. 

In 1993, 3.4 million tourists 

travelled to South Africa, 

contributing 4.6% to the 

national economy. The number 

of international arrivals has 

quadrupled since then and now 

stands at 10.6 million. 

How important is tourism for 

the state economy and what is 

the government doing in terms 

of investment to grow tourism? 

If the entire value chain 

is taken into account, the 

total contribution of the 

travel industry amounts to 

€800m, or 8.9% of the gross 

domestic product. In 2017, 

tourism directly and indirectly 

supported around 1.5 million 

jobs, 9.5% of total employment. 

By 2028, the number is 

expected to grow to 2.1 million 

jobs. 

Safety and security are always 

major concerns. How are you 

addressing these issues? 

Derek Hanekom 

Tourism Minister of South Africa 

The government is 

continuously working to make 

South Africa even safer, for 

example, with the use of 1,450 

Working for Tourism safety 

monitors. At the same time, I 

would like to stress that places 

that tourists typically visit are 

safe in every respect. In terms 

of crimes against tourists, 

South Africa is comparable to 

most destinations around the 

world. 

What was new this year at 

your stand at ITB Berlin? 

When we talk about tourism 

in South Africa, one thing 

must always be clear: growing 

numbers of tourists must 

benefit everyone involved, 

especially the micro and 

medium-sized enterprises 

(SMMEs), which do not 

have the budget to market 

themselves extensively. This is 

why again this year 10 small 

companies from different 

regions of South Africa 

presented themselves at our 

South African Tourism booth 


46 

WHERE 

TO GO 

IN 


eyes and a culinary delight for the senses. The 

restaurant offers a spectacular view of the Spree 

River and the Oberbaum bridge. 

Fabrics restaurant 

Stralauer Allee 3, Berlin 

Tel: +49 (0)30 290 299 0 

www.nhow-berlin.com/en/ 

Metro: S+U Warschauer Str. S5, S7, S75, U1 

Tram: M10 

Hospitality 

Terrace of restaurant emil’s 

CENTROVITAL BERLIN - 

SPANDAU 

Hotel, SPA & Sportclub, pleasure and health 

in Berlin´s city west 

When coming to ITB Berlin next time, why not 

plan to stay in Spandau, with close proximity 

to Messe Berlin and Tegel Airport? Centrovital 

Berlin offers not only comfortable and quiet 

four-star accommodation, but also spa and 

sport club, wellness, Ayurveda and health 

centre. Restaurant emil’s has creative & healthy 

cuisine with view to Lake Spandau. Guests are 

spoiled with culinary delights – with a wonderful 

view over Lake Spandau. The restaurant emil’s 

combines elements of modern cuisine with 

healthy ingredients in a modern atmosphere, 

serving both buffet and à la carte. 

One can also relax after a busy day and enjoy 

an evening with a drink of one’s choice from the 

extensive cocktail menu at centrovital’s bar & 

bistro La Havanita. It’s also possible to enjoy a 

variety of delicious tapas, fresh salads, soups and 

desserts in the bar’s cosy atmosphere. 

Chaussee36 - Bedroom in the late 19 th century apartment 

CHAUSSEE36 

Offers A Time-Travel Experience 

Built in 1886, Chaussee36 is a former Prussian 

officers’ residence which is being fully restored. 

Chaussee36 offers a unique Berlin and timetravel 

experience, through authentic design, 

sustainable architecture and careful restoration 

of historic artifacts. 

Chaussee36 is a 4,000 square metre historical 

building in the heart of Berlin a multiple event 

space, Salon36; furnished apartments for guests, 

Residenz36; and an art gallery specialised in 

photography, Galerie36. 

The conservation of old elements in combination 

with both new design and architecture express 

the guiding principle of Chaussee36. 

Chaussee36 

Chausseestraße 36, 10115 Berlin Mitte 

Tel: +49 30 280 976 48 

www.chaussee36.com 

Metro: U Naturkundemuseum U6 

Restaurants 

ROCK’N’ROLL! FABRICS 

RESTAURANT 

In the ‘fabrics’ restaurant at the nhow hotel, 

star designer Karim Rashid’s digipop design 

meets a contemporary international cuisine. 

This culmination of creativity is a feast for the 

Fabrics restaurant 

EINSTEIN UNTER DEN LINDEN 

Opened in 1996 by Gerald Uhlig and Willy 

Andraschko, the Einstein coffeehouse and 

restaurant on Unter den Linden in Berlin Mitte has 

maintained its flair for the intimate and urbane. 

At the beginning of 2016, the Grill Royal group 

took over the famed establishment to revive the 

allure of its early days. Classic Austrian cuisine 

at its best is among the highlights. With respect 

for the original charm of the house, the interior 

has been carefully renovated and furnished with 

discreet smoke glass mirrors while preserving 

the homely brown tones of wood and leather. 

The décor includes original photographs by 

Robert Lebeck and Susanne Shapovalow, as well 

as works by noteworthy contemporary artists. 

Open Monday till Friday, 7am-10pm, Weekends 

from 8am-10pm 

Einstein unter den Linden 

Unter den Linden 42 - 10117 Berlin 

Reservation: office@einstein-udl.com 

Tel: +49 30 20 43 632 

http://einstein-udl.com 

© P Langer 

Centrovital Berlin 

Neuendorfer Straße 25, 13585 Berlin 

Tel: +49 30 818750 

info@centrovital-berlin.de 

Metro: S+U Rathaus Spandau S3, S9, U7 

Einstein unter den Linden

ITB Berlin News 2019 - Review Edition

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