ITB Berlin News 2021 - Day 1 Edition

DAY 1 

TUESDAY 9 TH MARCH 2021 

ITB BERLIN NOW 2021 

IT’S HERE, 

AND IT’S… NOW 

THE WORLD IS CHANGING, 

AND SO IS TRAVEL AND TOURISM. 

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW HOW AND WHY 

NEWS 

#05 

NATURE 

IN THE RAW 

REGION 

EUROPE 

SPECIAL FEATURE 

#18 

#12 

EXCLUSIVE 

INTERVIEW 

BARBARA KLEPSCH 

Minister of State for Culture 

and Tourism - Saxony 

CULTURAL 

TOURISM 

#26 

Start Planning Your Magical Journey 

to Wondрful Indonesia 

Likupang, North Sulawesi

FEATURED EXHIBITORS 

VISIT THE ITB BERLIN NOW 

SHOW FLOOR: 

Click on the logo 

to go to the Brand 

Cards

EDITORIAL 

Richard Barnes 

Editor-in-Chief, 

ITB Berlin News 

Welcome to NOW… 

Welcome to NOW… ITB Berlin NOW, that 

is. Wherever you may be in the world, 

indeed, the show is here and now, with 

a wealth of online functions, enabling all 

players in the sector to meet up virtually, 

exchange ideas, do business and make the 

most of your B2B trade show experience. 

With thousands of tourism companies from 

over 120 countries registered, the World’s 

Leading Travel Trade Show enters a new 

era, where, thanks to smart matching 

technology, participants can hold oneon-one 

meetings with relevant partners, 

group video chats, explore theme worlds in 

virtual cafés or follow lectures by leading 

experts and industry figures at the ITB 

Berlin NOW Convention. 

ITB Berlin NOW is an innovative platform 

for tourism professionals everywhere, 

who over four days will be able to focus 

on business, networking and updating 

their knowledge. Whether by providing 

smart matching technology with the socalled 

“Discovery Graph” and "Lead 

Finder", inspirational showcases or expert 

discussions, in this extraordinary year 

the organisers are offering exhibitors and 

visitors a wide range of options, enabling 

them to make the most of their time at the 

virtual ITB. 

The positive news is that ITB Berlin and 

Statista have just published a survey 

indicating that a large number of private 

respondents surveyed in Germany, the US 

and China were thinking about travelling 

this year. Specifically, 37% of Germans, 

42% of Americans and 66% of Chinese 

were planning one or more trips. Close to 

25% of respondents in Germany and the 

US and over 35% in China also believe 

they will spend more money on travelling 

over the next 12 months than during the 

same period to date. 

So, welcome to the show. NOW you’re able 

to get down to business! 

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CONTENTS 

#04 DAILY BRIEFING 

#05 NEWS 

#09 TRADE TALK 

#10 EXCLUSIVE 

INTERVIEWS 

#18 REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT 

EUROPE 

#14 GERMAN REGIONS 

SAXONY 

SPECIAL FEATURES 

#22 TRANSPORT 

#25 TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES 

#26 CULTURAL TOURISM 

CULTURE 

IN ITALY 

ITB BERLIN NEWS • TUESDAY 9 TH MARCH 2021 3

I NEWS I 

Daily 

Briefing 

By David Ruetz, 

Head of ITB Berlin NOW 

A very good morning to one and all. In this first daily briefing for 2021, I 

must first thank all our teams who have been working tirelessly in order to 

make this event a success for all those participating. 

Each morning, I will bring you an outline of 

key events throughout the day. 

I should underline the fact that there are 

way too many singular events throughout 

the day to be able to list them all. I strongly 

suggest to take some time to go through 

the lists of events that may be of interest 

and select those that are pertinent to your 

business. 

Today, after the official opening conference 

at 9am, the ITB Future Track will see 

interviews with leading CEOs from every 

walk of the industry. A morning keynote 

interview with Richard Holden, vice 

president, Product Management, Google – 

will give an up-to-the-minute and qualified 

view of the challenges the tourism industry 

is having to confront during the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

High-ranking representatives of Emirates, 

Air France KLM and Ryanair will have their 

say on the situation in the airline industry. 

The CEOs of the TUI Group and DER 

Touristik Group will each explain how tour 

operators can successfully emerge from 

the crisis. Leading figures representing 

Hyatt, Accor and Deutsche Hospitality will 

outline solutions for the hotel industry. The 

CEOs of MSC Cruises, Celebrity Cruises 

and TUI Cruises will talk about the trends 

and challenges in the cruise market. 

Convention stage two will see the TTA 

Forum, hosted by Charlotte Lamp Davies. 

Highlights will include appearances from 

Lukas C C. Hempel, CEO Bookingkit; Patrick 

Mendes, CCO, Accor, Stephen Kaufer, CEO, 

Tripadvisor, Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, 

Uber, and Sean Menke, CEO, Sabre Corp. 

This afternoon, ITB's CSR Commissioner, 

Rika Jean-François will be hosting 

"SheTrades: Women in Tourism Building 

Back Better", with a number of speakers, 

including H.E. D Sarangerel, the Minister of 

Tourism and Environment of Mongolia. 

AWARDS CEREMONIES 

NOT TO BE MISSED 

A highlight of the afternoon will be at 

2pm, with the TO DO Award 2020/21 & TO 

DO Human Rights Award 2020/21, while 

at 3pm, we will most importantly see the 

ITB Awards - “Celebrating Her Awards 

2021” - Honouring extraordinary women 

in tourism, organised in cooperation 

with the International Institute of Peace 

in Tourism (IIPT), Indian branch. Winners 

will be announced live on stage, following 

greetings by Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO 

secretary-general and Louis D’Amore, 

founder IIPT. This is definitely a moment 

not to be missed! 

Full programme details and tickets for the 

virtual show are available online. 

Hold on to your hats… it’s going to be a riproaring 

ride! 

4 ITB BERLIN NEWS • TUESDAY 9 TH MARCH 2021 

www.itb-berlin-news.com

ADVERTORIAL 

I NEWS I 

Tegudon Tourism Village, Sabah, with Mount Kinabalu as a backdrop 

Nature 

in the raw 

Amazing adventure, genuine culture, 

mouthwatering cuisine and warm welcome... 

this is Malaysian Borneo 

Malaysia has two states that take up a huge chunk of the 

massive island of Borneo: Sabah and Sarawak. Much of what 

they have to offer remains a secret to all but a lucky few. 

SABAH 

A tantalising experience of wildlife 

exploration awaits everyone 

who visits Sabah; a state wellknown 

for its elegant islands 

and gorgeous parks. For all 

nature and wildlife enthusiasts, 

a comprehensive journey around 

Sabah’s attractions will give a 

unique and exclusive experience 

in Malaysia. 

With the backdrop of Mount 

Kinabalu, visitors can discover 

more than 4,500 species of flora 

and fauna in Kinabalu Park, 

trekking in the verdant rainforest 

or browsing Kinabalu Park’s most 

sought-after attractions such as 

the Canopy Walkway, Butterfly 

Farm, Orchid Conservation Centre, 

or Rafflesia Garden. 

Or what about the floating oasis 

of Bohey Dulang, one of the most 

interesting islands to visit among 

the Tun Sakaran Marine Park 

archipelago. What used to be a 

part of a volcanic crater now forms 

a charming lagoon that draws 

visitors from across the globe. 

Easily recognisable as the largest 

park in Sabah, another must-visit 

for nature lovers is the Crocker 

Range National Park. Offering an 

array of interesting flora and fauna 

that is found nowhere else, it is 

also a prime spot for the ultimate 

outdoor adventure, from hiking 

the Crocker Trail, water rafting at 

the Kiulu River and Padas River, 

to enjoying a refreshing dip under 

the Mahua Waterfall. 

SARAWAK 

Sarawak is awash with unexpected 

cultural experiences. Whether you 

enjoy its gastronomic delights 

or looking forward to some new 

experiences and adventures, 

Sarawak’s rugged beauty should 

be on everyone’s bucket list. 

Home to 30 national parks and 

an abundance of cultural villages 

preciously preserving the local 

heritage, visitors are spoilt for 

choice and guaranteed a packed 

itinerary. 

Uncover Sarawak’s hidden gem 

of Bung Jagoi – an old village 

considered the ancestral home 

of the Dayak Bidayuh for over 

175 years where visitors may 

experience homestays while 

exploring the Bidayuh history 

and cultural gallery, including the 

crafts of Rumah Gawai. 

Experience both worlds at 

Kampung Boyan, one of the many 

authentic Malay villages along the 

north bank of the Sarawak River. 

One can expect to see rows and 

rows of colourful traditional Malay 

houses, with nuances of modern 

architecture. There is a stark 

contrast between the village and 

the opposing, bumbling Kuching 

downtown visible from the 

waterfront. 

One of UNESCO’s World Heritage 

Sites in Malaysia, the enchantment 

of Gunung Mulu National Park 

comes from its karst formations 

in its mountainous equatorial 

rainforest setting – it is also the 

most studied area of tropical 

karst in the world. Cited as an 

outstanding example of the world’s 

geological history, the national 

park boasts one of the longest 

chains of caves in the world, as 

well as being the home for the 

Sarawak Chamber – the largest 

natural underground chamber that 

is huge enough to fit a total of 40 

Boeing 747 aeroplanes! 

A short write-up definitely doesn’t 

do justice to all the marvels 

Malaysian Borneo can offer. From 

its rich flora and fauna, vibrant 

culture, and unique gastronomy, 

Sabah and Sarawak always await 

your visit and appreciation 

To find out more, check 

out the SMARTguide 

"Sarawak: a new vision" - a 

valuable resource for travel 

professionals. 

© Borneo Eco Tours 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

BORNEO PYGMY 

ELEPHANTS - 

KINABATANGAN, 

SABAH 

IBAN WARRIOR, 

SARAWAK 

A FEMALE 

ORANG UTAN - 

IN THE WILD - 

AT SEMENGGOH 

RESERVE, CLOSE 

TO SARAWAK'S 

CAPITAL KUCHING 


I NEWS I 

Café chat 

ITB Berlin NOW’s cafés are a great place to stop for a chat after witnessing 

some of the great content from the ITB Berlin NOW Convention. It’s all about 

building upon ideas. Choose a theme that is of vital interest, watch the talk 

at the convention, and then dig deep in a group discussion in which you 

really get to play an active role. For specific convention topics, the ITB Berlin 

“Convention Café” is the place to continue discussions. Other cafés abound 

where participants can discuss subjects of interest in the various forums at 

the show. 

A BUSY DAY AT 

THE TTA FORUM CAFÉ 

The forum, focusing on tours, attractions 

and technology, opens at 10am, with a talk 

on “The year of the unthinkable”, followed by 

another discussion on the Post Corona world 

– looking at the “new reality” in distribution. 

Other themes during the day will include 

exploring locally in recovery, keynotes at 

lunchtime on “recovery through happiness” 

and “what’s next in experiences”, followed by 

panel discussions. 

Nathan Dumlao / Unsplash 

HOME OF LUXURY CAFÉ 

The Home of Luxury Café is the exclusive 

meeting area for worldwide stakeholders of 

the top-end luxury travel industry. Luxurythemed 

sessions in the ITB Berlin convention 

are followed by further discussions in the 

café afterwards. Here you can meet, chat and 

exchange with relevant business contacts 

from the industry in a café atmosphere. 

SAXONY'S CULTURE CAFE 

Saxony is the Official Culture Destination of 

ITB Berlin NOW 2021. The most important 

meeting point for immersing in Saxony’s 

cultural offerings is the digital Culture Café 

from 9-12/3/21 with interviews, videos, music 

and presentations. 

DON'T MISS THE HAPPY HOURS AND 

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES: 

THE TRAVEL TECH & STARTUP CAFÉ 

Every day at 5pm, it’s happy hour, powered 

by VIR e.V. It’s a special time to get together! 

CAREER CAFÉ – a daily rendez-vous: At 5:30pm, 

it’s all about effective networking – with 

YoungTIC 

… Check-out other cafés based on youth 

travel, adventure travel, responsible tourism, 

LGBT+ tourism and media (two different 

cafés), and medical tourism 

THE BLOGGER CAFÉ – 

THE COMMUNITY FOR 

COMMUNICATORS 

The Blogger Café is THE place-to-be for 

every accredited travel blogger at ITB Berlin 

NOW. Different meeting corners can be 

used to connect with one’s peers, exchange 

experiences or ask for help with blogrelated 

topics. There will be an inspiring and 

engaging live programme with, for and from 

bloggers. 



I NEWS I 

ADVERTORIAL 

François 

Baltus-Languedoc 

CEO, Martinique Tourism Authority 

A question 

of trust 

An ITB / Travelzoo global study has found European 

consumers’ trust for the travel industry has taken a 

hit with the Covid crisis. 

Martinique named the world's 

"top emerging destination" 

by TripAdvisor 

TripAdvisor has this year named the French Caribbean Island of 

Martinique as the world's “top emerging destination in 2021” in 

its Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards. We asked François 

Baltus-Languedoc, CEO of the Martinique Tourism Authority to tell 

us about the award, and Martinique’s presence at ITB Berlin NOW. 

This distinction is a real recognition, 

and is TripAdvisor's "highest honour". To 

compile its ranking for this award, the 

opinions of millions of users are taken 

into account. Martinique is the only 

Caribbean island on the list. 

What else is "new"? 

Last December, UNESCO officially 

included the traditional Yole sailboat 

of Martinique in its Intangible Cultural 

Heritage List. Our traditional Yole 

is much more than simply a boat. It 

symbolises the people of Martinique, 

that, united by their traditions and 

culture, can brave the elements. 

Meanwhile, on 5 January, France 

officially asked UNESCO to list the 

15,000 hectares of volcanoes and 

forests of Pelee Mountain and the 

Pitons of northern Martinique as a 

World Heritage Site. 

With the establishment of strict health 

measures adapted to the current 

situation, all tourism professionals 

in Martinique are ready to welcome 

visitors. With a similar attendance to 

previous years, last December was 

proof that Martinique remains a very 

attractive destination. The Martinique 

Tourism Committee continues to step 

up its efforts to make the island the 

must-see destination for Europeans in 

winter 2021-2022 

MARTINIQUE LAUNCHES THE 

MARTINIQUE TRAVEL SHOW 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

The Martinique Tourism Committee has announced its first ever 100% virtual show 

for the destination: the Martinique Travel Show. It will take place from 18 to 20 May 

and will bring together all professionals and players in Martinique tourism with 

prescribers and resellers from European and American source markets. 

An enriching, interactive, innovative and fun experience will be offered via a modern, 

high-quality platform. The exhibition will allow further training on Martinique as a 

tourism destination through expert conferences, also enabling participants to 

learn about the health measures introduced following the Covid-19. 

Conferences, networking, business opportunities and prizes will be on the agenda. 

For more information please contact : business@martiniquetravelshow.com or 

presse@martiniquetravelshow.com 

The survey took place in the 

form of an online questionnaire 

by research company OnePoll 

between 12 and 18 January 

2021. It was completed by 

8,000 people across Canada, 

China, France, Germany, 

Spain, the UK and the USA. 

A Travelzoo keynote 

presentation The Rise of 

Trust - A Global Study on 

Changing Customer Attitudes 

to Trust in Travel, outlining 

the survey results, will be 

presented by Christian Smart, 

General Manager of Travelzoo 

Germany on 10 March. 

According to the survey, 

European consumers are 

disappointed with how travel 

brands have handled bookings 

and communication during 

the pandemic. The study 

found fewer people now trust 

travel brands and airlines in 

the UK, Germany, and France 

than before the pandemic. The 

USA and China however are 

in stark contrast to this with 

many saying they trust both 

travel brand and airlines more 

now. 

Wednesday, 

10 March 2021 

10:40 - 10:55 

In the UK and Germany, 

trust in the travel industry 

has suffered the most. 24% 

of respondents in these two 

countries say they trust the 

companies in the industry 

less now than before the 

pandemic. In contrast, there 

is a far greater propensity to 

trust travel brands in the USA 

and China, where confidence 

has increased by 47% (USA) 

and 49% (China). 

The global study asked if 

trustworthiness towards 

people or companies was 

the single most important 

trait they could have, and 

83% globally agreed with this 

statement. 

For the travel industry, the 

trust factor opens up new 

opportunities as globally 

a large percentage of 

holidaymakers are willing 

to spend more money for 

services they know they can 

trust 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

ITB KEYNOTE 

The Rise of Trust - A Global 

Study on Changing Customer 

Attitudes to Trust in Travel: 

Exclusive ITB/Travelzoo Survey 

ITB Berlin NOW Convention Stage 1 


I NEWS I 

ADVERTORIAL 

FlockEO 

IDENTIFIES THE 

BEST TOURISM 

SPOTS FOR 

ECO-FRIENDLY 

TRAVELLERS 

FlockEO is a great new tool for people 

interested in sustainable travel. Their 

website sports a unique, bespoke 

world map, showing scores of ecodestinations. 

It helps travellers 

choose their itinerary, calculate their 

environmental footprint and get 

in touch with sustainable tourism 

professionals. 

The trade is invited to participate by sharing 

their commitment and their actions towards 

the environment with travellers. Flockeo 

brings a range of indicators related to 

environmental impacts and underlines 

various companies' contributions to 

sustainable tourism. In return, travellers have 

the tools to act in a responsible way. 

FlockEO also created "FlockEO Partners" 

group, a B-2-B network implementing 

discussions and informal meetings. It is 

also a professional space to exchange 

information on sustainable development... 

knowing each other better. 

The solution allows tourism actors access 

management tools that will enable them to 

measure real human impact and to propose 

effective actions to develop sustainability 

Where does the name "FlockEO" come from? 

"Flock" describes birds' gathering prior to 

migration. Like birds, sustainable 

tourism stakeholders gather 

on the FlockEO site to 

defend their values. As 

they say, "birds of a feather 

flock together". And 

EO stands for Earth 

Observation as the site 

uses satellite data to help 

travellers in their decisions 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

The Home of Luxury is a microcosm within the world of ITB Berlin. It’s an exclusive 

platform for the global luxury travel industry that encourages networking, business 

and exchange. We asked Deborah Rothe, Head of Business Development & Sales, 

ITB Berlin, to explain the concept. 

The original idea was for the Home of Luxury to 

be housed in a special setting: an exclusive and 

private atmosphere in the middle of the action, 

surrounded by the hustle and bustle of ITB Berlin. 

The concept has obviously changed as one 

cannot just transfer a concept to a digital version. 

The centrepiece this year is the Home of Luxury 

Café as a starting point: an “always available” 

place to exchange and get in touch with the 

luxury community. Hand-selected luxury buyers, 

suppliers and media are granted access by 

personal invitation or upon approval of an access 

request. The Café is open 24/7. 

There are 3 areas: namely, the Office, the Kitchen 

and the Garden. The Office is a place to hold 

a meeting. People can just drop by, so it’s like 

a table within a Café that invites others to join 

anytime. 

Deborah Rothe 

Head of Business 

Development & Sales, 

ITB Berlin 

Luxury travel under 

the spotlight 

In the Kitchen, we’ll be having discussions about 

trends and challenges as well as Q&A’s, set 

to take place right after the luxury convention 

sessions as part of the official program. 

The Garden is for mind and body. To start the day 

refreshed, attendees can take part in Morning 

Wake Up, Stretch and Meditation sessions before 

the official program begins. 

In 2022, the focus will be on rebooting live 

encounters and meetings. However, we’re 

planning to combine the best of both elements, a 

physical event complemented by relevant online 

features 

Paris Bathtub 

© Yann Maignan / Unsplash 



I TRADE TALK I 

Peter Strub 

COO Studiosus Reisen 

München GmbH 

ITB Berlin NOW - 

More important 

than ever 

Studiosus is the European market 

leader in the cultural tours segment, 

and every year, company COO, 

Peter Strub, is present at ITB Berlin. 

We asked him why the show is so 

important for him. 

We normally publish our tourism brochures 

in September, so March is a good time to 

talk about what to change for the following 

year, and what to introduce as a new 

product. Last year would have been my 34 th 

ITB in a row, so I am quite experienced with 

this event, and I love it! ITB Berlin NOW 

2021 is a good chance to meet all those 

partners from around the world on a virtual 

basis. 

It’s even more important than in normal 

years, because there’s much more to 

discuss than just tourist offerings. It’s not 

only hotels, activities, sightseeing, and 

new attractions in the country. It’s also 

about getting a feeling of when a country 

might open – and under which conditions 

travelling might be possible. We are talking 

not only about quarantine, but also about 

whether there is a size limit for groups, 

what hygienic protocols have been put in 

place in hotels and in bus companies. Is it 

only possible for FITs to travel, or is group 

travel also possible? There are many new 

questions coming up. 

Tell us a little bit more about your session 

at the convention. 

This year, there is one topic of particular 

interest for us, and that will be the topic of 

our ITB panel discussion on Friday. That is 

that the German Parliament will introduce 

a new law that tour operators have to also 

check the social responsibility of all their 

partners and providers; if they respect the 

international laws of labour, and how they 

treat employees. It is something that’s not 

really new, but the legal basis will be, when 

the law is introduced in summer 

Friday, 


14:00 - 14:30 

Studiosus-Gespräch: Menschenrechte 

in den Lieferketten: Welches 

Sorgfaltspflichtengesetz brauchen wir?" 



I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I 

Italy still 

top of mind 

tourism 

destination 

Exclusive Interview: 

Giorgio Palmucci, President, ENIT – 

Italian National Tourist Board 




Italy continues to be top-of-mind as the ultimate destination for travellers from all 

around the globe. We asked Giorgio Palmucci, President, ENIT – Italian National Tourist 

Board, how the country is fairing in light of the Covid-19 crisis. 

ABOUT ENIT 

The promotion of Italy across the world has never 

stopped, and neither has the desire to come and 

visit the peninsula. The pandemic has upset plans 

and projects of the entire tourism sector, forcing 

operators and other professionals to redesign new 

strategies, but Italy remains undeniably a top-ofmind 

destination. 

The country continues to be one of the top preferred 

destinations and this is also demonstrated by 

searches and mentions on social media, where 

Italy is among the most searched words. It is 

also an absolute leader in long-haul tourism in 

Europe: a quarter of tourists from outside Europe 

come to Italy and therefore the peninsula suffers 

particularly from the blocking of flights from longhaul 

countries. Here, ENIT is trying to strengthen 

Italy's position with an operation to maintain the 

brand through promotional activities. 

The international networking activity conducted 

by ENIT between institutions, organisations, SMEs 

and operators in the sector aims to implement and 

update the ways of creating and promoting the 

tourism offering. We have developed more than 

30 marketing campaigns, at least one for each 

country with ENIT representative offices around 

the world. We immediately started developing 

a dashboard on the sector, with national and 

international monitoring to provide useful tools and 

data for the restart of the sector. We also launched 

and implemented a free app for smartphones that 

offers tastes of Italy to be experienced, then lived. 

Although Italy has been hit hard by the crisis, 

have there been "bright spots"? 

Italy showed peaks during the crisis with places 

that nearly sold out last summer thanks to both 

domestic tourism and local European tourism. 

There was no shortage of tourists from the UK and 

Ireland, thanks to the maintenance of a “corridor” 

that remained open until October, allowing for an 

extension of the season, a prospect that we also 

expect for 2021. 

What will be the key elements of your post-Covid 

strategy? 

A value growth strategy will focus on the launch of 

a new positioning of destination Italy in the world, 

more contemporary and built on sustainability, 

diversity and inclusivity. Such a vision requires 

a strong synergy between the public and the 

private sectors, between destinations and among 

cities that have been more heavily affected 

by the pandemic. A contemporary vision also 

means giving more attention to innovation in 

“green” tourism, and positioning the Italian 

brand to new generations of travellers across 

rapidly growing markets. Finally, we will work 

to have an increasingly pervasive presence on 

the global digital ecosystem to strengthen our 

competitiveness, also thanks to training activities 

aimed at the sector. 

Which markets will you mainly focus on in the 

coming months? 

In the short term, operational marketing actions 

will focus on European proximity markets and 

the Russian market, not forgetting medium-haul 

travellers, such as the Gulf countries and Israel. 

At the same time, positioning will continue both 

on traditional markets with the USA, Brazil, 

Australia and on China and Southeast Asia, which 

will restart in 2022 but which must be followed 

very carefully and with particular reference to the 

development of air connections. 

THE DISRUPTION 

PRESENTED BY 

THE PANDEMIC 

HAS ACCELERATED 

A PROCESS OF 

INNOVATION AND 

RETHINKING THE 

CURRENT OFFER. 

Please tell us about your roadmap. 

ENIT's three-year planning has focused on 

value-driven growth, focusing on sustainability. 

The disruption presented by the pandemic has 

accelerated a process of innovation and rethinking 

the current offer. This is indispensable in gaining 

competitiveness and maintaining the international 

leadership of our country. 

How important are ITB events in terms of creating 

promotional opportunities for Italy? 

They are an opportunity to maintain relations with 

our main market, to learn more about the change 

underway and to allow our companies to make use 

of a promo-marketing platform 

Today, Tuesday, 


16:30 - 17:00 

ITB PRESS 

CONFERENCE 1 

Italian National 

Tourism Board 

ENIT – Italian National Tourist Board 

works to promote Italy all around the 

world. The promotion is carried out 

with a corporate strategy that is “made 

in Italy”. It is implemented through 

local offices and partnerships with 

embassies, Italian culture institutes 

abroad, the Italian Trade Agency, 

chambers of commerce, trade unions 

and Italy’s regions. In the next few 

years, Italy’s tourism development will 

be focused on a valuable growth to 

generate economic, social and cultural 

sustainability: enhance tourism supply, 

increase the value of the territories 

and businesses, as well as market 

relevance. Marketing strategies are 

based on the knowledge of trends, 

tourists, and products thanks to 

the internal Department of Market 

Research and Statistics / National 

Tourism Observatory of ENIT. These 

strategies are developed for each 

individual market due to a precise 

demand segmentation. Operational 

marketing supports the products’ 

commercialisation to strengthen the 

existing tourism-related products, 

introducing new ones into traditional 

markets as well as breaking into 

markets with a high growth potential. 

Moreover, the digital strategy covers 

any action of the agency in an allencompassing 

way 

VISIT 

BRAND CAR D 



Saxony – 

Official Culture 

Destination 

ITB Berlin NOW 

2021… 

and rightly so 

© Ansicht-PressefotoQuer 


Barbara Klepsch, 

Minister of State for Culture 

and Tourism - Saxony 

2020 was a difficult year for tourism due to 

the Covid-19 pandemic. But throughout the 

year, Saxony has taken strong measures to 

support and develop its tourism industry. 

We asked Barbara Klepsch, Saxony's 

Minister of State for Culture and Tourism to 

tell us more. 

The Corona pandemic poses great challenges 

for tourism and the situation is difficult for many. 

Both the Federal and State governments did their 

utmost to protect businesses with various support 

programmes. Each time it was possible to travel, 

we intensively promoted Saxony with additional 

budgets. We all want to get out of this situation and 

everyone hopes it will happen this year. Saxony's 

regions are attractive destinations. Together we are 

working hard to provide the necessary financial 

support for tourism. Federal support programmes 

will hopefully be effective to save as many businesses 

as possible. 

What measures have been taken to 

guarantee the health and safety of tourists? 

Together with the German Hotel and Restaurant 

Association (DEHOGA), hygiene concepts for the 

hospitality industry were drawn up very quickly and 

implemented by the companies. For the coming 

season, we will continue to rely on current hygiene 

concepts but also on high vaccination rates and 

travellers' self-responsibility in social distancing. 




© Erik-Gross 

View over the Radebeul vineyards 

Saxony is the Official Culture 

Destination of ITB Berlin NOW 

2021. What is your message in 

regards to this partnership? 

Saxony's special appeal is deeply 

linked to the combination of its 

cultural treasures and natural 

wonders. ITB's new Culture 

Destination concept is tailormade 

for our region. It provides 

a special opportunity to draw 

attention to Saxony as an 

outstanding world-class cultural 

and city break destination 

combined with distinctive 

nature experiences. With our 

involvement at ITB Berlin NOW 

2021, we actually provide to the 

national and international trade 

audience a preview of 2022, 

when Saxony will be the official 

ITB Berlin Host Country. 

Together with Saxony Tourism 

(TMGS), you are working on 

adapting the strategy to current 

hygiene protection measures. 

How? 

Saxony's extensive cultural 

landscape is an essential life 

blood for us, without which 

tourism would function only to a 

very limited extent. All our efforts 

are aimed at ensuring that cultural 

institutions can reopen from 

March onwards, provided that the 

current infection rates allow so. 

Cultural events must be adapted 

to the hygiene requirements 

according to our progressive 

reopening plan, although we 

must take into consideration that 

cultural institutions face different 

challenges. The functions of a 

museum are very different from 

those of a theatre, a cinema or 

a concert hall. Specific hygiene 

concepts therefore have to be 

coordinated via local health 

authorities. 

SAXONY'S 

EXTENSIVE 

CULTURAL 

LANDSCAPE 

IS AN 

ESSENTIAL 

LIFE 

BLOOD FOR 

US 

What are your forecasts for 2021 

with regards to the development 

of tourist numbers and markets 

of origin? 

Approximately 50% of our 

holidaymakers come from eastern 

Germany. This share should be 

a little higher in 2021 and 2022, 

as people favour local travel. 

Internationally, we primarily see 

our neighbouring countries, 

Poland and the Czech Republic, 

to be the first to come back. 

Which destinations in Saxony 

are particularly attractive under 

current conditions? 

In 2020, Saxon Switzerland 

performed best of all Saxon 

holiday regions, with the smallest 

declines. In general, areas 

with a large and high-quality 

range of holiday homes, flats 

and campsites will tend to be 

favoured by the tourists. 

How is your budget for tourism 

evolving in pandemic times? 

In our government's draft for the 

budget 2021/2022, we proposed 

€27.4 million for tourism in 

Saxony, which will be used to 

finance the further development 

and tourism marketing activities 

of our regions - especially in the 

restart phase. We fight for every 

euro in the state government to 

keep the tourism industry alive 

VISIT SAXONY'S CULTURE CAFÉ 

AT ITB BERLIN NOW 

Here, ITB trade visitors and journalists can see some of 

Saxony's top cultural highlights: 

Experience great music and art, or go on virtual tours 

through museums, manufactories and historical town 

centres! From classic to contemporary, from rural to 

urban – Take a break, come in and "feel the art beat"! 

VISIT 

C ULT UR E C AF E 

Every day 

from 10 a.m. 

to 6 p.m. 

© Franco Cogoli 


I REGION I SAXONY I 

ADVERTORIAL 

Culture helps Saxony retain its 

appeal... even in crisis times 

© Manuel-Rohne 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

VISIT 


With its wealth of 

cultural attractions and 

outstanding landscapes, 

tourism in Saxony showed 

stronger resilience than 

many other destinations in 

2020, despite the pandemic. 

With over 20.7m overnight stays (up 

3.7%) and almost 8.5m arrivals (up 

3.3%), Saxony achieved a tourism 

record in 2019. Particularly noteworthy 

was then the more than 2.2 million 

overnight stays from abroad. Saxony 

thus achieved by far the largest 

volume of international overnight 

stays in eastern Germany. 

From spring 2020, the Corona 

pandemic generated a decline in 

Saxon tourism, as it did everywhere 

else. However, when looking at the 

tourism evolution from May and 

during the summer following the first 

lockdown, Saxony fared rather well 

in these turbulent times. Over 4.6 

million tourists (-35%) came to the 

Free State between January and the 

end of October 2020, generating just 

under 12.8 million overnights (-27.4%). 

This is a far better achievement than 

the national average. August was 

particularly good with 740,000 arrivals 

and more than two million overnights. 

SAXONY, GERMANY'S TOP 

CULTURAL DESTINATION 

The secret to Saxony tourism's 

resilience is its unique combination 

of art treasures and natural wonders. 

Thanks to its rich heritage, Saxony is 

Germany's number one cultural travel 

destination. Buildings bearing witness 

to a thousand years of architecture, 

historic cities, two UNESCO World 

Heritage Sites - the "Ore Mountains 

and Mining Region" and "Muskau 

Park" -, outstanding musical tradition, 

art treasures from churches and 

monasteries or traditional crafts, all 

contribute to Saxony's cultural appeal. 

The scenic attractions of the 

Mittelgebirge ranges, or the 

winding rivers also seduce many 

holidaymakers. They invite one to go 

hiking, cycling, mountain biking and 

climbing. Traditional health resorts 

offer high-quality wellness and health 

holidays, while there are plenty of 

family-friendly and barrier-free holiday 

offers 

SAXONY, GERMANY'S NUMBER 1 

CULTURAL DESTINATION 

Saxony has good reason to be the Official Culture 

Destination of ITB Berlin NOW 2021. It is a land of 

outstanding art and culture, of vibrant manufacturing 

history and of lengendary castles: all charming world 

travellers. 

CULTURE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL 

Whether at Semperoper Dresden, Gewandhaus Leipzig, 

palaces, castles or historic sites: theatre and music productions, 

top class festivals, museums and exhibitions of international 

standing shape the Saxon cultural landscape and highlight its 

millennial heritage. The two UNESCO World Heritage Sites 

«Ore Mountains and Mining Region» and «Muskau Park» 

underline Saxony’s cultural reputation 

READ MORE 

FINDING HAPPINESS 

IN SAXONY, LAND OF 

CASTLES 

Saxony could well be described as the "Land of Castles", 

with its hundreds of castles and palaces ready to welcome 

visitors. 

Travellers dreaming of a fairy-tale castle should head to 

Moritzburg Castle. Set on an artificial island, this baroque 

jewel was originally built as a hunting lodge, and later became 

a royal pleasure palace under Augustus the Strong. Then 

there’s Pillnitz castle. This royal summer residence is nestled 

along the Elbe River and mixes classical and Chinese style 

architecture. And how about the Albrechtsburg? Its sleek 

gothic and renaissance silhouette stands over Meissen 

READ MORE 

© H.C. Krass 

Old Masters and Sculpture Collection up to 1800 



ADVERTORIAL 


SAXONY SHINES 

WITH UNESCO 

WORLD HERITAGE SITES 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

SAXONY TAKES VISITORS 

ON A RIDE THROUGH 

HISTORY 

Visitors can enjoy a Saxony adventure on paddle steamers 

and steam railways. 

The first stern-wheel steamboat linking Hamburg and Dresden 

began service in 1834; the first German passenger steamboat, 

built in Dresden, three years later. Seven steamers dating 

from the 19 th century still sail today on the Elbe. These unique 

cruises lead to many treasures between Meissen und the 

Saxon Switzerland National Park. 

Saxony is also the land of steam trains with 500-km network 

of narrow-gauge railways. Five of them still weave through 

mountain paths and alongside rivers. Three others are now 

museum railways. Discover your steam train 

highlights on 750 km of "Dampfbahn 

Route" in Saxony 

READ MORE 

© DWT / SDG) 

Two UNESCO World Heritage sites - "Mining Region" and 

"Muskau Park", confirm Saxony's reputation as a leading 

cultural destination in Germany, and indeed the world. 

ONE PARK SPANNING 

TWO COUNTRIES... 

North of Görlitz lies the Fürst Pückler Park in Bad Muskau, created 

between 1815 and 1845 by landscape architect and writer Hermann 

Prince von Pückler-Muskau. The exceptional 830-ha English landscape 

park embodies the essence of romanticism. But its uniqueness comes 

from its division by the Neisse River. One part lies in Saxony, and the 

other in Poland - both connected by bridge. In 2004, the "Muskauer 

Park/Park Mużakowski" was recognised as a Polish-German UNESCO 

World Heritage Site. 

In Pückler's Castle, there is an exhibition on his interesting life, since 

he was known not only as a landscape artist, but also as a travel writer, 

dandy and ladies' man. 

ORE MOUNTAINS REGION 

Not just one place but an entire region in the Ore Mountain range is 

also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cultural landscape of the Ore 

Mountains has been deeply shaped by 800 years of almost continuous 

mining, from the 12th to the 20th century, with mining, pioneering water 

management systems, innovative mineral processing and smelting sites, 

and mining cities. The property’s components have been preserved in 

their settings and, even though some have been adapted for new uses, 

they retain a high degree of authenticity. 

Mining towns towns such as Freiberg, Annaberg-Buchholz or Schneeberg 

shine with their magnificent churches and historic town centres, an 

inspiration for research, technology and arts. Mines, museums and 

exhibitions explain the history of mining. The "Terra Mineralia" in 

Freudenstein Castle in Freiberg with its 3,500 minerals is considered 

the most comprehensive and most beautiful exhibition of its kind in the 

world. Above all, visitors to the Ore Mountains are most captivated by the 

miners' traditions still evident throughout the year 

Björn Stoll Master workshop for cello & double bass 

SAXONY 

SPOTLIGHTS 

CRAFTSMANSHIP AS 

A KEY HISTORIC ATTRACTION 

Did you know?... 

Founded in 1710, the Meissen porcelain manufactory uses the 

world's oldest registered trademark, the symbol of high-quality, 

radiant "White Gold". 

Glashütte has been famous for watchmaking since 1845 - as to 

be experienced in the German Watch Museum. 

In Vogtland, handcrafted musical instruments are an intangible 

cultural heritage due to their diversity. 

In the Ore Mountains, exquisite wooden art has been created 

for centuries, either in turned or carved form. 

Moravian Stars from Upper Lusatia represent Saxony around 

the world during Christmas 

READ MORE 

Paddle steamer in front of Pillnitz Palace 

© Erlbach/Vogtland 



ADVERTORIAL 

NEW MOUNTAIN 

BIKE TRAILS 

IN SAXONY 

Saxony's reputation as a mountain biking 

paradise is gaining pace in the MTB scene 

with the Ore Mountains no longer the 

mountain bikers' best kept secret. We 

asked Ronny Schwarz, in charge of active 

tourism product development for the Ore 

Mountains Tourism Association what is 

behind the success. 

We recently created attractive MTB offers 

throughout the Ore Mountains. As a low 

mountain range, the "Erzgebirge" offers great 

biking action, breathtaking nature and great 

freedom. We have an exceptional offer in the 

MTB sector with the Stoneman Miriquidi, the 

TrailCenter Rabenberg and the Bikerevier. 

We are now working on the "8,000 Blockline" 

– a mountain bike highlight linking the "toy 

city" Seiffen and the winter sports resort of 

Altenberg. 

What is behind the Blockline? 

The Blockline will be a mountain bike trail for 

sporty families with children from the age of 

eight. We are creating a 140-km long biking 

experience in the Seiffen/Mulda/Altenberg 

triangle. On three exciting loop trails, bikers 

will discover the pristine nature of the 

Eastern Ore Mountains. 

Why is the Blockline so special? 

Along the Blockline, we installed huge 

wooden portals which give information 

about our region and point the way to 

impressive panoramas, curious rock 

formations, lush meadows and serene 

streams. There is a panoramic view of 

the Schwartenberg and water mills along 

the Gimmlitz, with occasional stops at 

wooden handicraft stalls. The trail should be 

launched this European spring 

A REFRESHING CHANGE: 

SAXONY'S LAKE 

LANDSCAPES 

Few visitors are aware that exciting 

new holiday regions such as Lusatian 

Lakeland and Leipzig New Lakes Land 

have been developed in Saxony. Former 

open-cut mining areas have been 

converted into beautiful turquoise-blue 

lakes. 

LUSATIAN LAKELAND 

For 150 years, Lusatia was best known for lignite 

mining. The last three decades brought dramatic 

changes: excavators gave way to glittering lakes 

with clear water and marinas. There are very 

few reminders of the industrial past apart from 

adventure tours exploring former power stations. 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

VISIT 


SAXONY HIGHLIGHTS ITS 

7 MOST BREATH-TAKING 

HIKING TRAILS 

The Saxon Switzerland National Park, the 

Upper Lusatian Mountains, the UNESCO 

listed Ore Mountains and the Vogtland are 

increasingly attracting hikers not only from 

Germany, but from around the globe. 

Saxony's many hiking trails can best be 

described as a challenge for the body, 

relaxation for the mind, combined with fabulous 

panoramas and inspiring encounters along the 

way. 

But seven are certified in Germany as 

quality hiking trails: Vogtland Panorama 

Trail, Kammweg Erzgebirge-Vogtland, 

Elsterperlenweg, Klingenthaler Höhensteig- 

Rundweg, Talsperrenweg Zeulenroda, Heide- 

Biber-Tour, Oberlausitzer Bergweg. 

HIKING A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE 

The 285-km Kammweg Erzgebirge-Vogtland 

challenges hikers with its pristine nature 

within the 800-year old silver heart of the Ore 

Mountains. Finish with a hike in the UNESCOlisted 

Ore Mountains Mining Region. 

© Andreas Schmidt 

The flat landscape is ideal for cycling, while 

favourable winds invite enthusiasts to go 

sailing or surfing on Lakes Geierswalde or 

Senftenberg. For waterskiing or wake-boarding, 

Lake Halbendorfer is the place to be, while kite 

surfers will adore Lake Bärwalder. 

LEIPZIG NEW LAKES LAND 

Another recreational area is also available 

near Leipzig. Since the 1990s, open-cut mines 

have been been redeveloped into a maze of 

turquoise-blue lagoons dotted with campsites. 

In the middle of Lake Störmthal stands Vineta 

island. It serves as a memorial to the villages 

that vanished for open-cut mining. It can be 

reached via an amusing amphibious vehicle. 

A few minutes from Leipzig city, the "Leipziger 

Neuseenland" invites visitors to play beach 

volleyball, swim or enjoy sun on Saxony's 

longest beach. Arriving by canoe via the 

canal is spectacular and represents a perfect 

combination of a metropolis and nature 

experience. Meanwhile, elite canoeists or 

amateurs looking for an adrenaline rush will 

enjoy Canoe Park Markleeberg for white-water 

rafting 

PLEASE NOTE: Saxony is the Official Culture Destination 

of ITB Berlin NOW 2021. The most important meeting point 

for immersing in Saxony’s cultural offerings is the digital 

Culture Café from 9-12/3/21 with interviews, videos, music 

and presentations. 

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE 

The 228-km long Vogtland Panorama Trail 

offers over 80 remarkable panoramas. The 

world's largest brick-made Göltzschtal Bridge 

is one of its highlights. Around the cities of 

Markneukirchen, Schöneck and Klingenthal in 

Vogtland, the centuries-old manufacturing of 

musical instruments is considered an intangible 

cultural world heritage. 

GERMANY'S SMALLEST MOUNTAIN RANGE 

The Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail runs 

through Southeast Saxony. Along the border 

with Poland and the Czech Republic, hikers 

reach the summits of former volcanoes such 

as the Valtenberg or the Kottmar with their 

picturesque villages. 

PAINTERS' TRAILS 

The Painters' Trail goes through the romantic 

and spectacular rock landscapes of the Elbe 

Sandstone Mountains. Near Dresden, the 

"Saxon Switzerland" National Park is renowned 

for its bizarre rock formations 

© Francois-Thierens 



ADVERTORIAL 


“HEADY” HISTORY: 

850 YEARS OF WINE 

GROWING IN SAXONY 

A great variety of wines can be experienced all year round in 

Saxony, particularly during the many wine festivals in autumn. 

Centuries of experience, favourable climate and soils create ideal 

conditions for one of the smallest wine-growing regions in Europe, 

covering only 511 hectares, and tended by 1,860 winegrowers. Dozens 

of grape varieties grow in the Elbland, including Saxon Müller- 

Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Dornfelder and Traminer. Very special 

indeed is the rare Goldriesling, only grown in Saxony. 

“C THE UNSEEN”: 

CELEBRATING CHEMNITZ 

AS CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2025 

In 2025, Chemnitz will become European Capital 

of Culture. From groundbreaking inventions to 

cultural innovations, Chemnitz buzzes with 

ideas and surprises. So why not experience it 

all right away? 

VISIT 


During the Capital of Culture year 2025, the theme “C the unseen” 

will bring undiscovered places to life and make the invisible visible… 

starting with garages. Too small for modern cars, over the years, 3,000 

garages have been converted into workshops, storage rooms, meeting 

places or even puppet theatres. They reveal secrets or tell stories. 

The Parade of Apple Trees is another initiative from its sponsors to 

create networks and cultural events. The Purple Path, an art trail, 

will run through the entire region in 2025 and present art in public 

spaces. The Fête de la Musique will bring urban experiences to the 

countryside. 

But why wait until 2025 to explore Chemnitz? Art and culture fans will 

love the Chemnitz Art Collections. 

The cultural heart of the city is the Theaterplatz with “Chemnitz 

Theatre”, comprising Opera, Philharmonic, Theatre, Ballet and the 

Puppet Theatre. Each season brings powerful productions, spectacular 

stage designs and international collaborations. In 1909, the Chemnitz 

Opera House performed works by Richard Wagner, beginning a 

tradition that regularly brings Wagner fans to “Saxony’s Bayreuth”. 

There is also an exciting subculture made of festivals, clubs and openair 

concerts, cabaret performances, markets, galleries and theatre. 

THE SAXON WINE ROUTE 

AND THE SAXON WINE TRAIL 

Launched in 1992, the Saxon Wine Route stretches over 55 km of 

river landscapes and architectural treasures. The first vines are visible 

near Pirna, followed by Pillnitz and various Elbe castles. The route 

continues alongside picturesque vineyards, passing by the taverns of 

Radebeul, Coswig and Meissen - with the romantic village of Diesbar- 

Seusslitz being a highlight. Visitors also have the possibility of taking 

the Elbe cycling trail. 

Wine and hiking fans will love the Saxon Wine Trail, which combines 

nature, panoramas and urban experiences in Dresden, Pirna, 

Radebeul and Meissen. In Radebeul's Hoflößnitz wine estate, the 

Saxon Wine Museum tells all about Saxon grapes. Information boards 

with QR codes inform visitors on the history of wineries, sights and 

accommodation. 

WINES WITH CHARACTER 

Visitors will also discover that Schloss Proschwitz lies on hillside 

vineyards that have been cultivated for over 850 years. Meanwhile, 

Wackerbarth Castle in Radebeul is Europe's first adventure winery. In 

its premises, visitors experience a combination of baroque grounds, 

picturesque vineyards and modern production methods. The "Best 

Sparkling Wine Producer in Germany 2018" also plays host to exciting 

events throughout the year. 

TIP: Why not also try the new offerings from the young creative 

winemaker Matthias Schuh in his Sörnewitz winery 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

© Erik-Gross 

The Chemnitz Industrial Museum highlights the city as one of Germany’s 

industrial cradles. A special exhibition, entitled “MaschinenBoom” 

(until July 25, 2021) is looking at the role of machines in everyday life. 

The Saxon Railway Museum Chemnitz Hilbersdorf is said to be the 

grandest in Europe, with its impressive stock of steam, diesel and 

electric locomotives. 

Another highlight is the Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology. 

Some 300,000 years of cultural history are on exhibit in 3,000 sq m of 

space. The museum hosts “CITY. Between Skyline and Latrine”, which 

will run from April through September 2021. It shows how cities are 

universal places of diversity, creativity but also conflict. An excellent 

introduction to the Capital of Culture 2025 

View over the vineyards to Radebeul 


I REGION I EUROPE I 

LIKE MANY OTHER CITIES 

IN EUROPE, NEUCHÂTEL 

IN SWITZERLAND 

ENJOYED A RELATIVELY 

BUSY TOURIST SEASON 

IN SUMMER 2020 

EUROPE 

ALBANIA 

AUSTRIA 

BELGIUM 

BOSNIA & 

HERZEGOVINA 

BULGARIA 

CROATIA 

CYPRUS 

CZECH REPUBLIC 

DENMARK 

ESTONIA 

FINLAND 

FRANCE 

GERMANY 

GREECE 

GUERNSEY 

HUNGARY 

ICELAND 

IRELAND 

ITALY 

JERSEY 

KOSOVO 

LATVIA 

LIECHTENSTEIN 

LITHUANIA 

LUXEMBOURG 

MACEDONIA 

MALTA 

MOLDOVA 

MONTENEGRO 

NETHERLANDS 

NORWAY 

POLAND 

PORTUGAL 

ROMANIA 

RUSSIAN 

FEDERATION 

SAN MARINO 

SERBIA 

SLOVAKIA 

SLOVENIA 

SPAIN 

SWEDEN 

SWITZERLAND 

TURKEY 

UKRAINE 

UNITED KINGDOM 

More resilience than the rest 

of the world in 2020 

The European Union played a positive role in 2020 for European 

internal tourism as it fostered the reopening of all internal 

borders over the summer, helping Europe limit its decline 

In 2020, Europe saw total international arrivals declining 

by 70% according to preliminary UNWTO data. This should 

translate into a drop of 500 million from a total of 743 million 

international tourists in 2019 to 230 million last year. 

However, the market share of 

Europe increased from 51% to 

58% of all total arrivals. This is due 

to the almost complete closure of 

borders in Asia/Pacific and North 

America. 

The weak result of European 

tourism is confirmed by the 

European Travel Commission 

(ETC). The organisation represents 

33 countries in Europe - excluding 

France, Sweden and the UK. 

ETC confirms however that the 

reopening of borders during the 

summer had a positive impact on 

some destinations. 

Countries such as Austria, Greece, 

Italy and Spain benefited from a 

brief uptick in demand, although 

annual levels remained below 

2019. However, the regular return 

of outbreaks with a worsening of 

the situation from November saw 

countries reimposing restrictions. 

As they have persisted into 2021, 

traveller confidence remains weak. 

According to Tourism Economics’ 

global travel forecasts published 

by the ETC, Western Europe was 

the best performer with overnight 

tourists down by 56.2% last year 

compared to 2019; Southern/ 

Mediterranean Europe was down 

by 72.1% and Central/Eastern 

Europe by -72.9%. Northern 

Europe performed worst as 

countries such as Denmark, 

Finland and Norway kept their 

borders closed for most of the 

year. 

MONACO, AUSTRIA 

AND LUXEMBURG 

PERFORMED BEST 

IN 2020 

When looking at Europe's best 

performing countries in 2020, 

Monaco, Austria and Luxembourg 

managed to keep the decline 

of their international arrivals by 

respectively 51%, 52.7% and 

53%. Italy recorded a relatively 

acceptable performance with 

total international arrivals down 

by "only" 56.4%. However, Iceland, 

Hungary, Malta, Portugal, Serbia 

and Spain saw their tourist 

numbers down by 75%. 

Long-haul travel to Europe was the 

most depressed in 2020. Visitors 

from Brazil, Canada, China, India 

or the USA were not allowed to 

come to the European Union last 

year. All overseas markets were 

down between 75% and 90% on 

average. 

The ETC is giving a glimmer 

of hope for 2021 linked to the 

approval and implementation of 

vaccination campaigns, which 

provide a much-needed boost 

to traveller confidence. A recent 

survey by ETC indicates that 45% 

of Europeans were planning to 

immediately reschedule their prepandemic 

trip once a Covid-19 

vaccine had been found. The 

European Travel Commission 

expects international arrivals will 

exceed 2019 levels only by 2023 

NEWS 

Non-EU countries recorded the 

worst performance on the continent 

last year according to the ETC. Total 

overnight arrivals were down by 

76.3%; a result due to the fact that 

Russia kept its borders closed for 

most of the year. 

The latest ETC report “Monitoring 

Sentiment for Domestic and Intra- 

European Travel – Wave 5” highlights 

that 54% of Europeans aim to make a 

trip before the end of July 2021 while 

one in three Europeans believe that 

May-July is the most feasible period 

for their next trip. 

In the same report, the ETC indicates 

that 18% of Europeans would favour 

a sun and beach holiday, followed by 

a city break for 16% and a culture & 

heritage trip for 14%. 54% of people 

surveyed said they were willing to 

fly for their holiday while 36% would 

favour travel by car 

AUSTRIA RECORDED 

A DECREASED OF 

"ONLY" 52.7% OF 

ITS INTERNATIONAL 

ARRIVALS IN 2020 




Rebranding Serbia 

as a prime tourist 

destination 

Exclusive Interview: Marija Labović, CEO, 

National Tourism Organisation, Serbia 

SLOW ADVENTURE 

AT ITB BERLIN NOW 

For Marija Labović, CEO, National Tourism 

Organisation, Serbia, city breaks in Belgrade 

and Novi Sad will continue to be key products 

for international visitors, once the pandemic 

is over. Serbia is convinced that most 

tourists are now seeking natural uncrowded 

destinations. Promotion at ITB Berlin NOW 

2021 is thus all about slow adventure. 

The new concept serves as an antidote 

to people's urban life. Slow adventure 

encourages tourists to experience outdoors 

at a slower pace and to engage with remote 

and wild places, with the appreciation of the 

environment, local food, culture, history and 

traditions 

Last year was very difficult for the global 

tourism industry, including of course for 

Serbia. But just how did they weather 

through? We put the question to 

Marija Labović, CEO, National Tourism 

Organisation, Serbia. 

International tourism suffered the most, with 

overnights down 78% in 2020. We expect 2021 

to be difficult again. Although vaccinations 

bring light at the end of the tunnel, it seems 

that this light will not come as quickly as 

hoped. In the meantime, we worked hard on 

strengthening our tourism marketing with the 

adoption of our Tourism Strategy until 2025. We 

are rebranding Serbia as a tourist destination 

and are formulating our strategy for 2022 and 

beyond. 

Did you change the way to promote Serbia? 

What are your main markets ? 

With the current situation, we will have to 

focus further for the near future on domestic 

and regional markets, while keeping a "soft" 

presence on other markets. We will shift our 

activities to almost only digital promotion 

and marketing at least in 2021. Traditional 

key markets for Serbia are neighbouring 

countries- former Yugoslav countries, Bulgaria, 

Romania and Turkey. China was our number 

one overseas market in 2019, while Russia and 

Germany remained strong. 

What kind of products are you presenting in 

2021? How are you adapting them to a demand 

for more sustainability and more health safety? 

In 2021, we will focus on nature-linked holidays. 

We will put more promotional efforts to bring 

tourists in a sustainable way to our protected 

natural areas like national parks. We want to 

promote rural accommodation with succulent 

Serbian food as well as slow adventure activities 

like hiking and biking, for travellers to familiarise 

themselves with Serbian culture and history. 

This includes remote medieval monasteries 

and fortresses, art galleries, traditional arts 

and craft producers. Of course, we are also 

improving tourism infrastructure, such as new 

4 and 5 star hotels in cities, or ski infrastructure 

in winter resorts such as Kopaonik and Zlatibor. 

Since the culture is a very important promotion 

tool, we will of course put great emphasis on 

Novi Sad as European Capital of Culture 2022 

FOCUSING ON NEW 

MARKETS IN 2022 

Besides former Yugoslav Republics, Russia, 

or Germany, Serbia's tourist authorities are 

aiming in 2022 to become more active in 

European markets, offering an interesting 

development potential. Among them are 

Italy, France, the UK, Benelux, Scandinavia 

and the USA. Most of them generated total 

arrivals ranging between 30,000 and 50,000 

in 2019. China was by far the largest market 

in 2019 with close to 145,000 arrivals. "We will 

focus more on positioning in these important 

markets from 2022 onwards when we expect 

the pandemic to be behind us", explains 

Marija Labović 

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Timeless experiences 

in North Macedonia 

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Dreaming of a safe place close to nature for a holiday? North Macedonia offers everything 

travellers need to restore their faith in a better world and to be at peace. Endless green 

landscapes, the blue waters of Ohrid Lake, Prespa Lake and Dojran Lake, and beautiful 

mountains: North Macedonia is indeed timeless. 

MALLORCA 

SELECTED FOR 

INTERNATIONAL 

HONOURS 

Mallorca is at ITB Berlin NOW 

presenting its strategy and 

measures that establish the island 

as a reliable, safe and sustainable 

travel destination. 

The Spanish island is represented by 

the Fundación Mallorca Turismo and 15 

municipalities at the Balearic Islands 

stand. 

Recently, Mallorca became the first 

European travel destination to be 

awarded the UNWTO.QUEST certificate. 

The award highlights the quality and 

excellence of tourist destinations 

around the world, placing the island 

as the first Destination Management 

Organisation in Europe and fourth in the 

world to receive this honour. 

Meanwhile, the airport of Palma de 

Mallorca has received the Airport Health 

Accreditation (AHA) certificate from 

the Airports Council International 

(ACI), which has designated it as a 

"safe airport". The programme assesses 

compliance with recommended 

health measures from ACI, ICAO, 

EASA, the European Centre for 

Disease Prevention and Control 

(ECDC) and the World Health 

Organization (WHO). According to 

the ECDC, "Air traffic and the airport 

environment are characterised by low 

virus prevalence, with less than 1% 

of detected cases of Covid-19 and no 

increase in transmission rates 

VISIT 

The Republic of North Macedonia has the potential 

for many types of holidays, particularly in regard 

to cultural, religious, active and rural tourism. Food 

tourism is growing with travellers keen to explore 

rural areas where locals grow fruits, vegetable and 

wine. More recently, the country has embraced 

the need for active tourism products. With its 

mountains, ski slopes, rivers and lowlands, North 

Macedonia fits perfectly with alternative and 

adventure tourism. 

The Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism 

in the Republic of North Macedonia is present at 

ITB Berlin NOW with the aim of: 

Village church at sunset, Berovo region 

Galicia 2021-22: 

Celebrating the 

Way of St James 

This year, reaching the end of the Way of 

Saint James in Galicia has a double reward. 

In addition to the satisfaction of completing the 

first European Cultural Itinerary and sharing this 

unique experience with people from all over the 

world, travellers also have the chance to take part 

activating promotion policies by presenting to 

professionals all segments and regions and 

analysing the potential of domestic and inbound 

markets; 

preparing and implementing programmes and 

information material; 

developing a unified tourist information system 

connected to other information systems; 

promoting North Macedonia's tourism potential 

worldwide in cooperation with tour operators; 

Be safe and travel wisely #onlyinMacedonia 

in the Xacobeo 2021-22. The programme is packed 

with cultural and leisure activities to suit all tastes 

and has been created to celebrate the Holy Year, 

extended to 2022 due to the influence of Covid-19 

on travel and mass events. 

Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims have flocked to 

Galicia from around the world, drawn by the 

challenge of reaching the end of the Way of Saint 

James and “the end of the known world”, which 

until the Renaissance was considered to be 

Finisterre, situated on the Galician coast and one 

of the Continent’s westernmost points. 

Galicia wishes to share the celebrations to mark 

the Xacobeo 2021-22 with all those who visit, 

offering them a rich programme including 

cultural events, exhibitions, encounters with 

intellectuals, concerts and a whole host of 

other activities organised throughout the 

year in Galician towns and cities 

VISIT 

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© Andrius Aleksandravičius 

2021, THE YEAR 

FOR A SLOW 

ADVENTURE IN 

SERBIA 

ADVERTORIAL 

Slow down and discover 

the unexpected in Lithuania 

Where uncrowded villages and pristine nature abound, 

Lithuania is a perfect choice for post-pandemic 

holidays 

In a time when circumstances have deprived most 

travellers of real, natural experiences, Lithuania 

has a formula that will appeal to the post-pandemic 

tourist. In this Baltic country, cities and nature live 

in peaceful co-existence; never far from each other. 

Lithuanian metropolises and smaller resort towns are 

surrounded by pristine nature. The nation's forests 

are particularly healing, providing serene spaces to 

rest and clear one’s head. 

When it comes to tourism, 

Lithuania is a country 

of hidden potential, that 

may well be the future goto 

destination for visitors 

looking for privacy, safety, 

and "slow travel" options. 

This is particularly apparent 

in the nation's wide range of 

active recreational activities, 

with its hiking trails, cycling 

routes, camping adventures 

and relaxing nature therapies. 

Relatively short distances 

make it easy to incorporate 

different types of touristic 

experiences in a travel 

package or personal itinerary. 

Lithuanians have built a wide 

range of educational trails 

in the country highlighting 

its spectacular landscape 

features, from swamps to 

cliffs, lagoons, and rivers. 

Situated near many tourist 

attractions, hiking trails are 

a great way to boost mental 

as well as physical health 

– explaining the popularity 

these activities have already 

achieved among locals. As a 

cycling destination, Lithuania 

is appealing to many for its 

intriguing routes, winding 

across the entire country. 

For a charming afternoon 

ride or for a cross-country 

expedition, versatility and 

sights suit the needs of any 

type of active traveller. 

Remote, off-the-beaten-track 

attractions in Lithuania allow 

travellers to fully reconnect 

with nature. They are not only 

perfect for social distancing, 

but extraordinary as well. 

Pagan heritage, herbs and 

berry picking, dragonfly 

catching, visiting mysterious 

craters and deer-watching are 

just a part of it. Many activities 

also have therapeutic 

qualities, such as a melodious 

soothing bed of bees or an 

amber sauna, one of its kind 

in the whole world. 

Tourism professionals will 

have the opportunity to 

connect with Lithuania Travel 

at the ITB NOW conference 

and get informed about 

Lithuania’s tourism potential. 

Lithuania Travel is the 

national development agency 

responsible for tourism 

marketing and promotion 

under Lithuania’s Ministry of 

Economy and Innovation. The 

agency closely collaborates 

with tourism businesses 

and organisations, presents 

Lithuanian tourism products, 

services and experiences on 

social and digital media, press 

trips, and participation in 

international travel exhibitions 

and B2B events 

Visit the official tourism 

gateway to Lithuania here: 

https://lithuania.travel/en/ 

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Stara Planina: Impressive landscapes in Eastern Serbia 

"We feel that tourists will generally 

look this year for nature-linked 

destinations. As Serbia's offers 

infinite possibilities linked to nature, 

we adopted slow adventure as a 

theme for 2021," explains Marija 

Labovic, CEO of the National Tourism 

Organisation of Serbia (NTOS). 

Serbia indeed offers plenty of space. 

With an average of 80 people per sq km, 

the country is the perfect destination for 

travellers looking for peace, distance, safety 

and nature. "Slow adventure" will also help 

Serbia in promoting remote and wild places 

where tourists learn about the environment, 

as well as local food, culture, history and 

traditions. 

"We will launch more promotional efforts to 

bring tourists to our protected natural areas 

and give them the opportunity to enjoy rural 

accommodation, taste Serbian food and 

practice activities like hiking and biking," 

stresses Ms Labovic. 

ENCOUNTERING WILD ANIMALS 

AND PRISTINE NATURE 

Thick forests turn Serbia into a paradise 

for observing animals. In Western Serbia, 

visitors to Tara National Park can see bears, 

while Uvac Nature Reserve is known for 

Griffon Vulture observation. It is part of 42 

Important Bird Areas in Serbia. 

In Eastern and Southern Serbia, the NTOS 

highlights Pirot town and Stara Planina 

Mountain with its hidden waterfalls 

and deep forests. In the South, 

Devil's Town is not only rock 

formation, but a source of 

many folk tales 

VISIT 

© NTOS 

BR AND CARD 


I SPECIAL FEATURE I TRANSPORT I 

TRANSPORT: 

WELCOME TO 1995! 

European airports last year welcomed 728 million 

passengers, losing, in just one year, 1.72 billion 

passengers, which represents a decrease of 70.4%. 

According to the Airports Council International Europe, 

the figure took European airports back into the year 1995 

Alexandre 

de Juniac 

Director General & CEO, 

International Air Transport 

Association (IATA) 

A sad end for Berlin Tegel airport which shut its 

doors on October 31 in the midst of the pandemic 

IATA 

A glimmer of hope 

with the roll-out of 

vaccines 

Alexandre de Juniac, the Director General and CEO of the International Air 

Transport Association (IATA), has no doubt that air traffic will pick up again 

before the end of the year. The question of when and how quickly it will 

resume remains a matter of some concern. 

The light at the end of the tunnel is still 

far away when it comes to international 

air transport. Presenting in a briefing the 

results of January, IATA’s Chief Economist 

Brian Pearce gave a mixed review of air 

transport's latest evolution: in January, air 

cargo was growing again and for the first 

time reached levels last seen before the 

pandemic started. 

Passenger traffic lagged, however. At -72% 

compared to January 2019, the performance 

was worse than the -69% of December. 

For IATA Director General and CEO 

Alexandre de Juniac, "The growth in cargo 

is a very good indicator as it is a vital lifeline 

of cash for many airlines. If air cargo was 

not doing as well, the industry as a whole 

would be in even deeper trouble". 

The continuous low demand by passengers 

is of deep concern for the association. 

IATA predicts two more difficult months in 

February and March, but de Juniac wants to 

remain optimistic: "The vaccine roll-out and 

the increase in testing capacity—particularly 

as governments show renewed interest 

in rapid antigen tests—is good news. But 

until governments ease travel restrictions, a 

significant improvement is unlikely." 

Another element giving way to cautious 

optimism is that "Consumers' appetite to 

fly is still there. However, it is governments, 

with the relaxation of rules, which will 

dictate the pace of recovery", de Juniac 

adds 

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Nightjet - © ÖBB/Harald Eisenberger 

© Flickr user ChicagoAtNight, CC BY-SA 2.0 

NIGHT TRAINS ARE BACK 

IN EUROPE, 

and 2021 will see new lines being added. Following 

the launching of a "TEE 2.0" by transport ministers and 

CEOs of rail companies in Austria, France, Germany and 

Switzerland, lines will this year link Vienna to Paris via 

Munich, Zurich-Amsterdam via Cologne and Paris to 

Nice 

The Austrian ÖBB is Europe's largest provider of night trains 

CONTRACTION OF 26% 

The USA saw a sharp contraction of 26% in passenger 

travel last year. Americans made 370 billion trips of any 

kind compared to 498 billion trips a year earlier. The 

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) controlled 

only 324 million passengers in airports compared to 823 

million passengers in 2019 

Chicago O'Hare airport 




© Emirates 

The future of the 

Asian and global 

aviation market 


Sir Tim Clark, 

President Emirates Airlines 

In his ITB CEO Interview, entitled "The Future of the 

Asian and Global Aviation Market", Sir Tim Clark, 

President Emirates Airlines, will discuss, among other 

topics, how global players like Emirates are ramping up 

their flight offerings again, and how Covid-19 changing 

industry structures. We asked him firstly how Emirates 

is faring today. 

I expect air travel to gradually 

revive in the second half of 2021, 

with entry restrictions easing 

as vaccination efforts roll-out 

across countries. This will bring 

further stability for the return 

of corporate and leisure travel 

demand. Emirates has already 

returned to about 60% of our 

pre-pandemic network, serving 

over 90 destinations worldwide. 

We expect to be serving our full 

network by Q1 2022. 

Emirates has played a pivotal 

role during the pandemic. Can 

you tell us more? 

This pandemic is a global 

problem and as a global airline, 

we put our hands up to be part 

of the solution. In early 2020, 

Emirates quickly pivoted our 

operations to focus on cargo, 

which helped maintain vital 

global air links to transport 

PPE, medicines, food and other 

essential items. 

Emirates has set up the world’s 

largest vaccine distribution 

hub in Dubai. Together with 

our logistics partners, we can 

move vaccines securely from 

factory to destination under 48 

hours. We’ve also signed up 

to UNICEF’s COVAX Facility, 

dedicated to the equitable 

distribution of Covid-19 

vaccines globally. 

On the customer care front, 

Emirates led the industry with 

initiatives such as flexible 

booking policies, multirisk 

insurance cover, and a 

commitment to honouring 

refunds. 

We’ve implemented a 

comprehensive set of measures 

at every step of the travel journey 

to ensure the health and safety 

of customers and employees. 

Vitally, all our measures are 

regularly reviewed and updated 

in line with the latest medical 

advice and knowledge. 

In January, we rolled-out a 

voluntary company-wide 

vaccination programme to 

protect our workforce, as well 

as provide an added layer of 

protection for our customers 

and communities. Credit has 

to go to the UAE government 

for making Covid-19 vaccines 

free and readily available to the 

population, including aviation 

workers at the frontline. 

How important is the fact that 

Dubai is increasingly becoming 

a destination itself? 

Our home Dubai is one of the 

most visited cities and popular 

holiday destinations in the 

world. Dubai is welcoming 

tourists with the highest levels 

of safety protocols in place and 

was one of the first cities in the 

world to receive the WTTC Safe 

Travels Certificate. 

The Expo 2020 Dubai, starting 

this October, will leave another 

meaningful and lasting legacy, 

providing many reasons to 

come to Dubai during its sixmonths 

run. With our network 

covering all continents, we 

will be the major facilitator of 

direct and safe connectivity to 

the World Expo. People haven’t 

been able to travel for a while 

and at Expo Dubai, they can 

experience the entire world in 

one place. 

WE EXPECT TO 

BE SERVING OUR 

FULL NETWORK BY 

Q1 2022 

How important is the "ITB 

platform" in terms of promoting 

thought leadership and 

guidance? 

ITB remains the world’s leading 

travel trade show and there is 

no other platform for the travel 

eco-system of that size and 

global dimension. Especially 

in these testing times for our 

industry, ITB Berlin NOW 

offers a unique opportunity for 

exchange and inspiration 

Tuesday, 


12:20 - 12:35 

ITB CEO INTERVIEW 

"The Future of the Asian 

and Global Aviation Market" 

ITB Berlin NOW 

Convention Stage 1 



ED BASTIAN – 

THOUGHTS ON ITB BERLIN NOW 

In this new normal, we can’t always meet face-to-face, 

but it’s important to stay connected to our customers 

and partners. Nothing beats human interaction, but technology 

has provided us with the ability to meet until we can all be 

together again – which I’m hopeful will be sooner than later. 

ITB CEO INTERVIEW 

THE FUTURE OF THE US AND GLOBAL AVIATION MARKET 

Tuesday, 9 March 2021 

12:00 - 12:15 


The aviation market: what future? 

Exclusive Interview: Ed Bastian – CEO – Delta Airlines 

With the airline industry taking a major hit from the Covid crisis, today sees 

an ITB CEO Interview with Ed Bastian as part of the virtual convention. 

To get a foretaste of what we’ll see in his talk, we asked him how he sees 

the market evolving in the short to midterm. 

We’re confident that Delta will emerge 

stronger than ever once we get on the 

other side of the pandemic. That said, 

we’re taking a nimble approach and 

viewing market recovery in three phases. 

In the first one, we expect demand 

choppiness to continue and the booking 

DELTA HAS A 

LONG-STANDING 

COMMITMENT TO 

SUSTAINABLE AIR 

TRAVEL BECAUSE WE 

BELIEVE IT’S OUR 

RESPONSIBILITY TO 

LEAVE THE WORLD 

BETTER THAN WE 

FOUND IT. 

curve to remain more compressed. Core 

to the second phase is vaccinations 

becoming more widely available, travel 

restrictions and advisories easing up, and 

customer confidence in travel growing. As 

these things happen, we expect to see an 

extension of the booking curve, resulting in 

a cash-led recovery with revenue recovery 

to follow at some point in the spring. In 

the final phase, which we anticipate in the 

second half of 2021, vaccinations become 

more widespread, offices begin to re-open 

and the world begins to experience some 

form of normality. Once our customers 

and people regain confidence in public 

life and make plans to travel, we’ll see a 

sustained improvement in demand. 

Do you believe there will be permanent 

changes to customer behaviour after the 

crisis? 

Technology has served us well over the 

past year, giving us more opportunities to 

connect with one another during a time 

when being physically together was not 

an option. But as I’ve always believed, 

relationships aren’t formed through the 

phone. Not only does our economy depend 

on physical connection, we as human 

beings need it to thrive. We know even 

after we defeat the pandemic and people 

return to travel, things will look different. 

Just as security became a heightened 

focus following 9/11, we expect customers 

will continue to hold health safety in high 

regard, showing loyalty to companies who 

prioritise their well-being. This is a good 

thing, and it’s the reason we created a 

Global Cleanliness Division at Delta and 

hired our first Chief Health Officer – our 

focus on health is not a temporary solve, 

but a long-term commitment to better 

care for our customers, our employees 

and communities we serve. 

How will the new US administration affect 

such things as sustainability in aviation, 

and how does that reflect on Delta? 

We are committed to becoming carbon 

neutral from last March onward with a 

strategy that balances immediate actions 

and long-term investments. Even as we’ve 

faced challenges amid the pandemic, 

Delta is investing in carbon neutrality 

– the pandemic has only intensified our 

focus on being a responsible steward 

of our planet. We’re hopeful the new 

administration will prioritise and expand 

upon the development of sustainable 

technologies because it will require all of 

us, working together, if we want to leave 

the world better for future generations 



I SPECIAL FEATURE I TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES I 

Cendyn & 

NextGuest 

combine forces to 

create a new giant 

in hospitality CRM 

& digital marketing 

Cendyn, a provider of cloud software 

and digital marketing services for the 

hospitality industry has joined forces with 

NextGuest, a New York and Munich-based 

CRM and digital marketing leader. Their 

combined expertise under the Cendyn 

brand make the new entity the “largest 

scalable CRM and digital marketing 

provider in their field”. 

The new Cendyn can deliver what they describe 

as "unmatched CRM and digital marketing 

capabilities in the hospitality technology space on 

a global scale". With offices in the USA, in Germany, 

Japan, Singapore and Thailand, Cendyn is present 

in 143 countries. 

For hoteliers, the new Cendyn will drive demand 

and revenue performance by optimising every 

touchpoint of the guest journey through data 

intelligence and automation. 

Hotel brands served by the company include 

Jumeirah Resorts, Hyatt, Marriott, Minor Hotels, 

IHG, Hilton, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Onyx 

Hospitality Group, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, 

Virgin Hotels, Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts, and 

Event Hospitality & Entertainment. 

“We are thrilled to merge with NextGuest. With 

deep experience in hospitality and a long history 

of innovation at both companies, there is perfect 

alignment and tremendous opportunity to be 

realised through this combination,” said Tim 

Sullivan, President & CEO of Cendyn 

ADVERTORIAL 

Ezus brings new 

software for 

Travel Agencies 

Finally, Travel Agencies, Incentive 

Agencies, MICE, DMCs selling tailormade 

programmes have an adapted 

business software. 

Choosing between a complex and expensive 

quote edition software similar to the 

competition and manual production, Ezus 

provides a 3rd solution: an ergonomic online 

software for the production & sale of tailormade 

Business & Leisure Travel. 

a simple and fluid construction and 

management of your programmes and 

budgets (quotes, planning, brief, itineraries); 

a personalised generation of your 

commercial documents (commercial 

proposals + quotes) via a library of 

customisable templates; 

the management of your suppliers' 

bookings, availability and payments as well 

as your customers' payments and invoicing. 

All these features are connected to your 

CRM and supplier database in the same 

collaborative interface. 

Launched in 2019, the French start-up 

already boasts more than 200 agencies that 

reduce their working costs and manage to 

convert up to 30% more on their requests. 

Former professionals in the Incentive Travel 

& DMCs industry, the Ezus team's mission is 

VISIT 

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to help travel organisers sell more efficiently 

by enabling them to quickly build tailor-made 

events. 

Charles Gombert, the co-founder & CEO, says 

"I have always been amazed by the quality of 

digital tools used by tourism professionals. 

With Ezus, we want to put digital in the hands 

of those who have the travel know-how 

without taking a 20% commission". 

Ezus is presenting the latest web-app 

novelties such as the automatic creation of 

a website (accessible on mobile) for each 

request where the customer can find all his 

or her personalised travel documents before 

directly validating a request 

Ezus the new travel agency software : 

https://ezus.io/ 

Ezus team 

VISIT 

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I SPECIAL FEATURE I CULTURAL TOURISM I 

ADVERTORIAL 

Culture in Italy 

Where vestiges of the past 

become addictive! 

Italy is without doubt the world's most renowned 

cultural destination. While most commonly 

associated with art, music and food, Italy is 

the homeland of the Roman Empire, the Roman 

Catholic Church and the main centre of the 

Renaissance, which flourished through Europe 

for centuries. Anyone who visits Italy for the 

first time is indelibly marked by the nation’s 

fascinating history – in all its facets. They are 

then compelled to return over and over for 

more of the same! 

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The Abruzzo countryside 

is rich in history 

ABRUZZO: 

AN OPEN-AIR 

EXHIBITION 

The vestiges of Abruzzo remain 

largely untouched. Here, 

human presence is rooted in 

the mists of time, proving that 

a reciprocal and respectful 

balance has emerged. The 

region resembles a multisite 

museum, a “permanent openair 

exhibition” of a wide range 

of themes: ecology, geology 

and geomorphology, history 

of human settlement of the 

territory, of ancient urban 

planning and spontaneous 

architecture, the history of 

farming and the countryside, 

the history of military and 

defensive architecture, 

religious architecture, monastic 

communities, and sheep 

rearing 

© Sterling Lanier / Unsplash 

Piazza grande, Matera, 

Province of Basilicata 

BASILICATA: 

WHERE ONE 

LOSES THE 

SENSE OF TIME 

Castles and museums of 

different styles and flairs, 

as well as literary parks and 

art galleries are part of the 

outstanding artistic, historical 

and cultural heritage of 

Basilicata, in southern Italy. The 

visitor loses his or her sense 

of time exploring the castles 

of the Emperor Federico II 

of Svevia, in Lagopesole and 

Melfi. They shouldn’t miss 

the National Archaeological 

Museums in Potenza and 

Matera, both named after their 

founders “Dinu Adamesteanu” 

and “Domenico Ridola”, and the 

museums of Metaponto and 

Policoro, with their beautiful 

archaeological areas 

© Folco Masi / Unsplash 

Comune di Ravenna 

EMILIA 

ROMAGNA: 

MARKING THE 700 TH 

ANNIVERSARY OF 

ITALY’S GREATEST 

POET, DANTE 

ALIGHIERI 

Emilia Romagna is this year 

commemorating the 700th 

anniversary of the death, 

in Ravenna, of one of the 

country's greatest poets, Dante 

Alighieri. Celebrations, which 

run through to December 2021, 

already began in September, 

2020 - with the re-opening 

of Dante's tomb and the 

Quadrarco di Braccioforte 

following restoration work. 

Mentioned by the Ravenna 

historian Andrea Agnello in the 

ninth century, the Quadrarco 

of Braccioforte is the ancient 

oratory of the nearby church 

of San Francesco. Dante will 

be celebrated in “the Dante 

experience” as well as on 

Dante’s Routes - Vie di Dante 

(i.e. Lonely Planet’s 2021 Best in 

Travel for sustainability), which 

link Romagna to Tuscany 



ADVERTORIAL 


© Francesco Bandarin 

Residences of the Royal 

House of Savoy (Italy) 

PIEDMONT: 

AN ANCIENT 

BOND BETWEEN 

MAN AND 

NATURE 

An exciting journey through 

the history of the region begins 

with five World Heritage Sites: 

the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings 

of the Alps, the Royal House of 

Savoy, the Sacri Monti (Sacred 

Mountains), the Vineyard 

Landscape of Langhe-Roero 

and Monferrato, and finally 

Ivrea, Industrial City of the 20th 

century. Moreover, Piemonte 

is home to 3 Creative Cities, 

standing for their exceptional 

craftsmanship that fully 

integrates both tradition and 

innovation: Torino for the 

creative field of Design, Alba 

for Gastronomy and Biella, 

the cradle of Italian textile 

manufacturing, for the category 

“Crafts and Folk Arts” 

© Eleonora Altomare / Unsplash 

Duomo San Corrado 

in Molfetta, Bari 

PUGLIA: A 

MILLENARY 

LAND OF 

TREASURE 

TROVES 

Puglia is traversed by centuries 

of history and art that have left 

their unmistakable mark on the 

imposing architecture: from the 

Classic Age to the present day, 

from the Romanesque to the 

Baroque. But Puglia’s history 

starts even before history, 

as the refined historian and 

exceptional traveller Cesare 

Brandi wrote. This is shown 

by the dolmens and menhirs 

bearing witness to prehistoric 

civilisations. Along Puglia’s 

coastline, one can discover the 

magical towers that stand alone 

and scan the horizon – silent 

companions of those opting for 

a spectacular coast-to-coast 

journey 

Ramparts and fortress 

- San Marino 

SAN MARINO: 

WITH 

COUNTLESS 

STORIES TO TELL 

San Marino’s cultural tradition 

and its values of freedom have 

remained unchanged over the 

centuries: this is why UNESCO 

listed the old towns of San 

Marino and Borgo Maggiore, 

along with Monte Titano, as 

World Heritage Sites. Walking 

through its old town feels like 

plunging into the Middle Ages. 

The Republic of San Marino is 

truly an open-air museum, with 

its three Towers, the Basilica of 

St. Marinus, the small St. Peter’s 

Church, St. Francis’ Church and 

its Museum, the State Museum 

and the Museum of Modern 

and Contemporary Art 

© Samuele Gilglio / Unsplash 

Art is 

EVERYWHERE 

in Florence! 

TUSCANY: 

BLENDING 

NATURE, CULTURE, 

ARTISTIC AND 

HISTORIC 

HERITAGE 

Mention Tuscany, and Florence 

instantly comes to mind. The 

city's extraordinary attractions 

are impossible to describe 

in a few words: cradle of the 

Renaissance, mother to world 

renowned artists, birthplace of 

genius, a blend of gracefulness 

and history which emerge from 

every corner, every street, 

every piazza. It is an absolute 

masterpiece of human genius. 

And while Virginia Woolf sung 

the praises of the famed city 

of Pisa, one should also not 

miss the breath-taking historic 

centres of San Gimignano, 

Siena, Pienza, the Val d’Orcia, 

and the Medici Villas and 

Gardens. Tuscany is a voyage 

unto itself 

Burano, Venice 

VENETO: THE 

LAND OF VENICE 

- ONE OF ITALY'S 

MOST VISITED 

REGIONS 

Veneto’s eight UNESCO World 

Heritage sites say it all. In 

the international language of 

art, “Veneto” means “colour”, 

a whole figurative culture 

built in colour. Veneto offers 

a rich heritage of art cities 

and smaller towns. And while 

Venice is one of the world 

capitals of art and culture, in 

Veneto there are many more 

artistic treasures to discover. 

Among the latest 2021 cultural 

initiatives is the extension 

of the project Tiepolo250, 

developed in Vicenza in 2020 to 

celebrate the 250 th anniversary 

of the death of the great painter 

Giambattista Tiepolo and the 

splendour of the Venetian villas. 

Verona, the city of love, is 

famous for Romeo and Juliet 

and for its Arena. The Arena di 

Verona Opera Festival - one of 

the major highlights of the 2021 

summer season in Verona - will 

take place from 19 June to 4 

September 



ADVERTORIAL 

Experience 

Korean Culture 

at ITB Berlin 

NOW 

ITB trade visitors and media can discover a huge array of 

cultural content at the Korea Tourism Organisation's ITB 

Brand Card and Café. 

The combination of traditional 

culture, modern lifestyle 

and technology is one of the 

highlights for tourists visiting 

Korea. Travellers can always find 

something suiting their personal 

interests, from a walk in one of 

Seoul's five royal palaces to a 

shopping spree at night. Indeed, 

Korean culture has seen a 

constant increase in popularity, 

particularly thanks to Korean 

Hansik cuisine, K-Pop and Korean 

TV dramas. 

During Covid-19 times 

and home quarantine, 

in 2020, the Korea 

Tourism Organisation 

(KTO) provided 

several possibilities 

to experience Korea's 

traditional and modern 

culture. In 2021, they are 

continuing to stimulate interest in 

the nation until people can travel 

internationally again. For the 

German speaking market, KTO’s 

Frankfurt office has organised the 

online event entitled "Feel Korea 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

Now" as well as a K-Pop cover 

dance contest on its Instagram 

channel. 

And this year at ITB Berlin NOW, 

just as in previous years, visitors 

are able to have live experiences 

via the KTO Brand card. KTO's 

Frankfurt office has an exhibitor 

presentation on March 12, at 

10am, and the organisation will 

showcase the latest developments 

for international travel to Korea. 

They will also be welcoming 

visitors to their digital 

café, where topics can 

be discussed in detail, 

and tips can be given 

for selling Korea as a 

safe and exciting travel 

destination. A special 

KTO Frankfurt highlight 

will be an online exhibition 

at Korea's Brand Card, which will 

also be promoted for B2C clients 

on the Instagram channel @ 

koreatourismus. Visitors can 

experience Korea in VR, find 

online brochures and take part in 

several events 

CASTILLA-LA MANCHA, SPAIN: 

LIVING HISTORY... BUT SO MUCH MORE 

When asked where the biggest 

wine region is in the world, 

most people might not know 

that it is in Castilla-La Mancha 

– the land of Don Quixote. 

It’s no exaggeration to say that Don 

Quixote de la Mancha is one of the 

most famous books in the history 

of literature. This novel, which tells 

the adventures and especially the 

misfortunes of a man who wanted 

to be a knight-errant in the land of 

La Mancha, was written by Miguel 

de Cervantes in the 17th century, 

ADVERTORIAL 

and is among the world’s most 

translated tales. 

In Spanish literature, that period is 

known as the Golden Age, and 400 

years on, an increasing number of 

curious travellers are following in 

the footsteps of the “Knight of the 

Sad Countenance”. 

But it’s not just a literary route – 

it's a journey through some of the 

most magical landscapes in Spain, 

its plains of infinite horizons, the 

old shops dotted with indigo, 

the villages of wide streets, and 

endless green vineyards 

TRAVEL FOR 

REMEMBRANCE: 

EXPERIENCE THE 

LIBERATION ROUTE EUROPE 

Liberation Route Europe provides an exceptional opportunity to 

experience the route taken by the allied forces during the final 

phase of WWII. In cooperation with international partners, an 

international remembrance trail network has been developed, 

giving worldwide visibility to this essential chapter of European 

history, and making it accessible to all. 

The LRE Foundation works as an intermediary for its partners 

(museums, tourism boards etc.) and the travel trade industry 

© Mathilde Lelandais 

VISIT 

VISIT 

BR AND CARD 

BR AND CARD 

Parade of WWII military vehicles on vintage day – Douvres la Delivrande 



Convention 

THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 

@ITB BERLIN NOW CONVENTION 

Top Speakers from 

the industry, news 

and experts knowledge 

for the industry! 

Hear from international hoteliers from Asia, Europe and the US as well as from Top Hotel CEOs 

(e.g Hyatt, Accor, Deutsche Hospitality, Marriott International) what they predict. 

Tech Providers discussing latest trends und technologies: Nor1, Shiji, Impala, Infor, Saba, Trustyou, 

Dialogshift and many more. 

Game changers: Hear from old and new startups how the accommodation landscape will look like 

in the future… Accommodation with Home2Go, AirBnB, Accor, Startups like SocialBnB, MyCabin.eu 

& Green Tiny Houses 

9-minute-interviews with thought leaders and pioneers on hospitality post-corona-trends 

(like workation & longstay, innovations in lifecycle curation, rethinking real estate & space, new luxury) 

What will the (luxury) hotel industry look like in the future? Hotel manager, marketing specialists 

and a psychatrist will discuss the new understanding of luxury together with Marc Aeberhard, 

from Luxury Hotel & Spa Management Ltd 

Patrick Mendes 

Top Hotel Excecutives Accor 

Olga Heuser, Top Hotel Excecutives & 

Founder Dialogshift 

Ben Jost, Top Hotel Excecutives & 

Founder Trustyou 

Mark Hoplamazian 

President & CEO Hyatt 

See the full ITB Berlin NOW Convention program here!

Convention 

LEARN ABOUT THE TRENDS 

IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY 

Get a head start with 

insights into everything 

that will move the industry 

in the future 

Hear what these and many other industry leaders leaders have to say about current 

challenges and trends at ITB Berlin NOW Convention: Glen Fogel, CEO Booking.com, 

Eddie Wilson, CEO Ryan Air, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President & CEO Celebrity Cruises. 

Are the baby boomers reinventing themselves? Technology providers like Amadeus 

and Sabre are giving actual insights at the TTA Forum on 11th March. 

Studies, research and results: Get current facts and figures from Arival, Euromonitor, 

Phocuswright, Skift, Skyscanner & Statista. 

Tours & Activities & Attractions: Will the third strongest market in the industry 

recover first? Figure it out when Bookingkit, Viator, Merlin, TUI Musement and 

others will be on stage of the TTA Forum on 9th March. 

Glen Fogel 

CEO Booking.com 

Monika Wiederhold 

EVP Airlines Central and Eastern 

Europe, Amadeus IT Group SA 

Eddi Wilson 

CEO Ryan Air 

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo 

President & CEO Celebrity Cruises 

Start Learning NOW!

ITB Berlin News 2021 - Day 1 Edition

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