ITB Berlin News 2021 - Day 1 Edition

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
ITB BERLIN NEWS • TUESDAY 9 TH MARCH 2021 7