2024 ITB BERLIN NEWS - REVIEW Edition

REVIEW 

THURSDAY 14 MARCH 2024 

ITB BERLIN 2024 

TOURISM'S 

BRIGHT HORIZONS 

NAVIGATING TOMORROW'S 

SUCCESS TOGETHER 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

“DEEP AND 

TRUSTING 

BUSINESS 

RELATIONSHIPS 

CAN ONLY 

DEVELOP WHEN 

WE MEET IN 

REAL LIFE” 

Dr Mario Tobias 

CEO of Messe Berlin 

SEEN @ ITB BERLIN 2024 

GEORGIA 

CONTINUED 

TO BUILD ON 

LAST YEAR'S 

SUCCESS AT 

ITB BERLIN 

2024 

#16 

#19 

#13 


CONVENTION 

MIRELA KUMBARO 

Albania's Minister of Tourism 

and the Environment

I NEWS I 

© Messe Berlin GmbH 


ITB Berlin remains the undisputed leading trade 

show for professionals in the tourism industry 

All signs pointed to success in 2024 as ITB Berlin continued to shape the future 

and once again underlined its role as the international platform for business, 

innovation and networking 

With nearly 100,000 attendees, ITB Berlin 2024 

exceeded expectations despite strike circumstances. 

More than 5,500 exhibitors from 170 countries were 

present, occupying 27 exhibition halls. Around 

3,200 accredited journalists from 103 countries and 

over 300 bloggers reported on ITB Berlin this year. 

The show was also once again a meeting place for 

politicians and diplomats with almost 80 ministers 

and state secretaries as well as 72 ambassadors in 

attendance. 

Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe 

Berlin, was very positive in his 

evaluation of the show this year, 

stating that “ITB Berlin once again 

mirrored industry developments" 

and that overall feedback was 

overwhelmingly positive. For 

more information and details on 

the CEO's reflections, a full indepth 

interview is available on 

page 16. 

The re-opening of five refurbished 

halls this year brought 

improvements in many areas. 

For the first time, the Germanspeaking 

countries were all 

under one roof in hub27. China, 

Liechtenstein and Emirates airline 

were welcomed back to the show, 

along with newcomers Dominica, 

the Cayman Islands and Disney 

Cruise Lines. ITB Berlin’s host 

country Oman made a strong 

showing, doubling its display size 

to more than 800 m 2 . 

The travel industry as a driving 

force for innovation was 

highlighted at the ITB Berlin 

Convention this year, which 

featured high-profile attendees 

and a total of 400 leading 

international speakers at 200 

sessions and 17 theme tracks. 

Around 24,000 attendees 

participated, underlining the 

convention's role as the industry’s 

leading international think-tank. 

The ITB Buyers Circle with its 

1,300 top buyers served as an 

industry barometer. Together with 

the management consultancy 

Dr. Fried & Partner, ITB Berlin 

compiled the new Global Travel 

Buyer Index. The survey asked 

several hundred Buyers Circle 

members about the economic 

mood and their business 

goals. The findings provided 

an optimistic outlook for travel 

business over the next six 

months 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

AT THE CENTRE OF ITB 

BERLIN CONVENTION 

AI was in the spotlight at the ITB Berlin 

Convention this year, with a dedicated AI Track 

for the first time. Industry leaders and thinkers 

generally agreed that no organisation or 

company could ignore AI in the current industry 

landscape. It was also a major topic for the ITB 

Innovation Radar, which celebrated its second 

edition this year. 

Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Travel Foundation, 

also appealed to the tourism industry to aim for 

net zero by 2030. His study entitled "Envisioning 

Tourism in 2030 and Beyond" outlined a path 

with a focus on regulating air travel and 40 

measures for achieving sustainable tourism by 

2050. 

On the second day of the show, Messe Berlin 

management and representatives of Albania 

sealed their partnership for Albania to be the 

Official Host Country of ITB Berlin 2025 by 

signing the agreement. The next ITB Berlin will 

take place from 4 to 6 March 2025 

ITB Berlin News is a CLEVERDIS Publication. 

439 route de la Seds, 13127 Vitrolles, France - Tel: + 33 442 77 46 00 

SARL capitalised at €155,750 - VAT FR 95413604471 - RCS Marseille 413 604 471 

info@cleverdis.com - www.cleverdis.com - www.itb-berlin-news.com 

• Publisher: Jean-François Pieri • Senior Account Manager: Bettina Badon • Sales Manager : Veronika Verzhak 

• Senior Editor: Monica Hutchings • Editorial Assistant: Camille Hedjam • Head of Editorial Team: Emiliana Van Der Eng 

• Editorial team: Luc Citrinot, Simon King, Amanda Saionz • Photographer: Tom Maelsa • Art Director: Hélène Beunat 

• Designer & Webmaster: Guillaume Vinrich 

• With the participation of : Zineb Elhabiri, Dylan Jori, Benjamin Klene, Mélanie Meynard 

>>>> To contact them: first name.last name@cleverdis.com 

• Cover: © Ministry of Tourism and the Environment, Albania 

© CLEVERDIS 2024 - Registration of Copyright March 2024. Information presented in this publication is purely indicative in order to illustrate subjects contained therein. No 

guarantee can be given as to the accuracy of data or content at time of printing and thus the latter should not be used for professional or commercial ends. While all efforts 

have been made as to accuracy and pertinence of content and data contained in this publication, CLEVERDIS may in no case be held responsible for the consequences, 

whatever their nature may be, that may result from the interpretation of this data or content, or any eventual errors therein. Any reproduction of the content of this publication, 

even partial, by any means whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without the prior autorisation of the publisher. Any copy, whether by photography, photography film, magnetic 

tape, disc or other means constitutes a forgery, liable to punishment under French law according to the legislation of 11 th March 1957 covering copyright. All brands cited in this 

publication are registered trade marks and/or belong to companies which are their respective proprietors. The publishers and editorial staff decline all responsibility as to 

opinions formulated in this publication by those interviewed or cited therein. Their opinions are entirely their own, and are included with the understanding that they contain, 

to our knowledge, no malicious intent. The inclusion of all texts, photographs and other documents supplied by those included in this publication imply the acceptance 

by their authors of their free publication therein. Documents and photographs will not be returned. It should be understood that this publication contains forward-looking 

statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking 

statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include assumptions relating to the timing of the recorded date. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialises or any of 

these assumptions proves incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the expectations outlined in these statements. Cleverdis assumes no obligation and does not 

intend to update these forward-looking statements during the period of publication. Photo Credits and Copyright: All Rights Reserved. 

ITB BERLIN NEWS • THURSDAY 14 TH MARCH 2024 5


TO DO Awards distinguished 

CSR initiatives in tourism at 

ITB Berlin 

Three CSR and responsible tourism initiatives based in 

Africa, Asia and South America were distinguished with a 

"TO DO" Award at ITB Berlin 2024. 

Michael Kajubi 


The award ceremony of the TO DO 

Award Socially Responsible Tourism 

and the TO DO Award Human Rights 

in Tourism took place on 6 March, 2024 

with ITB CSR Commissionner Rika 

Jean-François presenting the awards. 

The awards ceremony highlighted 

ITB Berlin's commitment to CSR as a 

founding member of The Roundtable 

Human Rights in Tourism. 

With the international "TO DO Award" 

competition, The Roundtable Human 

Rights in Tourism has been honouring 

initiatives that are committed to 

sustainable and socially responsible 

tourism since 1995. Winners are 

selected for their active involvement 

of the local population, the creation 

of income opportunities for locals 

in tourism and the promotion of 

intercultural encounters between 

hosts and guests. 

This year's TO DO Award 2024 for 

socially responsible tourism went to 

the Community Tourism Yunguilla 

project in Ecuador and the Fernweh 

Fair Travel - Uplifting Communities 

project in India. The first awarded an 

initiative in the UNESCO-classified 

biosphere reserve Chocó Andino de 

Pichincha to transform a community 

towards ecotourism in a bio-diverse 

forest region. The second is a womenled 

project in the Indian Himalayas 

offering work opportunities to 

vulnerable groups such as widows 

ITB Innovation Radar: 

A spotlight on industry 

visionaries 

ITB Innovation Radar, 

which was first introduced 

during last year's edition 

of ITB Berlin, offers 

an ideal platform for 

showcasing innovations 

capable of producing a 

sustainable impact on 

the future of the travel 

industry and provides 

visitors a glimpse of up 

and coming trends. 

and victims of domestic violence. It 

combines nature-based adventures 

with indigenous culture. 

The TO DO Human Rights in Tourism 

Award 2024 went to Michael Kajubi 

from Uganda. For many years, he 

and his foundation the McBern 

Foundation have been committed 

works to creating non-discriminatory 

spaces and jobs for people living 

on the margins of Ugandan society, 

including youths, elderly people and 

those who experience family rejection 

due to their sexual orientation or 

gender identity. The foundation's work 

exhibitors, up from last year's 

11, and included products and 

services from both ambitious startups 

and major industry players. In 

addition, three innovators came 

back this year with new products 

and features, proving the ongoing 

interest in ITB Innovation Radar as a 

valuable outreach platform. 

Entries ranged from B2B services for 

hospitality and travel professionals 

to initiatives promoting sustainable 

travel. Highlights included AIpowered 

offerings such as 

GauVendi's Inventi-Flow to further 

improve hotel capacity allocation; 

Worldline's AI-initiated Autonomous 

Payments, which implements 

conversational commerce with an 

AI personal shopper, and Lato's 

new AI-based Trip Reader feature 

for creating digital travel proposals. 

focuses in particular on educational 

programmes, skill development and 

support in the health sector 

platform, which connects tourists 

and artisans, and Adventure Travel 

Trade Association's Tomorrow's Air, 

focused on educating travellers and 

travel businesses about the viability 

and importance of supporting 

the scale-up of carbon removal 

technologies and sustainable 

aviation fuel. 

Cutting-edge technologies with 

tour operators and agencies in mind 

included FastSearch by ISO Travel 

Solutions, a search technology 

designed to make the search and 

price calculation of travel offers 

more efficient and FacilitaTrip, a 

customisable, user-friendly tool for 

creating complex trips. 


Read the full list of ITB Innovation 

Radar Entries in 2024 here 

This year's edition featured 16 

entries submitted by ITB Berlin 

Among the sustainable travel entries 

were Mastercard's Tico Treasures 



A COMPELLING REASON TO VISIT 

SELANGOR AND MALAYSIA IN 

GENERAL RIGHT NOW IS THE 

FAVOURABLE CURRENCY EXCHANGE 

RATE FOR EUROPEAN AND OTHER 

GLOBAL TOURISTS, WHICH MAKES IT 

A VERY GOOD BARGAIN 

Azrul Shah Mohamad 

CEO, Tourism Selangor 

Selangor showcased its array of unique experiences 

and over 100 events and festivals at ITB Berlin 2024 

ITB Berlin News spoke with Azrul Shah Mohamad, the CEO of Tourism Selangor, 

about the Malaysian state's wide range of experiences and events 

The state highlighted its original multi-segment offerings 

with the "Splendid Selangor Take Me Anywhere" campaign 

it promoted at ITB Berlin this year. 

What were Selangor Tourism’s 

objectives at ITB Berlin this year? 

We promoted our campaign "Splendid 

Selangor Take Me Anywhere" for the 

international market, highlighting the 

fact that Selangor has more than 100 

events and festivals planned such as 

the Wings of Kuala Kubu Bharu in 

Hulu Selangor bird watching event, 

a beach festival, a half marathon, the 

Ban Canl Carnival, and lots of other 

events throughout the year. By the 

end of 2024 we are targeting 5.6 

million tourists. 

We also showcased our Visit 

Selangor Year 2025 initiative for next 

year, under which we are looking 

to attract seven million tourists. We 

need to start this year with promotion 

and by creating brand awareness 

and we did that at ITB Berlin, a 

show we absolutely could not miss. 

So many countries and regions are 

represented at ITB Berlin and with 

our presence we looked to inform 

people that Selangor is in Malaysia 

and has a lot to offer in and of itself. 

Kuala Lumpur International Airport 

is in Selangor so when people come 

to Malaysia, they are actually already 

in Selangor. That's why we want to 

make them aware of the wider region 

and everything it has to offer. 

How is Selangor promoting itself as 

a compelling destination? 

Selangor is the most developed state 

in Malaysia and has nine unique 

districts, all of which have unique 

offerings across multiple segments. 

For the global market, we are now 

concentrating on certain segments 

like ecotourism, agrotourism, arts 

and culture, and food tourism, as 

well as theme parks, and adventure 

tourism offerings. 

There are lots of countries and 

regions offering ecotourism, but 

we strive to include elements of 

experiential tourism as well. This 

means that when visitors come to 

Selangor, they can stay with the 

villagers, and can be a part of their 

families, and they can participate 

in unique experiences like firefly 

watching. 

Another compelling reason to visit 

Selangor and Malaysia in general 

right now is the favourable currency 

exchange rate for European and 

other global tourists, which makes it 

a very good bargain and stretches 

visitors' budgets, allowing them to 

stay longer. 

Food tourism is also a major point 

of interest and is becoming bigger 

and bigger because Selangor has 

everything from traditional food to 

fusion food, and that is very appealing 

to international tourists. 

How is Selangor leveraging digital 

platforms to attract visitors? 

We have an app, GoSelangor and 

we also use social media in addition 

to our website, selangor.travel.com, 

which offers lots of places to visit and 

suggestions about what to do 

BALANCING 

DEVELOPMENT 

AND 

SUSTAINABILITY 

Mr Mohamad emphasised the 

delicate equilibrium between 

sustainability and encouraging 

tourism investments in the 

region. 

"We want to balance nature, 

tourism and development," he 

said. 

"In Selangor we protect 

the environment and at the 

same time try to encourage 

investments in the region." 

Several tourist developments 

in Selangor strike that balance, 

such as the Avani Sepang 

Goldcoast Resort, which is set 

on a pristine beach, as well as 

developments on the preserved 

island of Pulau Ketam, and the 

Ampang Lookout Point over 

Kuala Lumpur 



ITB Chinese Night sets the stage 

for ITB China 2024 

ITB Chinese Night was held on 6 March at the 

illustrious Solar Sky-Bar & Restaurant in Berlin, with 

shuttles taking attendees directly from ITB Berlin. 

The event was co-hosted by the China National 

Tourism Office in Frankfurt, and powered by CTG 

Travel (China Tourism Group Travel Corporations 

Limited). 

The exclusive event provided 

a unique networking platform, 

bringing together some 

200 experts from the global 

tourism industry, alongside 

representatives from national 

tourism organisations and 

renowned international 

companies. It offered a prime 

opportunity to meet and connect 

with players of the Chinese travel 

market and global partners alike 

during ITB Berlin 2024. 

Attendees enjoyed entertaining 

activities, captivating Chinese 

cultural performances and 

delicious cuisine that set 

the stage for making fresh 

connections and exploring new 

business opportunities. 

China’s tourism market flourished 

during the New Year holiday 

and got off to a good start in 

2024. According to the National 

Immigration Administration, 

outbound and inbound tourism 

during the three-day period 

reached the same level as in 

2019 – a promising outlook for 

China's expected travel boom 

in 2024. ITB China is coming up 

quickly and will be held at the 

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition 

& Convention Center from 27 to 

29 May 2024. 

As the leading B2B-Exclusive 

trade show focused on the 

Chinese travel market, ITB China 

will bring together top and handselected 

buyers from Greater 

China with industry professionals 

from all over the world 

David Axiotis, General Manager of Messe Berlin (Shanghai), 

and Dr Mario Tobias, CEO Messe Berlin 

Lydia Li, Deputy General Manager, ITB China 


I ITB BERLIN CONVENTION I 

Albania's rural charms: Nature's abundance awaits 

Beyond its dazzling coastline and wealth of historical and archaeological treasures, 

Albania has a host of protected natural areas, making it an ideal rural tourism destination 

Speaking at last week's ITB Berlin Panel "Quo vadis, 

rural destinations?" Albania's Minister of Tourism and the 

Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, called attention to the fact 

that a third of Albania's territory is made up of mountains, 

rivers, and forests. 

Albania saw 10.1 million visitors last 

year and started the first two months 

of 2024 with 55% more tourists than 

during the same period in 2023. 

However, when Ms Kumbaro asked 

the audience at the panel discussion 

if they had already visited Albania, 

few hands went up. "This means that 

Albania is a destination to discover," 

she confirmed. 

Highlighting Albania's singular 

appeal as a rural tourism destination, 

Ms Kumbaro mentioned not only the 

country's vast expanse of natural 

and preserved spaces, she also 

highlighted examples such as the 

Vjosa River, the first wild river in 

Europe to become a national park. 

With a large percentage of its 

territory occupied by protected areas, 

Albania offers huge potential for 

tourists seeking natural adventures 

such as hiking and river rafting. But 

as Ms Kumbaro noted, city and rural 

tourism are not competing with each 

other. "We are not dividing Albanian 

tourism into cities and rural areas. 

They have to co-exist," she said. 

Combining different kinds of visits 

and moving between cities, the 

seaside, and natural areas is not 

difficult in a country where nothing 

is too far away. "You don't need to 

travel hours and hours from one 

destination to another," the Minister 

asserted. "You can get from the peak 

of a snow-capped mountain to one 

of the most beautiful beaches in 

Albania in just half an hour." 

Illustrating how important 

preservation of its natural sites is 

for Albania and how that links to 

tourism, Ms Kumbaro remarked on 

the fact that her ministry covers both 

areas, the environment and tourism. 

"It's like an instrument for checks and 

balances," she affirmed, to make sure 

development is sustainable. Ensuring 

the right balance between one of the 

most important sectors of Albania's 

economy and the environment is "an 

absolute condition for a small country 

like Albania" she said, observing also 

that with 100% renewable energy the 

country is an example of sustainable 

practices. 

To develop its rural tourism offering, 

Albania looked to Italy, Ms Kumbaro 

said, "not to copy any of their models, 

but to gain inspiration from their best 

practices." 

Summing up the variety the country 

presents, Ms Kumbaro compared 

Albania's diverse tourist offerings, 

including its vast rural tourism 

options, to a table loaded with so 

many delicious dishes that it is 

almost difficult to decide which one 

to choose. "Everything you need is 

here in Albania," she asserted 

ALBANIA 

ALL SENSES 

Albania's National Tourism 

Agency came up with its "Albania 

All Senses" slogan, Ms Kumbaro 

explained, after carefully following 

comments on social media 

from Albania's visitors last year. 

"Everyone was talking about 

a new experience and about 

the senses," she said, and the 

destination thus chose a slogan 

that invites visitors to experience 

the country through all of their 

senses. Ms Kumbaro specifically 

identified the sense of taste, 

mentioning the national drink, 

Rakia, Albanian mountain tea, 

and Albania's complete lack of 

what she called "food for tourists": 

"We just have real Albanian local 

food" 

ALBANIA SIGNS AGREEMENT TO BE ITB 

BERLIN'S OFFICIAL HOST COUNTRY IN 2025 

Gearing up for next year's edition, Albania signed an agreement with 

ITB Berlin to be the Official Host Country ITB Berlin 2025 on 6 March 

at the show. The agreement was signed between Minister of Tourism 

and the Environment of Albania, Ms Mirela Kumbara and Messe 

Berlin CEO Dr Mario Tobias 


I ITB BERLIN CONVENTION I 

Why the travel industry shouldn't 

fear change 

ITB Berlin News sat down with Charuta Fadnis, SVP Research at Phocuswright, to 

discuss her impressions of the show and the industry's reception to innovation 

Charuta Fadnis brought 

her expertise to various 

platforms at ITB Berlin 

this year. From delivering 

insights at the Opening 

Press Conference 

to participating in a 

conference discussing the 

state of the travel industry, she 

also engaged in a fireside chat 

alongside Glenn Fogel, CEO and President of Booking 

Holdings. Reflecting on the event, she shared insight into 

several key areas impacting the industry. 

What was the response to your 

conferences at ITB Berlin this year? 

The response has been very positive. 

It is nice to see that people want to 

engage in conversations around 

topics that are going to impact 

the future of the industry over 

the course of the next few years. 

Phocuswright’s projections show 

that the travel industry will continue 

on its growth path over the next few 

years but it will also be transforming 

as new technologies like Generative 

AI take hold. Of course, issues like 

sustainability and diversity which 

have surfaced more prominently in 

the last few years continue to be front 

and centre. The industry is taking 

action on these issues, but a lot more 

needs to be done. 

How is sustainability seen differently 

through a consumer lens? How is 

the industry adapting to this? 

Consumers are very aware of the 

challenges around sustainability 

but most associate it only with 

environmental factors or climate 

change. They, often, don’t understand 

that sustainable travel encompasses 

other aspects like cultural and 

economic sustainability. Second, 

travellers don’t necessarily see 

sustainability as their problem. They 

think that solutions and actions 

to tackle the issues need to come 

from governments or destination 

organisations. That accountability 

gap poses a big challenge. 

GENERATIVE AI 

IS DEFINITELY 

THE TOP 

TECHNOLOGY 

TREND THIS 

YEAR 

The industry has taken a lot of steps 

towards environmental stewardship, 

but they cannot do it on their own. 

Working towards a sustainable 

future for travel is going to require all 

stakeholders – from travel companies 

to governments, tourism organisations 

and travellers – to come together. 

As a first step, the industry has to 

educate travelers on all the different 

ways that they can contribute towards 

being sustainable when they travel. 

That means creating awareness at 

every step and reinforcing it at every 

touchpoint of the traveller journey. 

What are some of the main travel 

technology trends in your opinion? 

Did you see these trends reflected 

at ITB Berlin this year? 

Generative AI is definitely the top 

technology trend this year. It has 

been the main topic of conversation 

on all the convention stages across 

many different sessions. Since it is still 

new, there is a lot of curiosity among 

the attendees and everyone is eager 

to learn more about what it is, the 

different use cases and how different 

segments and companies are 

incorporating it into their businesses. 

What do you hope will be the main 

message that attendees to your 

conferences will take away with 

them? 

The main message is that travel is 

back on its growth trajectory and 

while it is changing, there is no 

reason to fear change. Generative 

AI will be transformative, but we are 

still in the early days of discovering 

its capabilities. Companies must start 

paying attention to the technology 

and experimenting with potential 

use cases now to avoid getting left 

behind. But that should not be to the 

detriment of investing in a sustainable 

future 


CONVENTION 

ON THE 

CUTTING- 

EDGE OF 

INNOVATION 

The ITB Berlin Convention 

reaffirmed its status as a 

forward-thinking hub for industry 

innovation, with a particular 

spotlight on the transformative 

potential of artificial intelligence 

(AI) this year. 

Attracting 24,000 attendees, the 

ITB Berlin Convention reaffirmed 

its status as a forward-thinking 

hub for industry innovation. 

Leaders like Glenn Fogel of 

Booking Holdings emphasised 

the role of generative AI in 

innovating customer service, 

while Charuta Fadnis of 

Phocuswright highlighted its 

impact on personalised travel 

experiences. Combining AI with 

blockchain emerged as a strategy 

for ensuring security and trust in 

the digital landscape. 

Amidst discussions on climate 

justice and skill shortages, Jeremy 

Sampson, CEO of the Travel 

Foundation, urged the industry 

to commit to net-zero emissions 

by 2030. Sampson's roadmap, 

"Envisioning Tourism in 2030 

and Beyond", proposes concrete 

measures to steer the sector 

towards sustainable practices, 

emphasising collaboration and 

regulatory frameworks for a 

resilient future 

14 ITB BERLIN NEWS • THURSDAY 14 TH MARCH 2024 news.itb.com

I SPECIAL FEATURE I MEDICAL TOURISM I 



Medical tourism 

gained traction at ITB 

Berlin 2024 

The Medical & Health Pavilion in Hall 3.1 at Messe Berlin 

featured exhibitors from the segment as well as a full 

programme of presentations, interviews with experts, and 

panel discussions at the Educational Hub on the Medical 

& Health Stage, covering topics ranging from dental sleep 

medicine, thermal water applications, and health and 

sports tourism. 

ITB Berlin facilitates 

networking for the 

medical tourism 

community 

Maria Afsar Nazari is the Creator and Director of MariaCares 

Sweden AB – a platform where patients can seek medical 

treatment all over the world. She is a medical tourism 

professional with more than 14 years in the field including 

7 years of professional experience in patient service and 7 

years of building networks between hospitals and medical 

professionals in 30 countries all around the world. She has 

also participated in over 20 valuable medical tourism B2B 

events and conferences over the last 10 years. ITB Berlin 

News caught up with her to discuss her experience at ITB 

Berlin this year. 

Among this year's medical tourism 

exhibitors was returning Gremi Clinic, 

back at ITB Berlin for a fifth year. The 

brand was launching its "tourism 

of happiness" positioning, offering 

medical visitors an entire range 

of services that create a complete 

experience. With a 98% success rate, 

Gremi Clinic not only boasts a medical 

team of 31 qualified doctors, the brand 

also has its own proprietary hotels 

as well as special departments to 

accompany guests. 

Romanian hotel group Ana Hotels 

was also on hand, showcasing its Ana 

Health Spa, a property that harnesses 

the region's natural resources such as 

Techirghiol mud from the Black Sea, 

What were your main objectives at 

ITB Berlin this year? How was your 

experience of the show? 

My main objective this year has 

been the networking and exchange 

of professional experience. 

How do you find the medical 

tourism segment is developing at 

ITB Berlin? 

I see it as a “stage”, as a platform for 

networking development within a 

professional international medical 

tourism community. The development 

of a health travel sector at ITB Berlin 

is moving towards the right direction. 

What are some of the main trends in 

the medical tourism industry? What 

are your predictions for the future? 

In my professional opinion, the 

ITB Berlin health travel section is 

already following the up-to-date 

trends in medical tourism such as: 

to offer balneo, anti-aging, well-being, 

and beauty treatments and therapies. 

The European Spas Association 

(ESPA), an organisation that promotes 

spas and balneology in Europe and 

offers certification to elevate spa 

standards was also present again 

this year, promoting its upcoming 

congress in Lithuania. 

Whether visitors were looking for 

tourism offers for substantial savings 

on medical procedures, or that take 

advantage of the health benefits of a 

particular region's natural resources 

such as thermal waters, ITB Berlin 

offered a range of exhibitors and offers 

in the sector this year 

sustainability, 

more integration of medical tourism 

into wellness and spa sector, and 

all the possible changes coming to 

our industry via rapidly developing 

technologies (AI etc). These are the 

topics that will be covered more and 

more for future events 


I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I 


Dr Mario Tobias 

CEO of Messe Berlin 


I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

I 

“Deep and trusting business relationships can 

only develop when we meet in real life” 

ITB Berlin News spoke with Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin, 

in an exclusive interview following this year's show 

From the ITB Opening Ceremony hosted by this year's 

partner country Oman to the partnership with Albania for 

2025, Dr Mario Tobias reflected on ITB Berlin 2024's triumphs 

and the pivotal role of face-to-face interactions in fostering 

authentic connections. With sustainability and innovations 

taking centre stage, ITB Berlin is working towards a more 

inclusive and responsible travel industry for the future. 

This was your first ITB Berlin in the 

role of CEO of Messe Berlin, can you 

share how the experience has been 

for you personally? 

The show was a very exciting and 

emotional experience for me. It's an 

absolute honour to welcome nearly 

the entire world to Berlin, and I'm 

extremely proud of our team. As the 

new CEO of Messe Berlin, it was 

fantastic to meet so many new people 

– simultaneously, I could personally 

draw inspiration for my next vacation. 

Our host country, Oman, sparked a lot 

of interest, and the new one for 2025 

– Albania – is a hot candidate for one 

of my upcoming journeys, too. 

What were some of the standout 

moments or innovations at ITB Berlin 

this year? 

Among the highlights was 

undoubtedly our grand opening 

gala, hosted by this year's Official 

Host Country Oman on the eve 

of the show. Guests experienced 

a spectacular show, providing 

insights into the diverse landscapes 

and culture awaiting visitors in the 

country. Equally touching for me 

was the signing ceremony where I, 

together with the Tourism Minister 

of Albania, signed the partnership 

agreement for 2025. Professionally, I 

was impressed by the line-up of topspeakers 

at the ITB Berlin Convention 

and our Innovation Radar, which 

we conducted for the second time 

this year. We presented a total of 16 

innovations, predominantly focusing 

on the opportunities presented by 

Artificial Intelligence. AI was indeed 

one of THE themes in 2024 – including 

in the convention programme. 

PEOPLE'S 

DESIRE TO 

TRAVEL MUST 

NOT COME AT 

THE EXPENSE 

OF THE 

EARTH 

Sustainability is a growing focus 

within the travel and tourism 

industry. How was this reflected at 

ITB Berlin? 

With the Sustainability Track, we 

even dedicated a specific track 

to the topic, which was exciting 

and inspiring for all attendees. ITB 

Berlin actively campaigns for social 

equality and ecological responsibility 

in tourism and once again provided 

a comprehensive platform and 

inspiration for promoting a dialogue 

between actors in the tourism 

value chain on a more diverse and 

inclusive industry. In addition to AI 

and digitalisation, climate justice was 

one of the main topics at ITB Berlin 

and the ITB Berlin Convention. We 

all know there is only one planet. 

Accordingly, people's desire to travel 

must not come at the expense of the 

Earth and so many experts at the 

convention appealed to the industry 

to aim for net zero by 2030. 

Why are face-to-face events so 

important within the industry? 

Teams and Zoom have made business 

life easier in many ways – but they 

do not replace the human exchange 

face to face. In our opinion, deep and 

trusting business relationships can 

only develop when we meet in real 

life. This is also confirmed by the top 

buyers from the ITB Buyers Circle, 

who made significant deals this year, 

and the many business meetings 

during ITB Berlin. Achieving such 

results is simply not possible through 

video-calls alone. 

Looking ahead to next year, what 

are some of your main goals for ITB 

Berlin 2025? 

Firstly, we want to further advance 

our 360-degree approach throughout 

the entire year. Secondly, we are all 

very excited about the partnership 

with our upcoming Official Host 

Country Albania. This comparatively 

small nation has so much to offer 

and is still a hidden gem waiting to 

be discovered. The hospitality is 

sincere and warm – I am confident 

that, similar to Oman this year, their 

presence at the world’s leading travel 

trade show will motivate many people 

to travel there 

ITB BERLIN 2024 

A RINGING SUCCESS 

Dr Mario Tobias highlighted 

that ITB Berlin exceeded 

expectations this year with a 

slight increase in attendees 

at nearly 100,000, and this 

despite challenging strike 

circumstances. He stated that 

this triumph "clearly showcases 

the strength of our brand" and 

once again "mirrored industry 

developments." Beyond figures, 

he noted that the mood among 

exhibitors, visitors and speakers 

was "very positive throughout" 

and that there was a general 

consensus that the return to 

travel went beyond pent-up 

demand after the pandemic 

and was "basically stable" with 

neither inflation nor high energy 

prices curbing demand 

THE ITB FAMILY: 

YEAR-ROUND, ALL 

OVER THE WORLD 

Dr Mario Tobias called the ITB 

brand "a global family of 4 trade 

shows". ITB China is up next 

in Shanghai in May, then in 

September, ITB India follows in 

Mumbai. ITB Asia in Singapore 

will conclude this year's series 

of ITB editions in October. He 

stressed that while each show 

is unique, and the markets are 

highly diverse, "nevertheless, 

there are themes and aspects 

that concern all of us: Climate 

justice is, of course, one of them 

– as well as labour shortages 

and Artificial Intelligence" 


I SEEN @ ITB BERLIN 2024 

I 

Georgia continued to build on last 

year's success at ITB Berlin 2024 

Last year's Official Host Country Georgia had an important 

delegation at ITB Berlin again this year under the GNTA's 

CEO Maia Omiadze. The country was represented in Hall 

11.2 with 38 co-exhibitor companies from the private sector 

(hotels and travel agencies) as well as governmental entities 

such as the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara 

Autonomous Republic, Tbilissi city hall and many DMOs. . 

Among the destinations, the GNTA 

highlighted: 

• Tbilisi - capital city with its many 

cultures and traditions and historic 

wooden balconies and houses 

• Batumi - The pearl of the Black Sea 

with a year-round mild climate and 

many cultural events and festivals 

• Kutaisi - home to the legend of the 

Golden Fleece and a UNESCO World 

Heritage site 

At ITB Berlin 2024, Georgia 

emphasised its uniqueness: 4 

seasons with every climate zone, 

rich biodiversity, pristine nature, rich 

cuisine and one of the oldest vineyards 

culture in the world with renowned 

red and white wines. Over the three 

days of the show visitors to the stand 

had the opportunity to try Georgian 

wine accompanied with some typical 

snacks. "ITB 2024 was fruitful for us. 

We saw great awareness after being 

the 2023 Official Host Country for ITB 

Berlin. Besides European visitors, we 

registered high interest from India and 

Saudi Arabia as we have new direct 

flights from both countries," explained 

a marketing officer on the Georgia 

stand. 

Georgia promotes itself as a gateway 

to Europe from Asia, a cradle to many 

civilisations as the country was a trade 

hub along the famed Silk Road. 

Ecuador highlights 

adventure, gastronomy and nature 

at ITB Berlin 2024 

For Diego Andrade, Undersecretary of Promotion at the 

Ministry of Tourism Ecuador, ITB Berlin was the occasion to 

communicate that Ecuador is a safe destination and ideal 

for nature lovers and environmentally-friendly activities. . 

What was Ecuador's message at ITB 

Berlin 2024? 

A very important is message is that 

Ecuador is a safe place to travel and 

is naturally focused on adventure and 

nature. This is our main driving factor 

for tourism. 

Ecuador is well-known for 

ecotourism and adventure tourism. 

Are these still your main themes for 

promoting the country? 

Ecuador will always be about culture, 

nature and adventure. And in culture 

we encounter food and hospitality and 

architecture. We came to ITB Berlin 

this year with 25 private companies 

from our four main destinations. 

When we talk about adventure, every 

region has a different activity. If you are 

in the Amazon, it's going to be a little 

bit more connected to wild nature, 

maybe even kayaking, if you're a little 

bit more daring. When you go to the 

Andes, then you've got more hiking 

and scenery, beautiful volcanoes, and 

you can go climbing. Then if you go to 

the Galapagos, every day is a different 

adventure but snorkeling and diving 

are the activities that really stand out. 

Are there any new assets 

(destinations, activities, events) 

that you will be promoting in 2024? 

Gastronomy is something which 

is becoming very important to 

us. Ecuador has been sitting on a 

gastronomy and culinary treasure, 

and what we are doing now is taking 

a advantage of that treasure to expose 

it worldwide. Our culture reflects on 

food and it varies from one region 

to another. You would never eat the 

same on the coastline of Ecuador as 

you would in the Amazon. It's a very 

short distance, but they're very very 

different 


I SEEN @ ITB BERLIN 2024 I 

Egypt's timeless tourism offers were 

proudly on display at ITB Berlin 2024 

Egypt experienced a significant increase in tourism in 2023, 

welcoming 15 million visitors, up by 4.9 million compared 

to 2021. Tourism is not a new trend in Egypt, however, as 

tourists started visiting the country over 5,000 years ago. 

And still, the list of treasures keeps growing. Recently an 

impressive statue of Ramses II was unearthed, ancient 

tombs discovered, new mummies brought to light, and 

an incredible 2,500-year-old funerary tunnel revealed. It is 

no surprise then that Egypt is one of Lonely Planet's Best 

Destination affordable choices for 2024. 

European tourists. The Citadel of 

Saladin in Cairo, built in 1173, has also 

been extensively revamped. Countless 

other architectural gems, including 

domes, minarets and a 12th century 

synagogue have been restored while 

the tourist infrastructure has been 

improved and extended. There is a 

new 4.7 km walkway along the Nile 

and exciting developments in hotels 

and resorts. Old Cairo is being restored 

and pedestrian zones established. 

Egypt projects to welcome 30 million 

visitors by 2028 with room capacities 

in hotel due to rise from 30,000 to 

60,000 within the next 5 years 

The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to 

fully open in late spring of 2024, with 

some areas already open, including 

"Tutankhamun – The Immersive 

Exhibition", a 360° spectacle. 

According to the destination, it will 

be the largst museum dedicated to a 

single civilisation. Nearby, a new visitor 

centre is due to open in a few weeks 

within the forthcoming transformation 

at the Pyramids of Giza. 

Cairo also is undergoing an 

ambitious programme of restoration 

and development that will make it 

an attractive city break option for 

Oman's Sur named 

Capital of Arab Tourism 

2024 

The Wilayat of Sur was selected at the end of last year 

as Arab tourism capital for 2024 thanks to its diversity of 

tourist activities. 

© Ministry of Heritage & Tourism Sultanate of Oman 

At the round table press event at 

Oman's stand on the first day of 

ITB Berlin, H.E. Azzan bin Qassim 

Al Busaidi, the Undersecretary 

of Tourism at Oman's Ministry of 

Heritage and Tourism, shared some of 

Sur's outstanding attractions. 

The Undersecretary presented the 

wealth of events that are being 

prepared to celebrate the selection of 

Sur at the Arab Ministerial Council for 

Tourism last December and outlined 

several of the unique activities the city 

on the Eastern coast of Oman has to 

offer. 

Active and eco-conscious tourists will 

find a long list of things to see and 

do in Sur, said Azzan bin Qassim Al 

Busaidi, citing examples such as Majlis 

al-Jinn, the largest cave in Oman and 

"ideal for adventure enthusiasts," as 

well as the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve 

where no less than five turtle species 

lay their eggs. 

A seaside city, Sur has a long maritime 

tradition. "Sur is embraced by the 

sea and has a very rich seafaring 

history," said Al Busaidi. Activities 

such as traditional ship building are 

on offer and the Undersecretary 

also mentioned the city's impressive 

Maritime Heritage Museum. 

Apart from Sur, Al Busaidi also 

spotlighted another unique spot at the 

round table event, Salalah, which is 

touched by the special phenomenon 

that effects the south of Oman from 

June to September: Khareef, or the 

monsoon season. Thanks to its 

considerable rainfall, Salalah, the 

Sultanate's third largest city, becomes 

verdant and cool. "The entire place 

transforms from brown to green. And 

for three months, it becomes one 

of the leading destinations for the 

region," affirmed the Undersecretary

2024 ITB BERLIN NEWS - REVIEW Edition

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?