ITB Berlin News - Day 1
WEDNESDAY 8 th MARCH 2017 DAY 1 EDITION NEWS TRADE TALK ITB BERLIN CONVENTION SPECIAL FEATURE: TRANSPORT Dr Christian Göke CEO, Messe Berlin “Trade fairs and congresses bring countless numbers of decision makers, experts and pioneers to Berlin.” Read page 7 Tim Hentschel CEO, Hotelplanner.com and Meetings.com “ A lot of hotels used to hold back inventory for the last-minute individual booker at a higher rate than giving it to groups, but now that’s changing.” Read page 21 Gillian Tans President & CEO, booking.com “(...) over the years, we’ve seen increasing numbers of professional travel agents using our Affiliate Partner Programme to make bookings for their clients.” Read page 24 Bob Lange Senior Vice President, Head of Market and Product Strategy, Airbus “We are showcasing our Iflya380.com initiative, which helps passengers who want to fly on A380s book on A380s. ” Read page 33 ITB Berlin: The Global Benchmark 2017 edition’s successful revamp bolsters positive market attitude in times of uncertainty Hall 17 Stand 109 Hall 9 Stand 314 Hall 4.1 Stand 105b More floor space for exhibitors in the world’s #1 travel trade event from boom segments including Travel Technology and Arab destinations, new exhibitors and innovative stand concepts, and a new Medical Tourism section: clear signs that the market remains resilient despite adverse external conditions. David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin, says the fact that ITB Berlin’s halls are booked out sends out a clear message that this show is the benchmark: “Even in times of political uncertainty the international travel industry places a focus on strong participation, progress and face-to-face meetings at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show. Demand has been high again this year, particularly from Asia, Arab destinations and the travel technology sector. We have taken this into account with a new, improved hall layout and have been able to meet many exhibitors’ requests for additional space.” This year, the official partner country of ITB Berlin is Botswana. This fascinating, landlocked country in southern Africa is represented on a larger, two-tier stand. Read our exclusive interview with Botswana’s Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama II – on page 27. Tshekedi Khama II Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Botswana DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST ©Justin Hall UNWTO statistics show that Africa (+8%) enjoyed a strong rebound in 2016 after two troubled years, adding 4 million arrivals to reach 58 million. Sub-Saharan Africa (+11%) led growth, while a gradual recovery started in North Africa (+3%). The Middle East received 54 million international tourist arrivals in 2016. Arrivals decreased an estimated 4% with mixed results among the region’s destinations. Read page 39. Okavango Delta, Botswana
