ITB
ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 8 th March 2013 www.itb-berlin-news.com
NEWS 13 Not to be missed Press Conferences on 8 th March 09:00 am - 11:30 am USA Media Breakfast Messegelände, Großer Stern, Room Hongkong 10:00 am - 11:00 pm Berlin Highlights News ICC Berlin, Salon 21 10:00 am - 11:30 am Kenya ICC Berlin, Salon 11/12 10:00 am - 10:45 am Disney Parks & Resorts, News 2013 Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Tourism and intangible cultural heritage; a winning partnership ICC Berlin, Hall 7 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Siberia Forever ICC Berlin, Salon 17/18 11:00 am - 12:00 pm 14 th Forum on Travel and Health - CRM Centre for Travel Medicine ICC Berlin, Salon 20 11:00 am - 11:45 am How to Travel Best Ager? Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3 12:00 pm - 01:00 pm Press briefing with winners & jurors of the ITB book awards Hall 10.2, Culture Conference Lounge 12:00 am - 01:30 pm Albania – Europe’s last secret ICC Berlin, Hall 8 12:00 am - 12:45 pm Promotion & Presentation of Bangladesh Tourism Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3 01:00 pm - 01:45 pm Siremar – The revival of tourism in the “Sun Islands” Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3 02:30 pm - 04:30 pm Lake Constance Halle 6.2b, Stand 203 02:00 pm - 05:30 pm 28 th Meeting of the World Tourism Network and Child Protection ICC Berlin, Hall 7 02:00 pm - 03:30 pm LIMES – Large Scale Innovative and Mobile European Services for Culture Tourism in Rural Areas and the LIMES-App 1.0 Hall 11.1, Booth 106 03:00 pm - 03:45 pm Manama, Capital of Arab Tourism Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3 04:00 pm - 04:45 pm Unique Ukraine Press Conference Room, Hall 5.3 Readers can find the complete list of press conferences on the official ITB Berlin 2013 web site: http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/Events/EventSearch/index.jsp © Ikay Gündogan Turkey Seeks to Promote its Nature Resources Turkey promotes alternative and environmentfriendly tourism Ömer Çelik Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Hall 3.2 Hall 4.1 Turkey is present this year in Hall 3.2 as well as Hall 4.1, the latter being dedicated to alternative and environmentfriendly tourism. Turkey would like to be better known for its nature resources: the country has 33 national parks, 35 protected natural areas as well as over 1,000 hot springs. In total, Turkey records over 5,500 natural and nature-related heritage sites. Turkey’s spreading into two halls takes into account the importance of tourism for the economy. In 2012, Turkey welcomed 31.7 million international arrivals, up by 1.04% over 2011 while revenues reached .5bn. Istanbul remains a favourite among travellers. The city welcomed 9.4 million international visitors in 2012, up by 16.4% over 2011. Germany is by far the largest source market to the country. In 2012, tourists from Germany reached a record of 5.03 million arrivals, up by 4.2% over 2011. Germany represents 16% market share in total arrivals, ahead of Russia with a market share of 11% (3.4 million arrivals). ITB Berlin was also an opportunity to present the new Minister of Tourism. Ömer Çelik was appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism on 24 th January 2013. Serbia Promises More Tourism Growth Serbia is one of seven countries bordering the Danube that have a strong presence at ITB Berlin 2013, and the Balkan nation is here to promote the nation’s unique place in a diverse tourism region where many national borders are shared. While visitor numbers remain modest in comparison to other European countries, Serbia is a rising tourism destination with a lot of exciting potential. Visitor numbers from Germany have been especially strong, with overnight stays up 7% in 2012. The frequency of flights from Germany and Austria to Belgrade is also on the rise via carriers including Air Berlin, Jat Airways, Lufthansa and the low-cost Wizz Air. Although mountain and spa resorts are a traditional draw card, Serbia’s cities also offer a rich blend of history, architecture, culture and entertainment, from the pristine baroque city of Subotica in the far north; to Novi Sad, exemplifying the tolerance and moderation of multiethnic Vojvodina; Nis, birthplace of Constantine the Great; and Belgrade, the cosmopolitan capital city that combines eastern passion and European elegance. These locations are included in the 52 Weekends in Serbia promotion, which packs in plenty of Serbia getaway ideas encompassing mineral spas, traditional cuisine, diverse annual festivals, and trips to Southern Serbia, known for its lively traditional music, Pirot carpets, peppers and kackavalj (caciocavallo) cheese. Serbia will participate in the Passport to the Danube competition on the open weekend at ITB Berlin 2013, offering visitors a passport stamp and a chance to win some exciting trips to the region. Hall 11.1 Stand 106 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 8 th March 2013
