18 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
18 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Taking it From The Top Messe Berlin CEO Dr Christian Göke looks back at I © Messe Berlin GmbH Dr Christian Göke CEO, Messe Berlin Opening Round Tour - “Ribbon C Rifai, UNWTO Secretary GeneralH. Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, President o Iris Gleicke, Parliamentary State Se Berlin GmbH; Michael Müller, Gov Who better than the Messe Berlin CEO Dr Christian Göke to explain how this year’s show came off. We firstly asked him what the key trends were in terms of exhibitors… 10,096 exhibitors from 186 countries attended this year’s ITB Berlin, over twothirds of whom came from abroad. As a result, ITB Berlin was able to cement its position as the world’s leading travel trade show. This year Travel Technology expanded yet again. It currently attracts more international exhibitors and is among the largest segments of its kind at any show worldwide. In terms of destinations, demand by exhibitors from the Arab countries and Asia was particularly high. Following an absence from the show, the Hilton and Hyatt hotels exhibited again in Hall 9. The Turkish Village was a newcomer to the event, where tourist boards, tour operators as well as those representing culture and wellness were gathered in one place. Poland arrived with a new stand concept and exhibited a concentrated display of its new products. The display of the Netherlands was larger than in any previous year. The Benelux countries were to be found in a single hall, with Belgium, Flanders and the Netherlands. Luxembourg was represented on the Benelux stand for the first time. This year the focus of attention was on Mongolia, the partner country of the show. Trade visitors and the general public were able to obtain information from over 30 exhibitors about this impressive travel destination which attracted even greater attention with a wide range of activities at ITB Berlin. What trends were there in terms of trade visitors? Overall, some 115,000 trade visitors travelled to Berlin. The share of trade visitors from abroad increased to 43 per cent. Trade visitors at ITB Berlin appreciate the quality of contacts and being able to meet so many international exhibitors. This year they also remained longer at ITB Berlin because they did good business, with the average duration of a stay rising to 2.4 days. According to estimates by Messe Berlin the volume of sales increased from around 6.5 billion euros in 2014 to 6.7 billion euros. This shows that ITB Berlin is not only a platform for establishing new leads and networking but is also indispensable for doing business. The ITB Convention is the leading think tank of the global travel industry. What were your personal highlights at this year’s convention? The sharing economy was among the key topics at this year’s ITB Berlin Convention. Numerous panel discussions involving industry opinion-formers and senior executives as well as surveys examined this phenomenon and found that it will have a longlasting impact on the travel industry. 23,000 visitors, a record number, attended the ITB Berlin Convention which was able to cement its position as the world’s leading think tank of the global travel industry. This year also marked the tenth anniversary of the ITB Hospitality Day which examined the latest topics concerning the hotel trade and hospitality industry at the ITB Berlin Convention. WE ARE ALL THE MORE DELIGHTED THAT THE MALDIVES WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING ITS PRESENCE NEXT YEAR ITB BERLIN NEWS • Tuesday 17 th March 2015 www.itb-berlin-news.com
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 19 TB Berlin 2015 © Messe Berlin GmbH utting at the Mongolian stand” – Norbert Fiebig, President of the German Travel Association (DRV); Taleb E. Ms Oyunkhorol Dulamsuren, Minister of Environment, Green Development and Tourism, Mongolia; H.E. f Mongolia; Dr. Michael Frenzel, President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW); cretary, Federal Ministery for Economic Affairs and Energy; Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer, Messe erning Mayor of Berlin (l.t.r.) As the world’s leading travel trade show, do you think more exhibitors are targeting tour operators and travel agents in the global market rather than locally? The high number of international exhibitors is proof that ITB Berlin continues to be the ideal platform for tourism providers worldwide who come to the show and do business. Thus, this year’s ITB Buyers Circle was attended by 850 senior buyers from the global travel industry. Close to 80 per cent came from European countries (including Russia). Some eight per cent were from the Middle East, while seven per cent came from North America. Their spending budgets ranged from 100,000 euros to over ten million euros. The members of the ITB Buyers Circle benefited from numerous services which considerably saved buyers’ time and significantly improved efficiency. Next year’s partner country has already been announced as the Maldives. What are your thoughts on this? The Maldives with its endless beaches and spectacular marine wildlife is a place that many tourists dream of visiting. As a year-round holiday destination it has become firmly established with tourists the world over. The Maldives has been exhibiting continuously at ITB Berlin for 30 years. We are all the more delighted that the Maldives will be significantly expanding its presence next year. This will enable the country to become even more attractive in the long term. What is your vision for the show for the next five to ten years? The digital transition is a force that the international travel industry cannot ignore. All the same, this year’s show provided further evidence of how important personal exchanges and meetings between people are for the tourism industry. We are convinced that in the years to come maintaining personal contact with business partners and tourism providers will be crucial to success and that the show will retain its role as the world’s leading travel trade show. CLOSING REPORT ITB Berlin, which came to an end on Sunday 8th March, was able to cement its position as the world’s largest travel trade show. From 4 to 8 March 2015 10,096 exhibitors from 186 countries, more than two-thirds of whom were from abroad, were represented in 26 display halls which were fully booked. Overall, some 115,000 trade visitors (2014: 114,000) travelled to Berlin. The share of trade visitors from abroad increased to 43 per cent (2014: 40 per cent). These visitors also remained longer at ITB Berlin because they did good business, with the average duration of a stay rising to 2.4 days (2014: 2.1 days). According to estimates by Messe Berlin, the volume of sales at the show increased from around 6.5 billion Euros in 2014 to 6.7 billion Euros. Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin underlined that more than ever, ITB Berlin fulfilled the function of the world’s leading think tank and a shop window for the travel industry: “This is where the opportunities and risks are debated and the potential impact of the sharing economy on the international travel industry is analysed. Over the past few days ITB Berlin has provided further evidence of how important personal exchanges and meetings between people are for an industry that is increasingly dominated by the digital transition.“ ITB BERLIN NEWS • Tuesday 17 th March 2015
