There will be 10,147 tourism companies (2013: 10,086 exhibitors) from 189 countries represented at this year’s ITB Berlin trade show, which will begin tomorrow and go on till March 9. More than two-thirds of the exhibitors showcasing their products and services in the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, which are now fully booked, are from abroad. International trade visitors (2013: 40 per cent) at this year’s ITB Berlin trade show are set to rise significantly. Overall, 110,000 trade visitors are expected to attend the event, organised by Messe Berlin.
ITB Berlin will offer visitors a representative overview of travel products and services from around the world and of growth-intensive niche markets, as per a release.
This year, on the weekend of the show, the public will have an opportunity to purchase travel products directly from exhibitors. The focus will be on Mexico, the partner country this year, which will have information on its wide range of products and services in Hall 1.1. As the partner country, Mexico will host the opening ceremony on the eve of the show in the International Congress Center (ICC Berlin). Next year, the opening ceremony of ITB Berlin will take place in the CityCube Berlin, which has currently entered the final stages of construction.
Dr Christian Göke, CEO, Messe Berlin GmbH, said, “ITB Berlin mirrors the entire value-added chain of the international tourism industry and boasts of the world’s largest attendance of international exhibitors from all parts of the globe. ITB Berlin is also a leading knowledge platform. Exhibitors and trade visitors can find out about all the latest trends and innovations, information on exploiting new markets and listen to thought-provoking views on current topics.“ He added that Travel Technology and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Travel (LGBT) are clearly among the growth segments at ITB Berlin.
ITB Berlin 2014 will see the first editions of two events—ITB Summit, with 600 delegates invited to attend, and ITB Innovators, which will provide a compact overview of 100 travel and marketing innovations.
Once again, ITB Berlin will be providing senior buyers from the international tourism industry access to an exclusive business circle that offers them numerous benefits. Around 700 hand-picked senior buyers from the international tourism industry from Europe, Canada, the USA, South America, Australia, Asia and Africa will be joining the exclusive Buyers Circle at ITB Berlin 2014.
This year’s edition will see 40 events organised by bloggers for bloggers. Taking place this year for the second time, the ITB Bloggers Speed Dating event will provide a platform for hotels and destinations that enable them to meet travel bloggers from around the world. ITB Berlin expects around 300 participants from 15 countries to attend—almost a third more than at last year’s event.
Around 170 exhibitors will be showcasing the world’s widest range of travel technology products at ITB’s Travel technology segment. Thirty companies will be making their debut at the travel trade show. They include IATI, Nor1 Inc, Accelya, Gate7 Reservation Systems, Abreu Online, Roomize and Vioma.
For the first time at the show, ITB Berlin and the consultancy Tourismuszukunft will be co-organising tours to guide visitors around Travel Technology. The tours will focus on software for the hotel industry, travel agencies, destinations and tour operators. A Mobile Technology tour will also be on offer.
Responsible Tourism, Adventure Travel, and Youth Travel & Economy Accommodation are also expanding at ITB Berlin. Overall, more than 130 exhibitors from 35 countries will be represented in Hall 4.1. Seventy exhibitors will be represented in the segment Adventure Travel & Responsible Tourism alone. Newcomers include Armenia, Georgia, Greenland, New Zealand, Colombia and Jordan.
India, Asia and the Arab countries are booming travel markets and will be represented at the world’s leading travel trade show in unprecedented numbers. Hall 5.2b, occupied by India, is booked. For the first time, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented with their own stands.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will be a key theme in Hall 4.1. Taking place on the two stages in Hall 4.1 will be outstanding events on the subjects of human rights in tourism and sustainability.
Tourism companies from 189 countries to participate at ITB Berlin 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment