Berlin ITB was a succesful process to see a positive sign

113,006 trade visitors (39,7% of them from abroad) came to obtain information about all sectors of the international travel industry from the 10,644 exhibitors from 187 countries. 59,126 people from Berlin and Brandenburg came during the weekend to find out about holiday destinations and new travel offers.

Considering the current political and economic challenges the topics chosen for the ITB Berlin Convention were certainly the right ones. Experts pointed out strategies for achieving sustainability and for the effective use of smartphone-based technologies.

The partner country Egypt was aware of the strong solidarity shown by the international travel industry. Mounir Fahkry Abdel Nour, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism:

“ITB was fantastic! I enjoyed every minute of it and met some fascinating and outstanding people. In addition to the support that I received I am very happy that the problems in a political context have not affected the general mood in the slightest, in fact quite the contrary. All our German partners declared their solidarity with us, including the Federal Minister of Economics Philipp Rosler.

The Egypt hall provided opportunities for visitors to use various social media platforms to find out about the political situation within the country.

The ITB Berlin Convention confirmed its appeal and recorded a further increase in attendance. The total of over 17,000 visitors represented a more than 20 per cent increase over the previous year. due in no small part to an extremely topical programme and some prominent speakers.

For the first time, on the evening preceding the start of ITB Berlin, a reception was held for bloggers from all over the world. Organised specifically to serve the interests of bloggers, this event attracted over 120 of them from more than 10 countries. The Travel Technology section at ITB Berlin 2012 was larger than ever before, with 236 exhibitors displaying technical innovations in four halls. In Hall 7.1c some well-known companies as well as new start-ups presented their latest apps and innovations for the fields of mobile travel services and social media. Although major advances have been made with applications over the past two years, development work is still in progress, and this is a fascinating topic, not only for travel experts but for the public too. A so-called App Marathon took place on the Saturday at ITB for the first time, providing visitors with an overview of the world of travel apps.

Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UNWTO: “Once again, ITB has proven an unmissable event for the world’s tourism sector and an absolute must for all those looking to boost business and better understand the latest tourism trends, developments and prospects. I particularly welcome the presence of Egypt as the Official Partner Country of ITB and the overwhelming support of the tourism community to this long-standing destination."

Attending ITB one thing is clear: international tourism is one of the most dynamic and exciting economic sectors of our time. All indicators point to the continued growth of tourism in 2012, despite the persistent economic challenges, and ITB has been a fantastic opportunity to come together and see how to best harness this growth for economic well-being, job creation and development worldwide. 

Klaus Laepple, President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW): “This year’s ITB Berlin was again the platform where the worldwide tourism industry could obtain information, sign contracts, cultivate contacts and identify moods. For five days Berlin’s exhibition halls were the meeting place and the focal point for the international tourism world."

Source: tourexpi.com