Whether booking a five-star hotel in Amsterdam, a cruise down the Danube or a stay in a Mongolian yurt, the more than 100,000 hospitality professionals slated to attend the ITB Berlin Convention this week will enjoy myriad attractions that reflect the robustness of tourism today.
“ITB Berlin is a strong marketplace and provides the international travel industry with an ideal platform for negotiating and doing business,” said Christian Göke, chief executive of Messe Berlin, the firm managing the convention, the largest of its kind in the world. “In turbulent times and against the backdrop of a weak euro and uncertainty in the wake of terrorism and worldwide conflicts this is a particularly valuable and important aspect.”
From March 4 to March 8, more than 10,000 exhibitors from 186 countries are showcasing their hotels, vacation packages, tourism technologies, sightseeing and other attractions at the convention.
It’s the place to get things done.
Last year, business-to-business and retail sales at ITB Berlin amounted to €6.5 billion, according to convention organizers.
Much of those deals occur during special events like the ITB Buyers Circle, where vendors have a chance to meet directly with purchasing officers. This year, the Circle is holding its first-ever Buyer Seller Speed Dating event " a chance, as the name implies, to quickly assess whether two dealmakers are sufficiently interested to form a relationship on the spot.
Hotels, of course, are a big part of the action throughout the convention.
This year, discussion panels are scheduled to provide tips for hotel managers who must address security challenges and how both budget and luxury hotels can offer lifestyle experiences that attract and satisfy customers who’ll return to stay again.
In an exciting development, premium brands Hilton and Hyatt are returning to ITB Berlin after an absence in recent years.
And in conjunction with the convention’s partner country this year, Mongolia, the head of marketing for the Best Western Premier Tuushin in Ulaanbaatar, Javklan Ganbold, was scheduled to discuss how new airports, emerging air routes, new hotels and hotel marketing are shaking up that Asian country’s capital city.
Ganbold and other panel members in the discussion, “Somehow Different Location: MICE in Mongolia,” noted that road improvements have dramatically improved transportation in the vast country. It used to take three days to drive across Mongolia. Now it takes a few hours, opening up remarkable landscapes for hotel guests, including international business travellers working in the country’s growing economy.
The convention also recognizes leaders in the travel and hospitality field. In cooperation with National Geographic, organizers will bestow World Legacy Awards to hoteliers and others who exemplify the categories of Earth Changers, Sense of Place, Conserving the Natural World, Engaging Communities and Destination Leadership.
Other buzz at the convention will include the advent of travel technologies " think Britain’s Hotel Room Auction, Switzerland’s hoteleducation.ch and Qunar, a massive Chinese room booking platform " as well as the consuming habits of LGBT travellers, efforts to promote sustainable and ethically responsible hospitality and travel and other trends.
“The ITB Convention will be debating all the important industry topics,” said Göke. “The industry’s largest convention is an indispensable knowledge platform that highlights best practices as well as exclusive survey results and the latest tourism topics.”
www.4Hoteliers.com/itb
