For some a flea market, for others a business exchange, and while there is no global village, it is indeed a whole global city.

More than 200.000 people from everywhere meet here, on a covered space of 160.000 sqare meters, and make more than five billion euros (6,25 billion US-Dollar) in sales in just five days.   

It is early March, it is ITB time in Berlin – the International fair for tourism or ITB ("Internationale Tourismus Boerse") even has an effect on the inhabitants themselves, who on the two of five fair days, that are open to the public, pour onto the fair ground and transform the usually quiet and still area around stands into a crowded flea market. 

Market – this is a good expression for the famous travel fair, which is believed to be the greatest in world.

And yet small enough to travel around the globe in less than four hours, by foot, including a freshly prepared cocktail in the Caribbean, a hula-hula flower chain in the Hawaii and tons of brochures, posters and leaflats; where to go next, not to miss this… 

What is intended to be the contact center for the travel industry, on the other hand is fun, folklore and festival for the people. 26 halls make the globe round, about 180 countries and destinations from anguilla to zambia there is representations, tourism bureaus, hosts and carriers.

There are departments for special kinds and segments of the tourism industry, for example business travel, youth travel, eco tourism, Spa & wellness tourism, travel technology, and furthermore there is two halls just for hotels and facilities. 

But the white collar and black tie guests do not come on their own: With them there is a true circus of musicians, dancers, comedians, celebrities and lots of funny freaks, costumed for example as the famous british king Henry VIII., whose enthronement 500 years ago is going to be a big party in London this year, or the typical Moroccan brass artist with the obligatory fez on his head, thinning tiny plates at a corner of the country's stand all day. Yesterday he was sitting in his work shop in Marrakech, now he's coming to Berlin, next week back again. 

The colourful flea market is flanked by interesting lectures, discussions and work shops around the business hottest topics that mostly take place in the congress area ICC (International Congress Center) nearby.

Hard but a must to face, one among this years' tops emphasizes the financial crisis and its impact on global tourism.

To compliment the fair's management, in the program LINK you can find many events dealing with the situation. There is brain trusts on the question "Can we afford vacation any more?" or "Is there any concept any more not to perish during the crisis?" 

By the way it takes comfort from the fact that the global economy's downturn still does not have a bad effect on environmental protection: "What is the environmentally friendly, cultural preserving AND efficient hotel concept of tomorrow?"

This puts the focus on another interesting topic among the top themes: Ecotourism. "Who knows him, the unknown ecotourist?" is one of the speakers in the programme asking rhetorically.

On the other hand, mega resorts are a trend that promises good returns – another forum is going to discuss the effects on the regional economy around such monsters and potential danger for the environment. And after all, the
irresistible chances one may get out of this. 

Other chances are sport or culture events like the Football World Championship, that could help Southafrica develop in the 2010, or as culture tourism helped the Ruhr region to blossom within the last ten years.

This former industrial area was carefully converted into a huge park area, the monumental factories, buildings and landscape illustrating are no longer in use.

Today it is tourists that climb the former furnaces or imposing mine gates. The Ruhr region, which served more than 100 years as steel- and coal-belt, is going to be "Kulturhauptstadt Europas 2010" (European Cultural Capital), a title awarded once a year.

As it is coming with enormous financial support both from European and German administration, it is highly regarded from the candidates.

Images: courtesy of ITB Berlin