ITB 2019 — All Roads Lead to Berlin
ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin), the world’s largest tourism trade fair is held annually at the Messe Berlin. This year, from March 6 to March 10, all roads lead to Berlin.
Over 10,000 companies and organizations from 186 countries will exhibit their products and services to 170,000 visitors. From hotels to tour operators, airlines and tourist boards, all significant players in the industry will be represented in the biggest marketplace of the international travel industry, along with stage events and activities.
ITB Berlin 2019 promises to take you around the world in a single day, so to help you prepare in advance to this special event, here’s a sneak-peak of what to expect from the fair and what’s trending this year.
Taste the world’s best culinary delights
National cuisine from all over the world will be available for visitors to taste. Samples of the culinary diversity will be offered during the event, such as Iberian ham from Andalusia or Ebbelwoi (apple wine) and other typical specialties from the state of Hesse.
Also, as the partner country of ITB Berlin, Malaysia will take center stage, so this year’s visitors can drop by Hall 26 to discover more about this beautiful country and experience a bit of their culture through dance, impressive costumes, performances and, of course, taste Teh Tarik and Nasi Iemak, the country’s national beverage and dish. On the Dutch stand, the focus will be on their world-famous beer, so you’ll be able to try out some Heineken beers… proost!
LGBT, Medical Tourism and Cultural Tourism
LGBT, Medical Tourism and Cultural Tourism are some of the segments represented again in this year’s edition of ITB Berlin.
The broadest range of LGBT+ tourism products and services will be displayed at the fair, as this is a growing segment worldwide, with many new exhibitors showcasing their portfolios. The LGBT+ receives a new and larger Media Lounge, and a new panel discussion will take place for the first time.
Medical tourism has increased over the years to a multi-billion dollar industry since a lot of people are looking for better quality in health care outside their home countries, less expensive treatments or combining medical treatment with desirable destinations. This is why, since 2017, ITB Berlin provides the Medical Tourism Pavilion, an area where service providers such as medical companies and hotels present their services and products. Medical tourism will be represented by the regular players but there are some newcomers too, coming from Albania, Romania, Croatia, and Poland.
When choosing their next holiday destination, often people consider the cultural aspects. Being a city, region or country, what they offer culture-wise to their visitors, is of extreme importance. Cultural Tourism segment will present their cultural highlights in the Culture Lounge, at ITB Berlin, along with 70 exhibitors from 12 countries, including museums and festivals, from all over Europe.
Youth & Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism
Adventure travel is a segment of the travel industry that is becoming very popular, especially among younger people. Experiencing nature while contributing to protecting the environment and the population’s well being is gaining traction worldwide, hence being represented in this year’s ITB Berlin again for the 3rd year in a row.
With almost 40 exhibitors, the Youth & Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism will have the contribution of some of the most well-known players around the world. During the fair, visitors will be provided with information about school trips and holiday travel. And for the first time, Italy and the Federal Association of School Trip Organisers will be showcasing their programmes made specifically for young travelers.
Dream jobs, new exhibitors and larger stands
To help visitors find the job position of their dreams, ITB Berlin has put together a platform that matches students and professionals, where job seekers can contact directly with managers from tourism sectors. Over 30 national and international universities and other providers will be presenting their services at ITB so you can find them at Hall 11.1.
If this is not your first time at ITB, you’ll be surprised to find new exhibitors at the fair, as well as larger stands in the European halls. New exhibitors include St. Helena, the EU Initiative European Capitals of Smart Tourism, Turismo de Setúbal and Mystic Cruises from Portugal. Over 100 exhibitors under Turismo de Portugal, will be showcasing their products on an impressive 10% larger display area.
And speaking of Portugal, HiJiffy’s home country, we will be attending ITB Berlin too! So if you’re eager to learn more about how to improve your hotel’s customer care using an all-in-one communications platform designed specifically for hotels, we’ll be more than happy to tell you all about it!
Contact us to schedule a meeting from 6–8 March.
Hope to meet you there!
🤖Learn more about HiJiffy’s unified inbox for hotels on our website https://hijiffy.com/
NB: This is a viewpoint by Ana Morais, Head of Marketing @ HiJiffy. HiJiffy is an all-in-one communication platform that helps hotels increase their direct bookings and customer satisfaction.
