Trend-setting themes and leading experts at the world’s largest tourism convention
Global travel industry’s leading think tank highlights effects of the financial
crisis and changing society – more than 200 high-ranking speakers to discuss trends,
innovative strategies and key topics at around 100 events. New: ITB Marketing and
Distribution Day plus ITB Global Future Summit – ITB Destination Days and China
Outbound Tourism Marketing Forum discuss zero-carbon luxury hotels
Berlin, 14 December 2009 – Featuring an outstanding programme of events and
high-ranking speakers, the ITB Berlin Convention 2010 will highlight the effects of
the financial and economic crisis on tourism, the structural changes in society, and
shifts in travel patterns. From 10 to 12 March 2010 more than 200 leading speakers
and panel guests from science, politics and with practical experience will present
topics and discuss the future of travel at around 100 events. Over a period of three
days the focus at the world’s largest tourism convention will be on quality
discussion and the latest industry knowledge. Admission is free for all trade
visitors.
ITB Marketing and Distribution Day
The ITB Marketing and Distribution Day will take place at the world’s leading travel
trade show, with debate focusing on the marked changes in consumer booking patterns
and information needs. Experts taking part in a discussion round entitled
“personalised package tours” will point out that the much talked about paradigm
shift towards longtail services has already taken place. The internet will also come
in for close examination, as a way to occupy attractive market niches and personally
address customers. A further panel will discuss strategies for the growing gay and
lesbian tourism market. The day’s highlight will be the ITB Media Summit 2010.
Together, the recession and completely new attitudes towards media usage have
undermined established media forms. Magazine titles are disappearing from the
shelves and readers are migrating to the internet. The confidence of the travel
industry has been shaken. The questions its members are asking are “How can we reach
the consumer?” and “What opportunities do Facebook and Twitter etc. offer?”.
Leading speakers, among them former Minister of Economics Wolfgang Clement, will be
taking part in and answering questions at a round table discussion.
“Theme Days” – latest developments and background information
The convention opens with the ITB Future Day. The first ITB Global Future Summit
will analyse the main trends in demographics, climate change, natural resources,
technology and consumer behaviour. Afterwards Rolf Freitag, CEO of IPK
International, will present the latest forecasts of the ITB World Travel Trends
Report. Based on 500,000 interviews, the world’s largest travel survey provides
indispensable information for decision-makers from the tourism industry. “Web 2.0
and Social Media” will discuss future ways to gain customers and secure their
loyalty, as well as mobile travel solutions for business and leisure travellers. The
final programme event is the ITB Tourism and Climate Panel which will analyse
climate change and ecology, the biggest challenges of this century.
Against the backdrop of a changing climate the ITB Hospitality Day will discuss what
new services hotels should offer. At the CEO panel discussion three high-ranking
executives from leading hotel chains will speak about the market and their survival
strategies. Under the unconventional heading of “Ways to change boring hotels” they
will be motivating audiences to become more creative in this field. Distributors of
online applications and hotel owners will discuss how mobile phones with internet
access are changing hotel booking patterns. Taking as their slogan “What are the
challenges facing the industry?” leading executives heading hotel chains in America,
Europe and Asia will debate the various concepts of budget hotels.
The ITB Aviation Day is recognised as the leading event for the global air transport
industry. Key topics certain to spark controversy are the future of aviation
alliances and a discussion on the strategies and concepts of budget airlines, the
winners in this recession. Will they reap long-term benefits from the crisis? These
are just some of the urgent issues that will be raised in interviews with financial
experts from low-cost carriers. At the global CEO panel discussion members will give
their opinions on the future of commercial aviation around the world. A discussion
under the heading of “A revolution in airline prices, the recession as an innovative
force in the absence of premium customers” will highlight a number of progressive
business models. According to many experts, public acceptance of airlines as a mode
of transport has been in crisis for some time. A panel discussion with numerous
analysts, among them Dr. Stefan Schulte, Chairman of the Board of Fraport AG, and
Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, Management Spokesman of Berliner Flughäfen, will discuss
which measures hold particular promise for future success.
Following its successful debut last year the ITB Corporate Social Responsibility Day
has become an integral part of the ITB Berlin Convention. A high-level government
representative of the Federal Republic of Germany will highlight the significance of
CSR in economic and social terms. Keynote speeches and panel discussions will debate
examples of the role which CSR can occupy in tourism. This is the first time that
GfK is presenting a survey undertaken exclusively for ITB Berlin, entitled “Leading
CSR companies from the vantage point of the customer”. High-ranking members will be
attending the cruise holiday session. In her keynote the world-famous adventurer and
explorer Céline Cousteau will be asking “Marine protection and tourism, are they
friends or foes?” Afterwards, leading experts, among them Prof. Dr. Martin Visbeck
from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Kiel, will
examine whether the expanding cruise market is having a negative effect on the
environment.
Discussions on the first day of the ITB Destination Days will focus on the
challenges posed by efforts to create sustainable tourism destinations. Vural Öger,
owner of the Öger Group, will deliver a keynote speech. Representatives from
Essen/Ruhr, Istanbul and Pécs, cities designated “European Capital of Culture” in
2010, will summarise the developments to date. The subsequent discussion as to
whether the title of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site is a curse or a blessing is
certain to reveal fascinating insights. On Thursday and Friday experts will devote
themselves to the topic of sustainability in tourism. Brazil and Ecuador will
present their successful concepts at the South America Forum, and at the Africa
Forum experts will discuss how important tourism is in combating poverty. Turkey,
this year’s partner country at ITB Berlin, will show how to achieve success with
cultural tourism. The findings of the latest conference of the German Society for
Tourism Research will be made public, highlighting potential business opportunities
for investors exploring the market niches of spirituality and tourism. The China
Outbound Tourism Marketing Forum@ITB Berlin 2010 will talk about ways to make
destinations more appealing to tourists from China. Zero-carbon luxury hotels are
both a significant topic and elements of a vision of future tourism. Two speakers
from Masdar City, planned as the world’s first zero-carbon city, will talk about
their progress to date.
The ITB Business Travel Forum will take place on all three days of the convention.
Workshops, panel discussions and keynote speeches at the MICE Day, Strategy Day and
Hands-On Day (with a focus on economics) will provide opportunities for exchanging
opinion and furthering one’s knowledge on business travel and events management.
From 10 to 11 March decision-makers from all walks of the global tourism industry
can find out about the latest technology trends at the Travel Technology Conference
PhoCusWright@ITB. A conference under the heading of “E-Travel Success Across Europe”
will highlight the significance of travel technology, addressing experts involved in
sales, marketing and business promotion.
No prior registration is necessary to visit the convention. Holders of a trade
visitor ticket to ITB Berlin may attend any of the events free of charge, with the
exception of the Travel Technology Convention PhoCusWright@ITB. PhoCusWright@ITB
will be held in English. Simultaneous interpreting into English and German is
available at all other lectures and discussions. Information and programme details:
www.itb-convention.com/program
visitor pass with unlimited admission to ITB Berlin costs EUR 46. If purchased by 31
January admission tickets to PhoCusWright@ITB cost EUR 300, thereafter 350 EUR per
person. All tickets are available online
.
About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
ITB Berlin 2010 will take place from Wednesday, 10 to Sunday, 14 March. ITB Berlin
will be open to trade visitors only from Wednesday to Friday. ITB Berlin is the
world’s leading travel trade show. In 2009 a total of 11,098 companies from 187
countries exhibited their products and services to 178,971 visitors, who included
110,857 trade visitors. Parallel with the trade fair, the ITB Berlin Convention will
be held from Wednesday to Friday, 10 to 12 March 2010. Full details of the programme
can be found at www.itb-convention.com/program
Fachhochschule Worms and the US-based market research company PhoCusWright Inc are
partners of the ITB Berlin Convention 2010. Skyteam is among the premium sponsors of
the ITB Aviation Day include, TopAlliance is responsible for VIP service, and
hospitalityInside.com is the media partner of the ITB Hospitality Day. Partners
cooperating with the ITB Business Travel Days 2010 are: Deutsche Bahn AG, DRV
Deutscher ReiseVerband e.V., FCm Travel Solutions, hotel.de, HSMA (Hospitality Sales
and Marketing Association) Deutschland e.V., schaefer mobility group GmbH, Seminaris
Campushotel Berlin Science & Conference Center, Veranstaltungsplaner.de, the travel
management association Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement e.V. (VDR) and Schlosshotel
Fürstlich Drehna. The media partners cooperating with the ITB Business Travel Days
2010 are: BIZ Travel, Business&IT, DMM Der Mobilitätsmanager, Geschäftsreise
Effektiv, Tempra, travel manager, TW TagungsWirtschaft and working@office.
Official partner country
of ITB Berlin 2010
Press contacts:
Messe Berlin:
Michael T. Hofer
Group Press and
Public Relations Director
ITB Berlin/ITB Asia:
Astrid Ehring:
Press Officer
Messedamm 22
D-14055 Berlin
Tel.:+ 4930 3038-2275
Fax: + 4930 3038-2141
ehring@messe-berlin.de
www.messe-berlin.de
For additional details:
www.itb-berlin.com
www.itb-kongress.com
Management:
Raimund Hosch (CEO),
Dr. Christian Göke
Chairman of the Supervisory Board:
Dr. Ralf Corsten
Companies Register: Amtsgericht (District Court) Charlottenburg,
HRB 5484 B
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