The International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin, which will be taking place from 11 to 15 March 2005 on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds and in the ICC Berlin, will once again fulfil its vital role as a stimulus for the international tourism industry. As travel and tourism's world fair, in 2005 it will again provide clear indicators about the future of the industry. Experts are forecasting that the ITB Berlin 2005 will give an added impetus to summer business and encourage planning for a successful year`s trading in 2005. "Once again it will be demonstrating the effectiveness of the formula that has made the ITB Berlin so successful, and which consists of bringing together worldwide supply and demand", according to Project Manager David Ruetz.
Compared with last year the number of applications to attend the ITB 2005, market leader among the world`s tourism events, has remained unchanged, thereby confirming the role of Berlin and its trade fair as the most important platform anywhere in the world for the tourism industry. "Almost all the available space in the additional hall, 5.2, which has been earmarked for Asia, has already been taken." The region will present its displays on an overall area of 16,000 square metres.
The ITB Berlin 2005 is expected to attract some 10,000 exhibitors from around 180 countries and territories, who will be displaying their tourism attractions on an area of 150,000 square metres (overall).
David Ruetz: "The ITB Berlin provides an accurate reflection of a business that operates on a worldwide scale. Its value as the world`s leading market place for tourism is as high as ever."
A clear picture of the various market sectors
The International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin 2005 will again provide its trade visitors with a Forum that meets the needs of specific target groups, for discussions about the ongoing development of the market. The emphasis is on leading sectors of the international tourism industry: this year the ITB Berlin is taking a closer look at a particularly important area with an event entitled Business Travel@ITB Berlin. The Business Travel Days will take place from Sunday, 13 March, to Tuesday, 15 March. Special packages are available to enable travel managers to attend the ITB Berlin, where they can make use of the Business Travel Lounge to establish and develop invaluable contacts, as well as expanding their knowledge of the industry at the accompanying programme of seminars.
Cultural Tourism was identified as the most popular section among trade visitors at last year`s ITB. And this is not surprising in view of the growing numbers of people for whom culture is the focal point of their holidays and short trips, and whose holiday decisions are based on the availability of cultural attractions. The ITB Berlin is the ideal showcase for an effective presentation of cultural highlights to the public too.
The Forum Wellness is a response to the global trend for a greater awareness of well-being and health. When this section of the ITB made its debut last year its aim was to cast some light on the increasingly complex field of wellness.
The ITB Book World is now established as the leading forum for (online) travel guides, travel books and maps. This section provides visitors with a concentrated range of travel literature in an ideal tourism setting.
Cruises continue to make a significant contribution to the commercial success of the tourism sector. The section of the ITB devoted to Cruises is a compact business platform that presents the increasingly varied range offered by this expanding market.
ITB Travel Technology has become a popular meeting place for the experts in areas such as global distribution systems, tour operators` data bases, reservation systems, technological solutions, travel agency software, ticket consolidators and calculation programs.
Trends & Events in Hall 1.1 is a new addition. The ITB Berlin`s communication platform for young people brings some of the latest trends together under one roof for the first time: the Youth Travel Centre, Experience Adventure and ECOtourism. Also being featured for the first time are sections on "Travel for All" with the providers of travel for the disabled, and "Gay Travel".
Geographical layout helps visitors on their "world tour"
In addition to its various specialist sections the layout of the halls on a geographical basis also provides greater clarity at the ITB Berlin and assists visitors on their "world tour" around the halls. As the organiser of the ITB, this is the response by Messe Berlin to the requirements of exhibitors and the needs of the market.
This year visitors to the ITB will find the following hall allocations:
Exhibitors from Andorra and Spain can be found in Hall 1.2, while Hall 2.1 will feature the stands of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, Croatia, Malta and Montenegro. France, Greece, Monaco, Portugal and Cyprus are exhibiting in Hall 2.2. The Caribbean, Colombia, Caribbean coast of Mexico, and Venezuela/CENTRO-AMERICA are in Hall 3.1, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus occupy Hall 3.2. In Hall 4.1 visitors will find Mexico, Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. The displays by the USA and Canada are in Hall 4.2.
Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cook Islands, Fiji, India, Maledives, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Tonga and Tahiti (New Caledonia) are represented in Hall 5.2.
In 2005 the Balearic Islands will be exhibiting in two halls for the first time: Hall 7.2a and Hall 7.2b. Exhibitors from the BeNeLux countries are sharing Hall 7.2c.
This year Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic and Hungary have been placed in Hall 11.1, and Poland is in Hall 15.1. Exhibitors from Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia are exhibiting inHall 17.
In addition to the Nordic countries, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, Hall 18 also houses the Faroe Islands, United Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland.
African countries will be presenting their attractions to the international tourism industry in Halls 20 and 21. Botswana, Cape Verde Islands, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rιunion, Zambia, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland will be in Hall 20. Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda will be exhibiting in Hall 21.
Israel and the Arab countries of Jordan, Oman, Palestinian Territories and the United Arab Emirates can be found in Hall 22. Hall 23 features the displays by Bahrain, Iran, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya and Syria.
The Asia Hall 26 houses the tourism attractions of Brunei, People`s Republic of China, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Zone of the P.Rep. of China), Indonesia, Japan, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizistan, Republic of Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
In a new arrangement this year exhibitors from Germany will now be exhibiting under the heading of Partner Land Germany. The German National Tourism Board (DZT) will be located in Hall 10.2.
The German federal states have been allocated the following halls:
Hall 6.2: Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Bremen and Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein Hall 8.2: Northrhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland Hall 10.2: Hesse Hall 11.2:Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia Hall12: Berlin, Brandenburg
Commercial exhibitors such as hotel groups, carriers and insurance companies are represented in Halls 8.1, 9 and 10.1. Airlines, airports and tour operators will be sharing Hall 25.
Starting point for journalists
The Press Centre with its wide range of services and the editorial offices of domestic and foreign trade publications and PR agencies, news agencies and internet agencies can be found at its usual place in Hall 6. 3. An additional "Electronic Press Office" will again be set up in the ICC Berlin.
A new starting point will be provided for journalists this year in Hall 7.1, where the ITB Congress on Market Trends & Innovations will be taking place. Staff here will supply you with press material about the congress and arrange interviews with the speakers, and you can work here too at the special laptop workstations.
The next but one ITB Berlin will take place from 8 to 12 March 2006 in accordance with the new scheme - Wednesday to Sunday!
By: N. Peter Kramer
