ITB Berlin 2014 Receives Record Demand from Exhibitors

The final preparations for the 48th edition of ITB Berlin, set to be held from March 5 to 7, 2014 are under way. Organizer of the event, Messe Berlin expects around 10,000 exhibiting companies and organizations from more than 180 countries to be present in the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

The focus is on Mexico, the partner country of ITB Berlin, which is organizing the opening ceremony of the show. Furthermore, all the regions of Mexico will be presenting their wide range of products and services to trade visitors and the general public in Hall 1.1. The partner country of ITB will also be represented in the Gay & Lesbian Travel section in Hall 3.1.

“Compared with last year the number of bookings at ITB Berlin 2014 has remained consistently high. The majority of the halls are already booked up and there are now waiting lists. One noticeable trend is that exhibitors are booking larger stands. This demonstrates that the world’s largest travel trade show is a reliable economic indicator which accurately mirrors the industry’s developments. This year it will once again unite supply and demand from around the world and send out an important message for the future. The ITB Berlin Convention’s agenda features up-to-the-minute and forward-looking themes and leading experts will be taking part in the debate”, said Dr. Martin Buck, Vice-President, Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin.

There has been particularly high demand for exhibitor space at ITB Berlin 2014 from countries in Asia and the Arab world. Like previous years, Germany’s all federal states will be represented at the show. The Travel Technology segment has also expanded significantly. Due to the high number of bookings (about 30 new exhibitors will be represented at ITB Berlin 2014) this segment with its focus on up-to-the-minute topics will now occupy Hall 5.1.  

India, Asia and the Arab countries will be represented in large numbers at ITB Berlin, with the latter occupying Hall 22. Hall 5.2b, occupied by India, is booked. For the first time the three Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented with their own stand. Muriya Tourism Development from Oman is a newcomer to the event and the stand of Dubai has increased by 56 square meters.

There is a waiting list for Hall 5.2a, where countries from South East Asia and the Pacific are represented. Nepal and Bhutan will require larger display areas. The exhibitors in the Asia Hall will be more diverse than in previous years, as many hotels and holiday resorts are no longer in the sections of their relevant regions and instead will be hosting their own displays.

In Hall 26 (Far East and South East Asia) more than a dozen new exhibitors will be presenting their products. They include G Charlton Hotels and Resorts from Vietnam and tour operators, among them Asia Aventura, Luxury Travel, Travel Indochina, Trails of Indochina, Wide Eyed Tours and Terraverde. Thailand’s region Prachuap Khiri Khan will be represented for the first time, as will YTL Hotels from Malaysia and Meritus Hotels and Resorts from Singapore and Best Western from Thailand.

Waiting lists have been drawn up for Halls 26a and 26b and Hall 26c is almost booked. Hong Kong and Macao have moved to Hall 26a. Exhibitors from Vietnam, hosting individual displays have all moved to Hall 26c. The stands have grown by 100 square meters, an increase of 50 per cent, as has the stand of the Philippines in Hall 26a. In Hall 26c the Business Point, a lounge with free Wi-Fi access, represents a new service by ITB. From Wednesday to Friday buyers, trade visitors and exhibitors can meet, away from the bustle of the show.

Bookings remain high for Halls 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 and 4.2, where exhibitors from Europe can be found. Newcomers include the city of Bilbao, on a display covering 248 square meters, as well as Alltours. Returning to ITB Berlin is Spain’s railway network operator RENFE, as is Gibraltar, after an absence of 22 years. Hall 7.2b is a completely new, smaller venue for European exhibitors, where the Slovak Republic, Czech-Tourism and Romania will be at display. Hall 3.1, which hosts the Americas and the Caribbean, will include first-time exhibitors such as Latin America Travel, as well as countries returning to ITB Berlin, such as Haiti. This hall is where Gay & Lesbian Travel can be found, which has moved from Hall 2.1.
 
The Training & Employment in Tourism segment, which following a reorganization has moved to Hall 11.1, is fully booked up. First-time exhibitors as well as several who are back at ITB Berlin can also be found here. They include F+U Unternehmensgruppe, University of Bologna - Rimini Campus, ÖHV-Trainee Tourismuskolleg Semmering and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswissenschaft (DGT).

In Hall 4.1 the focus is on Youth Travel, Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism. Twenty-five nations are represented in this Hall; some are newcomers as the Agency of Protected Areas from Georgia, the Ministry of Nature Protection from the Republic of Armenia, ExploRussia and Xtremedesert.com from Dubai. Once again, socially Responsible Tourism is a key topic at ITB Berlin 2014.

2014 marks the third year that Danube@ITB is taking place. The events include the Danube Forum on March 7, which will be taking place at the ITB Berlin Convention, as well as guided tours on the days for trade visitors, and a quiz about the Danube on the Open Days for the Public. Further, in collaboration with UNWTO the focus is once again on the countries on the Silk Road, with the Silk Road Ministers’ Meeting taking place on March 5.