ITB Berlin 2018 Set to Start on March 7

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20 February 2018 10:49pm
ITB Berlin 2018 Set to Start on March 7

The countdown to the 52nd ITB Berlin from 7 to 11 March 2018 has begun: many of the halls at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show are already fully booked.

Altogether, the show’s management expects around 10,000 exhibitors and organizations from over 180 countries and some 110,000 trade visitors to attend the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

The focus is on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the partner region of the show. It is organizing the opening event which for the first time will leave a zero carbon footprint, setting an important trend.

Over the five days of the show the German federal state will be exhibiting its wide range of tourism products in Halls 6.2a and 4.1.

Demand for places at ITB Berlin is particularly high from Arab countries, Asia and South America.

In Peru especially, tourism has become an increasingly important economic factor. As an emerging travel destination the United Arab Emirates (Hall 2.2) are now expanding into the market.

Abu Dhabi has almost doubled the size of its stand, and the displays of Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah are much larger than last year.

In Hall 26 Vietnam and Laos will be occupying more than twice the floor size of 2017. Japan has also significantly increased its representation.

Egypt (Hall 4.2) will be making an emphatic return with a larger stand. Equally, as the largest exhibitor at ITB, Turkey will again be demonstrating that this colorful destination has lost none of its fascination.

In Hall 3.1 bookings by the US and Russia have reached last year’s levels, while waiting lists exist for Ukraine and Tajikistan. The same applies to Nepal and Sri Lanka in Hall 5.2, where demand for individual stands is particularly high.

Hall 5.2b, where India is featured and which once again is fully booked, it was not possible to fulfil all the requests, so that there are now waiting lists. Rajasthan with its picturesque palaces will be represented again in 2018, along with numerous co-exhibitors.

The state of Jharkhand is a newcomer to the show, as are Earth Routes and many smaller tour operators in this hall, where ayurveda and yoga will be major attractions again.

European destinations will also be attracting more attention with larger stands at ITB Berlin. Thus, the Czech Republic (Hall 7.2b), the UK (Hall 18) and Sardinia (Hall 1.2, featuring Italy) will be occupying larger stands.

In Hall 1.1 Portugal will be exhibiting its products on an area that has grown by one-third. This year, in addition to Hall 15, Polish regions and hotels can also be found in Hall 14.1. Demand by Romania and Slovakia is high in Hall 7.2b, where there is a waiting list, as there is for Hall 1.1, which features Greece.

After long absences Belize, Guayana, French Guiana and the Turks and Caicos Islands will be returning in 2018.

The huge prospects that medical tourism has to offer the global tourism industry will be highlighted at ITB Berlin. Due to high demand this segment, which was introduced only last year at the World’s Largest Travel show, is moving to a larger hall (21b).

A growing number of international exhibitors will be represented here, including from Poland, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, as well as two Turkish hospitals and Visit Jordan. Newcomers from Germany will include VisitBerlin and Berlin Health Excellence, as well Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which as the partner region of ITB Berlin 2018 will occupy a large stand.

As in 2017, visitors to the presentation area can find out about developments and trends in medical tourism, for instance at a presentation on Tuscany’s many spas, or at a lecture by HTI Conference Zagreb on Thursday, 8 March.

The Health Tourism Industry Conference, the number one event in Europe, is also the official partner of the Medical Tourism segment. Taking place on Gendarmenmarkt on Friday, 9 March, the ITB Medical Night sponsored by Tuscany will provide an exclusive networking opportunity. Participation is by special invitation only.

ITB Berlin currently features the widest-ranging Gay & Lesbian Travel (LGBT) segment at any trade fair, and it is continuing to expand. Newcomers in Hall 21b will include Colombia, New York, Bilbao, Costa Rica and Thailand, which for the first time will be the official ‘presenting partner’ of the LGBT Pavilion. Interesting presentations on LGBT travel are scheduled on the Pavilion’s own stage. Events will also include a reception by the Berliner Pink Pillow Initiative.

For the third year running ITB Berlin will be organising the ITB Chinese Night, where visitors can find out more about the Chinese travel market, exchange views and establish new contacts.

This year’s event on Wednesday, 7 March is being co-organized by Jin Jiang International and Ctrip and will welcome around 300 representatives of the travel industry.

At the ITB China 2018 Preview on Thursday, 8 March, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the CityCube Berlin, visitors can also find out about the fast-growing travel market and major attractions at ITB China, which from 16 to 18 May will be taking place for the second time.

Trade visitors who would like to find out more in detail about this year’s events at ITB China and ITB Asia can do so on the two ITB Global stands in Hall 3.2 (Stand 625) and Hall 20 (Stand 110).

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