For the second consecutive year, two major players from the travel industry – ITB Berlin and ABAV – Tourism Fair of the Americas – will join forces to make the 41st edition of the Brazilian event even greater, as it is considered the largest and most important event of this kind held in the Southern Hemisphere.

Booking one’s holidays at the last possible moment continues to be a popular trend: among the world’s most important travel markets last-minute bookings make up the biggest percentage of holidays. Russian citizens in particular prefer to book their holidays at short notice (less than a month before departing).

Following its success in October 2012 the collaboration between the world’s leading travel trade show and ABAV is set to continue – the ITB Academy addresses up-to-the-minute topics such as responsible tourism, adventure travel and gay & lesbian travel – visitors to ABAV can attend the Academy seminars free of charge.

According to the findings of a representative survey carried out by ADAC Reisemonitor and presented at ITB Berlin, around 45.1 per cent of the respondents said that in 2013 they were planning to go on an extra break taking five days or longer.

Travel packages offering halal food and cooking and prayer rooms find approval with Muslim travellers – ITB Berlin presents the results of a survey by DinarStandard, a leading institute, on the potential of the Muslim travel market.

According to the United Nations, worldwide an estimated 1.2 million children are the victims of human trafficking each year. Since signing the Child Protection Code in 2011 ITB Berlin has used its voice to campaign against child prostitution and trafficking in tourism.