As the final numbers on Asia’s 2008 tourism performance are tallied, preliminary results from different sources suggest that the winners in terms of inbound tourism included Indonesia with 17 percent and Macau with 10 percent. Southeast and South Asia tied for best performing sub-region, with average increases of 4 percent each.

The underlying theme of several UNWTO events and other activities at ITB 2009 (March 11 to 15 in Berlin) and beyond is in affirming its Roadmap for Recovery for the tourism sector in the current global economic crisis. Measures around the resilience, stimulus and the move towards the green economy must be undertaken coherently with long-term commitments to climate and development, it says. The impact of a deteriorating world economy on international tourism as well as the organization’s main policy highlights for the near future will be the themes of the UNWTO news conference at ITB (March 12). ITB 2009 will also set the scene for the Second Meeting (13 March) of the UNWTO Tourism Resilience Committee (TRC). The TRC is the global forum which brings together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss concrete measures and policy responses to the volatile economic situation. The evolving efforts of UNWTO to advance and implement the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism will be the focus of the Task Force for the Protection of Children in Tourism (March 13). UNWTO will also hold special events on Risk and Crisis and Biodiversity and Tourism, among others.

The market for expeditions and adventure travel is booming. “Travelers are after something different”, is how David Ruetz, Senior Manager ITB Berlin, comments this trend.

IPK International will release extensive details on America’s inbound and outbound travel performance during the ITB Future Day, March 11, at ITB Berlin. The contraction in American outbound travel has been severe, the report says.

From March 11 to 15, 2009, ITB Berlin is expecting an estimated 11,000 exhibiting companies and organizations from more than 180 countries in the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

Hard times lie ahead for the world’s travel industry. According to the ITB World Travel Trends Report, conducted by the consultants IPK International and commissioned by the global travel industry’s leading trade show, “at best, 2009 will be a year of stagnation.”