The market for holiday real estate is becoming increasingly important. In response to this development, the ITB Berlin is introducing this section to the fair for the first time this year.

Israel’s high-technology pavilion will offer visitors `virtual` travel experiences across the country for the duration of the five-day ITB travel fair in Berlin. World tourism professionals and the 142,000 members of the general public expected to attend the fair can tailor virtual tours to specific sites, regions and cities of Israel at the country’s 850-square meter pavilion. Plasma screen presentations and Internet stations will showcase Israeli culture, cuisine, leisure, nature and history. Hotels, airlines, tour operators, car rental as well as companies and regional tourist boards will represent Israel at the fair. Israeli Tourism Minister Avraham Hirchson is scheduled to meet the CEOs of German airlines Lufthansa and TUI as well as with his Turkish and Jordanian counterparts to advance regional tourism cooperation.

Qatar Airways will be exhibiting at the world’s biggest travel fair in Berlin with its largest-ever presence at the international trade show. ITB Berlin attracts the cream of the top of the global travel industry, from airlines, hotels, car rental companies and tourist boards to travel agents, tour operators and media from around the world. Qatar Airways will have a two-tier steel and glass stand structure with an exhibition area measuring 200 square maters –twice the size of last year – at the five-day show. The design concept reflects the theme of New Doha International Airport which is due to open in 2009.

The 2006 edition of International Tourism Exchange (ITB) will be utilized by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in a big way to reach out to the world for tapping further growth avenues for Dubai ’s booming tourism industry. Dubai Stand (Number 107, Hall 22) will be 15 per cent bigger than last year and will accommodate an all-time record 92 co-participants as against last year’s 76 who shared the 440-square-meter stand. The number of co-participants booths at the stand increased by 13.8 percent compared with the last year.

For the 40th time, ITB is opening its doors to the world travel trade, with bumper numbers of people gracing its floors in Berlin, Wednesday March 8th. A record number of participants have registered for the event with 10,856 companies are exhibiting from 183 countries.