Regardless of world crises, the trade displayed confidence at ITB Berlin 2024 – individuals’s want to journey seems unabated. Crucial matters had been the rising significance of AI, the scarcity of expert labour and local weather justice.

All indicators level to success in 2024: the World’s Main Journey Commerce Present put a transparent deal with shaping the longer term and as soon as once more underlined its position because the main worldwide platform for enterprise, innovation and networking. Regardless of widespread strikes, this yr’s ITB Berlin recorded a slight improve with almost 100,000 attendees Ð a end result that exceeded expectations within the face of difficult strike circumstances. Various and globally represented, greater than 5,500 exhibitors from 170 nations illuminated the three enterprise days, occupying all 27 exhibition halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

“ITB Berlin as soon as once more mirrored trade developments. The temper amongst exhibitors, guests and audio system was very optimistic all through. They often agreed that folks’s want to journey isn’t just satisfying pent-up demand after the pandemic, however that it’ll stay mainly secure. Neither inflation nor excessive power costs seem like curbing demand“, commented Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin.

Proof of the truth that the trade is a driving drive for innovation was given not least by the ITB Berlin Conference, which passed off parallel with the three-day present and featured high-profile attendees and a complete of 400 main worldwide audio system at 200 periods and 17 theme tracks discussing developments and improvements. All in all, round 24,000 attendees got here to the panels, discussions, keynote speeches and lectures, once more acknowledging the conference because the trade’s main worldwide thinktank.

Tourism neighborhood stays heading in the right direction for fulfillment

The ITB Patrons Circle with its 1,300 senior patrons served as an trade barometer and underlined the significance of the World’s Main Journey Commerce Present as a number one enterprise platform. Along with the administration consultancy Dr. Fried & Accomplice, ITB Berlin compiled the brand new World Journey Purchaser Index. The survey requested a number of hundred Patrons Circle members concerning the financial temper and their enterprise objectives. The findings mirrored a optimistic temper all through relating to the market state of affairs and supplied an optimistic outlook for enterprise over the following six months.

Nice curiosity from the media and politics

Round 3,200 accredited journalists from 103 nations and over 300 bloggers reported on ITB Berlin. The world’s main tourism commerce present was as soon as once more a gathering place for politicians and diplomats from everywhere in the world. Along with quite a few delegations, nearly 80 ministers and state secretaries in addition to 72 ambassadors visited this yr’s ITB Berlin.

ITB Berlin Conference underlines its position as a forward-looking thinktank

AI and its potential makes use of had been a much-discussed matter. For the primary time, the ITB Berlin Conference hosted a devoted AI Observe, which was very effectively acquired by the occasion’s 24,000 attendees. It was usually agreed that no organisation or firm may any longer ignore AI.

Glenn Fogel, CEO of Reserving Holdings, was sure that “generative AI could be of extra help than actual people when clients are making their journey plans.“ Charuta Fadnis, SVP, Phocuswright additionally acknowledged the rising significance of AI and personalised journey apps. Generative AI is already bettering gross sales, whereas in Fadnis’ view, utilizing digital brokers and mixing AI with blockchain applied sciences shall be key to stopping misuse sooner or later. The conference contributors additionally agreed that it was inconceivable to disregard local weather justice and the talents scarcity, for which there have been promising options nevertheless. Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Journey Basis, appealed to the tourism trade to purpose for web zero by 2030. His research entitled ‘Envisioning Tourism in 2030 and Past’ outlines a dynamic path with a deal with regulating air journey and 40 measures in six classes for attaining sustainable tourism by 2050.

AI was additionally a giant matter for the ITB Innovation Radar, which this yr celebrated its second version. The main target was on 16 forward-looking improvements offered by trade visionaries. They ranged from B2B providers for the hospitality trade and journey trade professionals to sustainable ideas. The improvements supplied a glimpse of future developments.

This yr’s host nation Oman made a powerful exhibiting, doubling its show measurement in Corridor 2.2 to greater than 800 sq. metres. On Monday night the Sultanate hosted the standard opening gala with a spectacular present to nice admiration and applause. The round 3,000 friends witnessed a wide-ranging presentation of the nation’s pure points of interest, tradition and particularly music. H.E. Azzan bin Qassim al Busaidi, Undersecretary of Tourism of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in Oman, highlighted the success of his nation in constructing a tourism infrastructure and praised the cultural heritage and pure points of interest of the Sultanate. In 2023 Oman registered 4 million guests, a 22 per cent improve over 2022. 231,000 got here from Germany, a rise of 182 per cent. Nice care was being taken to take sustainability and variety into consideration with the growth of the tourism infrastructure, he mentioned.

“Regardless of all of the euphoria and the optimistic outlook, the contributors had been all conscious of the massive challenges additionally and particularly dealing with the journey trade. The ‘Collectively’ on this yr’s slogan underlines the truth that solely neighborhood motion can grasp the journey trade’s challenges“, Dr. Tobias mentioned.

In latest months, the invasion of Ukraine has been adopted by one other geo-political battle within the Center East, including additional uncertainty to the urgency of attaining sustainability. Ukraine, Israel and Palestine all exhibited at ITB Berlin. At Israel’s press convention the tourism minister promoted journey to Israel and appealed for journey warnings to be dropped.

Following the pandemic and in contrast with 2023, this was the primary time the trade registered a optimistic pattern within the Asian-Pacific area. One instance was China, which celebrated its return as an exhibitor this yr and now welcomes guests from chosen nations by fast-tracking their visas. All in all, the attendees at ITB Berlin had been in a position to return dwelling in optimistic expectation of this yr’s developments and might look forward to glorious enterprise and a big quantity of early bookings, particularly for summer time 2024.

There was optimistic information on the present relating to corridor occupancy. The re-opening of 5 refurbished halls permitted a number of modifications, along with enhancements in lots of areas. For the primary time, the German-speaking nations had been all underneath one roof and collectively occupied hub27. China, Liechtenstein and the Emirates airline had been welcomed again to the present, together with newcomers Dominica, the Cayman Islands and Disney Cruise Traces. The truth that many exhibitors had expanded their shows was additionally optimistic. They included the favored vacation locations Italy, Greece and Turkey in addition to exhibitors from the Asian, Arab and African markets. The Journey Tech phase additionally expanded once more. This yr the Mobility phase additionally mirrored a progress market, and the Cruise phase once more confirmed itself to be ever-popular.

A look forward to ITB Berlin 2025: Host Nation Albania

Albania, an rising vacation spot with nice potential, is the host nation of ITB Berlin 2025. The administration of Messe Berlin and representatives of Albania formally sealed their partnership with the signing of an settlement on day two of ITB Berlin, following the announcement of their collaboration a number of months in the past.

The subsequent ITB Berlin will happen as a B2B occasion once more from Tuesday to Thursday, 4 to six March 2025 on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Conference
ITB Berlin 2025 will happen from Tuesday to Thursday, 4 – 6 March as a B2B occasion. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World’s Main Journey Commerce Present. As in earlier years, the internationally acclaimed ITB Berlin Conference will happen parallel with the present as a stay occasion on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Beneath this yr’s heading ‘Pioneer the Transition in Journey & Tourism. Collectively.’, on 4 levels and at a complete of 17 theme tracks, main audio system from enterprise, science and politics examined present and future challenges dealing with the trade. Over 24,000 guests are anticipated to attend. At ITB Berlin 2024 over 5,500 exhibitors from 170 nations displayed their services to nearly 100,000 attendees.

Extra info is out there at www.itb.com