Events, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

New crises and the uncertainty they create are encouraging populism, and “then we minorities are the first to be attacked.“ That was the sad fact that stood out in Tuesday’s keynote speech by Peter Jordan on ’LGBTQ+ Tourism and Resilience’.Jordan, founder of the consultancy Gen C Traveller, was confident the community could master this challenge: “It has been through a lot these last few years.“
Rika Jean-François, CSR commissioner for ITB Berlin, opened the panel discussion noting that the pandemic in particular had further increased the threat for minorities and that it helped hate and conservatism thrive again. Jordan was insistent that even in times of increasing demand for sustainability travel had to remain a basic need because it was indispensable among other things for educating oneself and one’s personal orientation. The LGBTQ+ community had to “establish its own resilience“ while also identifying with measures to fight climate change, since this impacted everybody regardless of sexual orientation. It was possible this increasingly urgent situation held the key to successful inclusion.
Barbara Poma of the onePulse Foundation from Orlando, who has dedicated herself to the fight against hatred, invited everybody to travel to Florida to help the local inclusion efforts which are under threat from many sides. Benedikt Brandmeier, director of Tourism, Events and Hospitality, explained the efforts the Bavarian capital is taking in order to treat tourists not simply as cash-dispensing hobby photographers, but to make them feel part of everyday local activities, thus giving them a taste of the city’s way of life. He admitted this was sometimes difficult to reconcile with the LGBTQ+ community’s desire for safe spaces, however such efforts had proved successful at specific carnival events.
Rachel Ferguson of Visit Philadelphia made similar comments. Many visitors belonged to more than one marginalised minority, as a person of colour or in the role of a mother for example. The solution, with inclusion as its goal, had to be to afford all groups respect so they could realise their potential with dignity as free persons. Alex Belopolsky of the Munich Proud at Work Foundation appealed not to simply accept decisions contradicting LGBTQ+ values, such as that of UNWTO to make the Uzbek city of Samarkand the World Tourism Capital, because homosexuality was punishable with a jail sentence in Uzbekistan.
Thomas Bömkes, the LGBTQ+ tourism adviser to ITB Berlin, announced Karl Krause and Daan Coljin as winners of the Pioneer Award for innovative achievements for the community. They had travelled around the world as a male couple with their travel blog, had recently published a book and had contributed decisively to spreading a positive LGBTQ+ aura.ADVERTISEMENT

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NEW DESTINATIONS AND MORE FLIGHTS

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The United Nations Establishes Global Tourism Resilience Day More

Initiative announced to address the workforce deficit in the travel and tourism industry. Jamaican Minister Bartlett to discuss global workforce issues in tourism at ITB, Berlin
A newly formed Tourism Employment Expansion Mandate (TEEM) project, which is a cross sector collaborative effort to understand the workforce deficit in the travel industry, has released new global research that indicates the situation is more critical than ever.
The project put in place by the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council (RC) under the leadership of Minister Edmund Bartlett of Jamaica to monitor emerging trends and promote resilience, has shared their preliminary research with some alarming findings. While the tourism sector has fueled the global economy of up to 10.6%, it is a vulnerable sector that has felt the impact of the global pandemic with a loss of more than 62 million workers according to the World Economic Forum.
Working on behalf of TEEM to ensure a broad cross section are organizations such as EEA, GTTP, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, A World for Travel, Medov Logistics, JMG, EMG, FINN Partners, LATA, USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia Herzegovina and others. The research was conducted globally across travel and tourism industry. The key findings include:
Alarming deficit figures – 68 percent of respondents said they are currently understaffed. Whilst the deficit of the workforce has been widely discussed – there’s been no data to understand how widely the issue is being felt across the industry. The resource shortage remains critical in food preparation, technology, AI, sales and reservations.ADVERTISEMENTDeficit due to the industry’s image – 88 percent of the global travel and tourism industry recognize the deficit in the workforce and attribute that to a reputational challenge, leading to a lack of talent in the industry. The same amount would welcome and support an initiative to understand talent sentiment.
Younger demographic harder to attract – 62 percent said the 25–45-year-olds are the most difficult talent to attract to travel and tourism. Talent is choosing to pursue jobs in technology and pharmaceuticals rather than the travel industry.
No action to address the issue – 80 percent of respondents said they leave jobs open longer than in previous years and 82 percent leave jobs open rather than pushing through other means. This indicates that the travel and tourism industry is taking a wait and see approach rather than taking action to address the issue.
The research was initially presented at the Global Tourism Resilience Conference in Kingston, Jamaica in celebration of February 17th being declared Global Tourism Resilience Day by the United Nations. A day which is focused on driving global resilience within the travel industry. This is the first phase of the planned research being driven by Arvensis Search for TEEM. The next step will look at understanding the talent sentiment and identifying reasons for attrition and migration to other industries.
TEEM was represented on two panels to discuss the human capital crisis identified by the research, and steps that can be taken to address it. Both Anne Lotter, Executive Director of GTTP and Christian Delom, Secretary General of the A World for Travel stressed that engaging the future talent pipeline with an interactive and exciting curricula and retaining staff by adapting the business model to align with students’ expectations were some of the suggestions made by the panel. The panel, agreed that education is key, offering a professional training programme which balances skills and training to ensure future employees do not transfer out of the sector. Ibrahim Osta, USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chief of Party also presented models of best practice in human capital development for the tourism sector from various countries including Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He presented a four-pronged approach for the Industry that includes expanding the demand for tourism jobs through employer brand awareness campaigns, upgrading vocational training for youth, improving higher education institutions’ curricula and implementing industry-based training to upskill existing workers, all elements of the TEEM plans going forward.
Minister Bartlett, the Resilience Council’s CoChair said: “Resilience is not a destination…it’s a journey. We all must be on this journey together in collaboration with each other to ensure that economic parameters and the social conditions are improved, while climate and the environment are addressed. Resilience means we prepare for crises rather than react to them. Let us not have gone through this pandemic without having learned the lessons. Across the world there are examples that we can replicate while we improve our own responses, we lift those who have not the capacity. We build capacity and we share best practices, new technologies and social philosophies that ensure local supply chains are maximized as workers are embraced and thrive within the sector.”
The Minister will further discuss the work of Project TEEM and resilience of the industry on 8 March 2023 at ITB, Berlin. Minister Bartlett will be joining the ‘New Narratives for Work’ panel session moderated by established tourism author Harald Pechlaner for Destination Resilience, Routeledge, 2018. The Future Work Track session will be on the Blue Stage, Hall 7-1b from 10:30-12:00. For more information on Project TEEM or to be involved, write to [email protected]

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Emirates focuses on 2023 theme of embracing equity this International Women’s Day

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From left to right: Julia Simpson, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Governing Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey; Dirk Hoffmann, Managing Director of Messe Berlin; Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Dr. Robert Habeck, and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili
With the exhibition grounds almost fully booked and high demand from the Middle East, the cruise industry and travel technology sector, following the break due to the pandemic and taking as its slogan ’Open for Change’, the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show ITB Berlin is back from 7 to 9 March 2023 with international exhibitors in high numbers as a hybrid in-person event in the display halls in Berlin. In total, around 5,500 exhibiting companies from 161 countries are taking part in this year’s ITB Berlin. Additionally represented companies are no longer being counted as of this year.
The high number of registrations for the Buyers Circle also reflects the desire for face-to-face talks. This year, ITB Berlin was for the first time able to approve 1,300 handpicked buyers – nearly a third more than before the pandemic. “Particularly in times of war, geopolitical crises and climate change, the focus of the international travel industry is on strong participation and personal dialogue at the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show, which will cater exclusively for trade visitors and run for three days as a B2B event. Prior to the pandemic our customers and partners had already requested this move – accordingly there was a positive industry response to this decision. From 1 to 3 December Messe Berlin will welcome the general public to the Berlin Travel Festival at the leisure exhibition BOAT & FUN BERLIN“, said Dirk Hoffmann, managing director of Messe Berlin.
* Additionally represented companies are no longer being counted as exhibitors as of 2023. They include companies represented only with products on an exhibitor’s stand, but without staff.
Taking as its slogan ’Infinite Hospitality’, Georgia is the Official Host Country of ITB Berlin 2023 and is presenting its wide-ranging tourism attractions with comprehensive displays in the large multi-purpose hall hub27, in Hall 4.1, at the south entrance and with many activities and events throughout the exhibition grounds. Georgia is also organising the festive opening gala on 6 March in the CityCube Berlin and will be taking invited guests on an impressive tour of the cultural and ethnic diversity of this country in the Caucasus. On the eve of the trade show, high-profile figures from politics and the industry set the stage for the guests at the opening event of this year’s ITB Berlin. They include Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Dr. Robert Habeck, Governing Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Julia Simpson, and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili.
The industry’s leading thinktank is also making a live comebackThis year at the ITB Berlin Convention, the leading thinktank for the industry, events will take place under the heading ’Mastering Transformation’. At 200 sessions, 400 leading speakers will respond to the issues that concern the tourism industry both now and going forward, and on how to shape the transition to a sustainable and successful future. Taking part in 18 theme tracks on a total of four convention stages in Halls 7.1a, 7.1b, 6.1 and 3.1, experts will be sharing their knowledge on the latest tasks and challenges facing the tourism industry. They include TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel, Caroline Bremner, Senior Industry Manager at Euromonitor International, CEO Keith Tan of the Singapore Tourism Board, UNWTO Director Dr. Dirk Glaeßer, Charuta Fadnis, SVP, Research & Product Strategy at Phocuswright, Fernverkehr Marketing CMO, Deutsche Bahn, Stefanie Berk, President of the ifo Institute Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Clemens Fuest, and General Manager Airbnb DACH Kathrin Anselm. Selected sessions will be streamed on the supporting event platform ITBxplore and via the ITB app.ADVERTISEMENTITB Berlin 2023 features numerous innovationsIn January of this year, Deborah Rothe (31) became Exhibition Director and took over the project management of ITB Berlin, replacing David Ruetz (54) who as Head of ITB Berlin had been in charge of the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show since 2002. In future, as Senior Vice President, he will be Head of Travel & Logistics at Messe Berlin. This year, ITB Media Monday is making its debut on 6 March and will kick off with the opening press conference. This will be followed by press conferences and presentations by selected exhibitors, including the European Travel Commission (ETC), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi Tourism Authority.
Networking, making appointments, searching for exhibitors and products and livestreamed events: that is what the new online platform at ITBxplore and the ITB app are about. They will be supporting the live event in a virtual space. Covering a total display area of 10,000 square metres, the new multi-purpose hall hub27 is the new “destination hotspot’ at ITB Berlin, where exhibitors have been relocated due to restoration work on the halls around the Radio Tower. They include the host country Georgia as well as Austria, Switzerland and the German National Tourism Board (DZT).
This is the first time during the event that customers at ITB Berlin will be able to make use of the new state-of-the-art hybrid studio in Hall 5.3 to hold their own press conferences and product presentations, among them Georgia, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Maldives. The new Business+ Lounge in Hall 7.2a and the Business Satellites in Hall 20, hub27 and 6.2b are for the first time available to all participants, who can book hourly table slots in advance or directly via itb.com. Travelport is the official sponsor of the ITB Business Satellite in Hall 6.2.b. Rounding off networking events will be the ITB Speed Networking Event on Wednesday, 8 March, the ITB Convention Café in Hall 7.1b and events on the networking area in Hall 3.1. This year, ticket sales are taking place online only. Those wishing to attend ITB Berlin digitally can purchase a “fully digital ticket“. The new ITB Lighthouse Stage in Hall 4.1 will feature informative keynote speeches and presentations on adventure travel, careers and responsible tourism topics. This year, together with the CBS International Business School and co:compass, the trade show is celebrating the return of the Best Exhibitor Award. Trained CBS students will assess all the trade show stands at ITB Berlin. Judging will take place in 11 categories according to a scientifically developed criteria list, and the winners will be honoured at an awards ceremony on the evening of 9 March, the last day of the event. A new feature this year is the Street Food Market in Hall 7.2c, where visitors can take a culinary tour and fully enjoy international cuisine.
New: The ITB Innovation Radar gives industry pioneers a platformIn 2023, the new ITB Innovation Radar will for the first time present a selection of exhibitors’ new products. In the run-up to the event, ITB Berlin invited exhibitors to submit innovations that will have a long-term effect on tomorrow’s travel industry. The results are 11 selected innovations that place the spotlight on software solutions, innovative products and groundbreaking concepts. For travel specialists for example, Lato is the ideal tool for creating and swapping travel products and services. TRZMO gives travellers a sense of freedom by providing uninterrupted international roaming. RightFlight Robotics developed by RightRez is a flight booking engine that makes it easier to sell flights and at the same time offers lower fares and costs. Mobility Budget by FREE NOW for Business is a service for companies who want to offer their workers flexibility outside the workplace. VR Payment Experience developed by Worldline has created a simultaneous multi-factor authentification method for payments in the virtual world. better.energy is an existing energy management solution by Betterspace. GreenSquareConcept is the name of an ambitious sustainability concept by the Dorint Hotel Group. Holipay is a payment method for booking holidays. GauVendi is an AI-driven hotel marketing system that separates the actual rooms from the products offered to customers. GPM by Tamara Leisure Experiences is a comprehensive project management tool for the hotel industry. TripOptimizer by Nezasa makes it possible to optimise complex multiple flight and return fare bookings. For more information on the Innovation Radar 2023 click here.
International participation in ITB Berlin 2023 extremely highThe HOME OF LUXURY by ITB segment is also making its debut at the World’s Largest Travel Trade show. It offers luxury tourism buyers a unique environment in the historic Marshall Haus on the exhibition grounds and features networking events and meetings in impressive surroundings, along with panel discussions and lectures at the ITB Berlin Convention. Among the luxury tourism exhibitors present are Severin*s Resort & Spa (Sylt) and the polar expedition company Quark Expeditions (Seattle, Washington State).
The Travel Technology and Mobility segments are back with exhibitors in large numbers. All the Travel Technology halls are fully booked. International airlines, cruise liners and tour operators are represented with their products in Hall 25. As in previous years, Arab countries from North Africa and the Middle East are strongly represented, with Egypt, Morocco, Qatar and Oman located in Hall 4.2, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and newcomer Saudi Arabia in Hall 3.2b. Demand from southern European countries is high too. As at the last events, the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as Ireland are strongly represented in Hall 20. The UK also has a large stand again. International representations in the Career (ITB Career Center), Adventure / Responsible Tourism and Youth Travel segments are featured in Hall 4.1. Hall 6.2 is where the Culture Lounge, a large display area for cultural tourism organisers, can be found. Visitors can also expect Central and South American countries and the Caribbean to be represented in large numbers in Halls 22 and 23. In Halls 5.2a and 5.2b the focus is on India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, New Zealand, Australia and Tahiti. The Meet The Pacific stand is new and features the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. The Benelux countries, VisitLuxembourg, the Dutch Tourism Board and Visit Brussels are represented in Hall 6.2b. In the Asia Hall (26a/b), the destinations awaiting visitors are Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Tokyo, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. China is represented by the provinces Zhejiang and Huangshan. This year, Hall 21 is devoted entirely to sub-Saharan countries, including South Africa, Madagascar, Namibia, Mauritius, Réunion, the Seychelles, Botswana, Ghana, The Gambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Zanzibar and Zambia. The German marketplace is making its debut in Hall 6.2. Exhibitors there include the Semperoper Dresden, Ferienpark Weissenhäuser Strand, Hirmer Hospitality, Flughafen Hamburg GmbH, Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH, Wirtschaftsförderung & Technologietransfer GmbH, Stöcker Flughafen GmbH & Co. KG, ProAir-Charter-Transport GmbH, Phoenix des Lumières, ZEIT Verlagsgruppe and TÜV Rheinland.
Condor, Lebanon and Bhutan are back again after a break. Visitors can also look forward to newcomers at ITB Berlin. Thus, Airbnb is appearing for the first time, as is Home2Go. United Airlines also has its own stand in 2023. Out of the cruise companies present, MSC Cruises and its subsidiary Explora Journeys are represented with their own stand. Among hotel chains the Hyatt Inclusive Collection also has its own stand. In addition to the newcomers and regulars attending some exhibitors are also moving, including the African countries Ethiopia, Rwanda and Senegal, which are now located in Hall 22. Israel can be found in Hall 3.1. This year, the Medical Pavilion is located in the dedicated Medical Hall (26c), which also features many exhibitors from Turkey. The LGBTQ+ Pavilion has relocated to Hall 4.1. Exhibitors there include Visit Malta which is presenting this year’s Europride.

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EUROPEAN LONG-HAUL TOURISM IS RECOVERING

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How can Europe become attractive again for overseas visitors? Speaking at a press conference at ITB Berlin, the president of the European Travel Commission (ETC) explained how, under the label of Visit Europe, the EU is marketing itself to visitors from the USA, Asia and South America as a safe destination that has much to offer.The European Tourism Association (ETOA) and Tourism Economics believe the market will have recovered by 2024, but that obtaining visas will still be a challenge.
Overseas visitors were decisive for a recovery of the European tourism market. Visitors often travelled for weeks at a time and booked a large number of overnights. They also spent an above-average amount of money at their destinations. As such they were extremely important for a full recovery and future growth of the European tourism market, said David Goodger, director of Tourism Economics. While domestic tourism and tourism in neighbouring countries had almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels, there were currently fewer overseas visitors than in 2019.
According to the tourism expert, the latest surveys showed many people in overseas countries wanting to travel again. At the same time high inflation and recession were causing uncertainty. Currently, the number of travellers from the USA had already regained pre-pandemic levels. David Goodger believes that Brazil, India and Australia will recover in 2023. In 2023, people travelling from China and Japan will increase again, and numbers will have significantly recovered by 2024.
As overseas travellers often regard Europe as a single destination the European Travel Commission (ETC) is marketing its member countries under a common label, Visit Europe. ETC president Luis Araujo unveiled a new members’ campaign that presents Europe as a safe travel destination that has a lot to offer to nature lovers, culturally interested visitors and families.
Despite the optimism, which Tom Jenkins, CEO of the European Tourism Association (ETOA) shared, particularly with regard to the USA, he also saw obstacles to growth in the long-haul tourism market. Thus, in Europe issuing visas continued to be a national prerogative and could take weeks in some cases. Nor had long-haul flights and hotel capacity regained pre-pandemic levels. In that respect however he saw Europe as being on course.ADVERTISEMENT

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EVERY HOTEL OWNER CAN TAKE PART

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ITB Berlin – International travel industry focuses on strong participation and personal dialogue More

Dubai Metro Music Festival, a celebration of global music organised by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, in partnership with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), got off to a rousing start today with enchanting musical performances. During the week-long Festival, held from 16-22 March, Dubai Metro stations will serve as stages for unique musical performances by 20 artists representing a range of musical genres.The first day of the Festival saw vast numbers of commuters and music lovers flocking to musical performances at five metro stations – Expo 2020 Dubai, Jebel Ali, Mall of the Emirates, Burjuman and Union.
The Festival forms part of the ongoing #DubaiDestinations campaign focused on highlighting the exceptional experiences, events and activities of #DubaiArtSeason.
Rowdah Al Mehrizi, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication, Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, RTA, said: “The Roads and Transport Authority is thrilled to see the Dubai Metro Musical Festival receive such an overwhelming response from commuters on its first day. Bringing this unique celebration of global music back to life at the Dubai Metro, which every day brings together commuters representing a cross-section of the city’s multicultural community, is part of our efforts to enrich Dubai’s cultural landscape and enhance the happiness of the community. Over the course of the week-long festival, an eclectic line-up of local, regional and international artists will enthrall audiences with mesmerising performances featuring string, percussion, wind and other unusual instruments.”
Shaima Al Suwaidi, City Branding Manager, Brand Dubai, said: “The Dubai Metro Music Festival has combined the strengths and resources of Brand Dubai and RTA to achieve our objectives of not only enriching Dubai’s cultural ambience but also offering exciting opportunities for musicians from the UAE, the region and around the world to showcase their talent to a culturally diverse audience. The first day of the event evoked a very positive response from the public, with many people thronging to the metro stations to watch the captivating performances. The huge response from the audience is testament to the Festival’s appeal as an event that goes beyond cultural barriers to touch people’s hearts and minds and the power of music to communicate to people in a universal language.”
The Festival was curated to bring together a group of musicians that represent unique sparks of creative talent in a wide diversity of instruments, genres and styles. Furthermore, the Festival was designed to encourage interaction between musicians and public audiences and foster a sense of creative community in the city.ADVERTISEMENTDiverse artistsArtists participating this year include traditional and experimental musicians, street performers, classical instrumentalists and fusion musicians. The Festival has also provided a platform for several UAE-based musicians to showcase their talent.
Musicians performing at the Festival represent diverse nationalities including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Syria, apart from the UAE.
Range of instrumentsSome of the traditional instruments featured this year include the cello, saxophone, drums, trombone, violin, Angklung and guitar. Musicians are also performing on non-traditional instruments like the electric and acoustic oud, hand pans, percussion instruments, steel pan, and electric guitar.
Innovative performancesAudiences at the Festival will have an opportunity to watch innovative performances like a one-man-band show, a flute beatbox show, and a performance featuring instruments made from recycled materials. Other highly anticipated performances include violin duets by twin sisters and a musician’s triple-guitar recitals.
The public will be able to watch the live performances from 4.00 pm to 10.00 pm every day. All the performances will be rotated across the duration of the festival to cover all five metro stations.

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Yas Island Abu Dhabi sets to delight Rock and Roll fans with a daycation and staycation package to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses makes history at Etihad Arena on June 1. With the iconic band kick-starting their world tour live from the heart of Abu Dhabi, Yas Island is offering fans the chance to avail a daycation package which comprises a ‘Dine and Event’ bundle starting AED 1,450, and a staycation package starting AED 1,590 which includes a hotel stay at one of Yas Island’s leading hotels from May 31 to June 4, both valid for booking on Yas Island’s website until May 31, subject to availability. The packages count with a Floor Standing Ticket and young spirits under the age of 12 are excluded within the ticket category.
Yas Island Abu Dhabi will be entertaining Rock and Roll fans with an unforgettable experience as Guns N’ Roses return to rock the stage at Etihad Arena in their first performance in the UAE since 2018.
For more information and bookings, please visit: https://www.yasisland.com/

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Thanks to a significant uptick in annual outbound journeys predicted over the next two years, the Indian tourism sector will represent a key focus during Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will return to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for its 30th edition from 1-4 May.According to recently released data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Indian nationals spent a record $10 billion in overseas travel during the first nine months of 2022, an increase of nearly 43% compared to pre-Covid figures.
Moreover, estimates from Indian business consultants, Nangia Anderson LLP, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), place the number of annual outbound journeys at more than 27 million, with a total value of over $42 billion by the year 2024. This makes India well-positioned to become one of the world’s most important outbound tourism markets and support growth in the Middle East’s tourism sector following the challenges of the global pandemic.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The levels of outbound travellers predicted from India in the coming years mean it can command serious attention within the travel, tourism and hospitality sector. At ATM 2023, we will give delegates, exhibitors and attendees the opportunity to explore the Indian travel sector through various show features, including the India Summit, which will look deeper into this key market.”
Many Indians regularly travel to the GCC region for leisure, business, or a combination of both, taking advantage of the short distance, with Mumbai to Dubai, just a three-hour flight. The number of direct flights between India and this region reflects these trends, with Emirates alone operating over 170 weekly flights to nine Indian cities – Gulf Air, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Oman Air each also have regular flights to Indian destinations.
Airfares to the Gulf from India are also far lower than for other destinations due to the short distance, further underscoring the convenience and popularity of leisure or business travel. In addition, there are 8.5 million Indian nationals currently working in the GCC, meaning there is already a significant level of familiarity between the two regions.ADVERTISEMENTLast year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) hosted several high-profile exhibitors from India, including Goa Tourism and Uttar Pradesh Tourism. This year’s event will be no exception, with new Indian exhibitors such as One Above Destination Management Services (DMC), Adventure Overland and Visaero Visa already confirmed.
ATM 2023 will explore the future of sustainable travel in line with its theme of ‘Working Towards Net Zero’. Having officially initiated its journey to net zero, the conference programme will explore how innovative sustainable travel trends will likely evolve. It will enable delegates to identify growth strategies within key vertical sectors while providing a platform for regional experts to explore a sustainable future ahead of COP28, which will take place in November 2023 at Expo City Dubai.
The conference will also feature a sustainability category at its annual exhibitor awards for the first time. Exhibiting organisations will be recognised based on the extent to which they have considered the environmental impact of their stands and their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
ATM 2023 is held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, and its strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as the Destination Partner, Emirates as the Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as the Official Hotel Partner and Al Rais Travel as the Official DMC Partner.
To register for ATM 2023, please log on to: https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb/enquire.html.
Souce: Zawya.com

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Captivating Concerts Blossom at EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival March 1 – July 5, 2023

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Dirk Hoffmann, Managing Director, Messe Berlin – Opening Press Conference More

Spring is in bloom at EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival!  On now and continuing through July 5, 2023, EPCOT will blossom with innovative topiaries, fresh flavors and high-energy concerts for the whole family to enjoy. Over 127 days, guests can explore lush gardens, sample sweet and savory bites with refreshing sips, and shop new merchandise collections featuring Orange Bird, Snow White and Figment.  Starting at sunset, festival guests can celebrate with a vibrant spectacle of light on Spaceship Earth set to a fresh and fun new soundtrack. 
Enchanting Topiaries and Bright Blossoms
Making their debut this year, topiaries of Mirabel, Antonio, Isabela and Luisa from Disney Animation’s Academy Award-winning “Encanto” greet guests in the main entrance of EPCOT. Each imaginative topiary features details inspired by each character, including Isabela creating beautiful flowers between her hands and an illuminated butterfly for Mirabel. 
A new topiary of Princess Tiana from the Walt Disney Animation Studios classic “The Princess and the Frog” graces The American Adventure in World Showcase featuring a stunning ballgown and illuminated fireflies. In the France pavilion, Lumiere and Cogsworth topiaries return with innovative new elements, including lit candles for Lumiere and a working clock for Cogsworth. 
More than 200,000 bedding plants are added to the gardens of EPCOT for the festival, including an additional 60,000 bedding plants that create the iconic floral designs that make up the World Celebration East & West Lakes. The Dragon topiary, located in the Japan pavilion, is composed of sun-loving succulent plants, adding bursts of colors to the nearly 20-foot-long display.  ADVERTISEMENT
Because this year’s festival will be celebrated across two seasons, plant displays will also evolve with the weather, making for true seasonal beauty and detail. Guests visiting during both spring and summer months may see new selections as the season changes.
Find Fresh Flavors at Outdoor Kitchens
With more than 15 Outdoor Kitchens located throughout the park, guests can enjoy the freshest flavors as spring gives way to summer, including more than 50 new food and drink items.
Citrus flavors abound at The Citrus Blossom, now located at the Odyssey, including Orange Sesame Tempura Shrimp with Orange-Chile Sauce; Citrus Baked Brie with preserved lemon marmalade, limoncello-macerated blueberries and spiced Marcona almonds; and a light and airy lemon meringue pie. 
Befitting Princess Tiana’s residence nearby, Magnolia Terrace in the American Adventure pavilion features a menu with several new Louisiana-inspired bites and sips, including Muffuletta Panini with ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss with olive salad; Crawfish Pie, Bananas Foster Bread Pudding and Bayou Cocktail, featuring Bayou spiced rum, coconut rum, fruit punch, and orange juice. The crowd-pleasing Spicy Chicken Gumbo with andouille sausage and BEN’S ORIGINAL™ Long Grain & Wild Rice returns to round out the menu.
To showcase the freshest flavors of the season, EPCOT Farmers Feast near Test Track® presented by Chevrolet® will offer a rotating menu, changing three times throughout the festival, featuring the finest local ingredients. Highlights include Spice Cake with cream cheese icing and candied pecans and parsnip on the Early Bloom Menu; Grilled Swordfish with crushed fingerling potatoes, pea and mint purée, grilled asparagus, and lemon beurre blanc on the Springtime Menu; and Sweet Corn Crème Brûlée with corn biscotti on the Summer Solstice Menu.
Guests can also take a tasty tour through the gardens and explore EPCOT with Garden Graze, a fresh food stroll highlighting 11 delicious sweet and savory plant-based offerings – all listed in the Festival Passport. 
Captivating Concerts Nightly at Garden Rocks

The ever-popular Garden Rocks Concert Series returns to the America Garden Theatre this spring featuring internationally recognized artists Friday through Monday and local Orlando talent rocking the house Tuesday through Thursday. This year’s lineup includes:
Smash Mouth Blue Oyster Cult (New) The Pointer Sisters Luis Figueroa (New) Piso 21 (New) Switchfoot (New) AJ Croce (New) Casting Crowns (New) Jason Scheff (New)  Plain White T’s Simple Plan And many others!  Dining packages for lunch and dinner are available at eight EPCOT locations with guaranteed seating at the Garden Rock Concert Series. Visit FreshEPCOT.com for full concert lineup and dining package availability. 
In addition to enjoying the festival, guests can explore the endless possibilities that EPCOT has to offer. Help save the galaxy on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, shrink to the size of Remy on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, dine with Disney Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and so much more. Now through March 31, guests can also take advantage of their last opportunity to enjoy Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration by hunting for golden statues featured in the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection. Through April 2, guests can finish their day of fun with the sights and sounds of “Harmonious,” a nighttime spectacular celebrating the power of Disney music and stories to inspire and unite us all. 
The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is included with valid theme park admission and a park reservation for the same date. Guests can visit DisneyWorld.com for more information about planning their visit.

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