Subterms
Keep an eye out as BTN will once again be publishing its ever popular ITB daily for this years event. The on-line daily will commence tomorrow and can be found under the BTN publications drop down menu.
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ITB Innovation Radar premieres in 2023 as a platform for showcasing exhibitors’ innovations – 11 innovative solutions presented, from start-ups to industry majors, such as FREE NOW and Dorint – Participants receive additional promotional benefits in cooperation with ITB BerlinITB Innovation Radar is one of the many novelties introduced at ITB Berlin 2023, the world’s leading travel trade show making its comeback as an on-site event on 7-9 March 2023. It scouts for innovations capable of producing a sustainable impact on the future of the travel industry by fostering social, economic, or technical change. In the months leading up to ITB Berlin 2023, we invited the exhibitors to submit their innovative solutions for review by the ITB Innovation Radar team free of charge.
As a result, the innovators’ catalog of ITB Innovation Radar features 11 entries showcasing software solutions, innovative products, and disruptive concepts. All kinds of exhibitors have an equal representation – from vibrant start-up companies to established industry majors. You can browse all the entries here, including the information on locating the innovators’ stands if you want to learn more in person during the show.
Here are the 2023 innovators:
Lato lets travel professionals streamline creating and sharing travel products and proposals. It allows users to collaborate and implement shared assets, producing attractive web-based digital travel apps. The cutting-edge translation and exporting technologies round up the profile.
TRZMO gives travelers freedom when it comes to seamless global roaming. It capitalizes on eSIM functionality, letting users go online within seconds. TRZMO also has a built-in travel journal feature, which lets travelers capture and revisit their favorite moments.ADVERTISEMENTRightFlight Robotics developed by RightRez is a flight booking engine that facilitates air sales while securing lower fares and cutting costs. It requires no GDS training for operation, and its built-in quality control rules make sure the optimal flights are booked as soon as the segments become available.
Mobility Budget by FREE NOW for Business is an employee benefit designed for companies that want to give their staff flexibility beyond the workplace. Employers can set up a travel allowance for private trips, commuting to work, or other mobility-related expenses.
VR Payment Experience developed by Worldline provides a simultaneous multi-factor authentication method for payment in virtual reality. VR headset users don’t have to take their devices off to conduct a purchase anymore, which creates a seamless augmented reality commerce experience.
GreenSquareConcept is an ambitious sustainability promise concept by the Dorint Hotel Group. It touches on each aspect of the hotelier business, from guest experience to resource allocation and employee work-life balance. GreenSquareConcept sets a clear development framework, offering the hotel group guidelines for sustainable growth.
Holipay is a payment method for holiday booking. It breaks down large payments into smaller transactions, reducing the end customers’ credit limit overextension. This approach leads to an increase in guaranteed bookings and lower cancellation rates.
GauVendi is an AI-driven hotel sales system that decouples physical rooms from products offered to customers. It provides unmatched flexibility and hyper-personalization for tailoring offers across specific segments and channels. Inventory management becomes more dynamic and automated.
GPM by Tamara Leisure Experiences is a comprehensive project management tool for the hotel branch. It integrates various data tools and solutions, offering teams across the whole function spectrum the space to collaborate and track their progress, centralizing task management and feedback.
TripOptimizer by Nezasa lets travel agents, airlines, and online platforms optimize flight booking when it comes to complicated multi-segment and roundtrip routes. It relies on artificial intelligence and proprietary algorithms to create optimal flight itineraries within seconds.
better.energy is an existing energy management solution by Betterspace. The developer responds to emergent market trends by integrating cutting-edge LoRaWAN technology and extended hardware options into its flagship solution. This offers numerous advantages to the hotel branch.
The ITB Innovation Radar team will conduct on-site interviews with the innovators during ITB Berlin 2023 on 7-9 March 2023. This will let us tap into the exhibitors’ visions for the future of the travel industry. We will share our impressions via ITB Berlin’s official social media channels.
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For the first time, national and international experts are represented in their own hall (26c) – Exhibitor numbers from Turkey are especially high – Medical tourism is becoming increasingly important in society
It represents a promising growth market in the tourism industry: at ITB Berlin 2023 from 7 to 9 March the medical and health tourism sector will be represented in larger numbers than at any previous event. For the first time, numerous medical and health tourism experts from Germany and around the world will be sharing their knowledge in their own hall (26c) which is devoted entirely to this segment. As concerns exhibitors, Turkey is among the countries strongly represented with specialist clinics, health and spa hotels, associations and destinations. M2 Health Travel is the main organiser of this segment. The Dünyagöz Eye Clinic is also exhibiting again at ITB Berlin. In addition to the many Turkish players, numerous international exhibitors are represented in the pavilion again. They include FIT Reisen, the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), The European Spa Association (ESPA), the association of the Health Tourism Industry (HTI), Ensana Health Spa Hotels and Bangkok Hospital.
Appeal for sustainable development of medical and health tourism
“Particularly after the Covid pandemic, medical tourism has played an important role in restoring health and well-being in society“, said Rika Jean-Francois, commissioner for Corporate Social Responsibility at ITB Berlin and in charge of this segment. “This segment is growing every year and keeping abreast with the latest findings and technologies“, she observed. At the same time it was important not to forget the challenges of climate change, she added. Rika Jean-Francois: “We need to rethink before restarting and must cooperate at global level. As with all the other tourism segments, medical tourism must become more sustainable.“
On Monday, 6 March 2023, Medical & Health Tourism at ITB Berlin will kick off with an ITB Clinic tour from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. This is co-organised by ITB Berlin, Berlin Health Excellence, Visit Berlin and Diversity Tourism. The programme features an all-day tour for medical buyers and agencies, along with individual tours, presentations, lunch and transfers.ADVERTISEMENTOn Tuesday, 7 March 2023 at 10 a.m. on the Medical Stage in Hall 26c, Shaaz Mehmood, founder and CEO of Medijourn Solutions PVT Ltd., will speak about ’Promises and Hurdles in the Medical Value Travel Industry’. This will be followed by a presentation on ’Concierge Health Service – Diagnostic Telemedicine for the Tourism Industry’ by Dr. Clara Guerra, founder and chairman of the Board of Directors, Medikonsil-International. Afterwards, a presentation entitled ’Discover Albania’ will inform visitors about dental tourism. This will be followed by a panel discussion on ’Optimisation of SPA Hotel Operations’.
Together with ITB Berlin’s partners HTI, EHTTA and ESPA, the official opening of the Medical pavilion will take place from 1.45 to 2 p.m. At 1 p.m., media members can find out more and exchange views at the Medical Media Networking Lunch. The event is sponsored by the Catalan Tourist Board. Rika Jean-Francois, commissioner for Corporate Social Responsibility at ITB Berlin and in charge of this segment, and Thomas Bömkes, medical tourism adviser to ITB Berlin, Diversity Tourism GmbH, will hold the opening speech. In the evening, FIT Reisen will hold a networking reception at the pavilion in cooperation with ESPA and Quality in Health Prevention.
On Wednesday, 8 March 2023 on the pavilion stage, panel discussions as well as further presentations and interviews with experts will take place. Topics will include ’The Europe Question – how to attract Travelers from Europe’, and ’New Products in Health Tourism’, as well as robotics and sleep medicine. Barcelona is also promoting itself as a destination for medical tourism. Patrick Torrent, executive director of the Catalan Tourist Board, will hold a lecture entitled ’High value, high complexity’. In the evening, starting at 7 p.m., the ITB Medical & Health Night will take place at the Amaro Hotel Grand Central, featuring the presentation of the ITB Medical & Health Tourism Award 2023. The sponsors of the evening event are Great Spa Towns of Europe (GSTE), the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA) and the European Spas Association (ESPA).
On Thursday, 9 March 2023, the focus will also be on learning, with lectures being held by international speakers on the pavilion stage. Events will kick off at 10 a.m. with a presentation on ’Digital Marketing and Building Trust for Medical Travel for Treatment’, followed by two interviews with experts and a presentation at 11.30 a.m. entitled ’Great Spas of Europe’. At 1.30 p.m., the panel discussion topic will be ’Intra-Region Medical Tourism’. Afterwards, visitors can find out more about medical tourism in India from a lecture entitled ’Heal in India’.
Medical, Wellness & Health track at the ITB Berlin Convention 2023
Connecting health and sports tourism: that will be the task of the Medical Tourism session at this year’s ITB Berlin Convention on Thursday, 9 March 2023 on the Green Stage in Hall 3.1.
At the Medical Wellness & Health track, starting at 3 p.m. a UNWTO Roundtable discussion on ’Connecting sports tourism to health’ will take place which will discuss ways to establish major synergies between sports and health. Taking part will be Patrick Torrent (executive director, Catalan Tourist Board), Simone Zagrodnik (executive director, European Historic Thermal Towns Association EHTTA), Kristjan Stanièiæ, M.Sc., director, Croatian National Tourist Board, Ceylan ªensoy, product marketing director, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), and Josip Paviæ, state minister of sports of Croatia. Ion Vilcu, director, Affiliate Members Department at UNWTO, will hold the opening speech.
Afterwards, marking International Women’s Day, the day’s last event at the convention is entitled ’Women and Medical Value Tourism’. Together with the female panel members, session moderator Ivana Kolar, CEO and founder of Tourizam365, will also talk about gender medicine.
Full details of the Medical Tourism programme are available for downloading as a PDF, or can be obtained as a programme leaflet at the info counter of the Medical Pavilion. Additional information on the Medical & Health Tourism segment at ITB Berlin 2023 can be found at itb.com/medicaltourism.
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Take a walk on the wild side: Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi marks World Wildlife Day More
This World Wildlife Day Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi reaffirms its commitment to protecting its natural inhabitants, while celebrating the contribution the animals and plants make to our lives and the health of the planet on March 3. Expect to see the endangered hawksbill turtles nesting seasonally on the shores of the island’s beaches, while bottlenose dolphins stun guests with their charismatic nature, while the native Arabian gazelles roam freely across the island.Abu Dhabi’s leading beach destination, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi offers guests natural surroundings, pristine white sandy beaches, luxurious resorts, a vibrant cultural and entertainment scene and animals roaming the island in their natural habitat.
Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi last year won the World Travel Awards title for Middle East’s Leading Beach Destination 2022
The first resort in the Middle East recognised and awarded The Oceanic Standard (TOS) for its revolutionary reduction in single-use plastic and sustainable initiatives, Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort is set amid natural beauty and demonstrates its commitment to conservation this World Wildlife Day.
Upon check-in, guests will be offered tote bags and reusable water bottles and can take advantage of water stations positioned across the resort to refill. Miles of untouched shorelines are lined with recycling bins to encourage guests to throw and segregate their trash. Further, the resort ensures that its dunes are kept clean with non-motorised sports and takes strides to prevent any activity taking place on them, ensuring that animals are free to roam.
As the sun rises, marine experts patrol the shores across Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi to check on the hawksbill turtles, with patrols increasing during the nesting season to ensure nests are safe from harm followed by dim lighting during the evenings to encourage the hatchlings to begin their journey towards the shores.ADVERTISEMENTIn the skies, guests can spot a kaleidoscope of colours with over 300 species of birds across Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi in vibrant hues. An Arabian gazelle roaming around Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is par for the course, along with biodegradable golf balls that feed the local marine life. Or keep an eye out for the friendly dugongs (also known as sea cows), who are known to pay guests a visit. Not hard to miss, these creatures are three metres long and weigh around 400 kilos.
Neighbouring Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas runs a special Saadiyat Turtle Beach Patrol organised by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi – EAD, and all lifeguards and security teams are educated about the importance of reporting any turtle nests across the beach. This in-house team can report, segregate and alert The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi and EAD if turtle nests are found.
The resort contributes to flora and fauna research continuously in line with its sustainability system, while conducting workshops on marine conservation and wildlife in partnership with the Emirates Natural History Group, with topics that include ‘bird awareness’ and ‘nature journalling workshop’ open to guests and the community to participate.
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H.E. Mr Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism for Cambodia
The 2023 Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF 2023), hosted by the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia and co-organised by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, will take place 25-27 April in Sihanoukville city, the capital of Preah Sihanouk province.
The Forum will address the theme “Rethinking for Resilience and Digitalisation.”
Tourism Ministers, tourism leaders, NTOs, NGOs and private sector representatives, will discuss ways to rethink post-Covid tourism in China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam as a collective and dynamic sub-region
The conference programme has been designed to address job creation, gender equality, food safety and hygiene, digital transformation and a more geographically dispersed tourism approach, so that the benefits of the travel industry spread beyond over-touristed hotspots.
At the Forum, tourism experts and political leaders will address five key ideas on 26 April: rethinking tourism to put people and planet first; developing local food production networks with a focus on safety and hygiene, while reducing food waste; using new digital technology to boost tourism startups and small- and medium-sized businesses; improving training so that tourism workers have the skills to adapt; and advancing equality of opportunity and fair treatment for women in the private and public sectors of tourism.ADVERTISEMENT“The post-Covid- 19 tourism landscape now provides clear opportunities for us to take stock and rethink tourism for the better,” said H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism for Cambodia.
“With my tourism colleagues from around the Greater Mekong Subregion we will work hard to ensure that tourism re-establishes itself as an engine to create sustainable prosperity for our citizens. The MTF 2023 agenda has a clear focus and will address those issues,” he said.
The challenges of improving local food networks, to enhance safety and hygiene, will be addressed by Mr Luu Meng, a legend in the Cambodian culinary scene. The panel on smart tourism and digitalisation will be moderated by Mr Ben-Jie Lim, Group Head of Delivery, SuperApp, AirAsia. The expert panel debate on advancing human capital will be led by Mr Peter Semone, the Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, who will also keynote the Forum. Ms Veronica Mendizabal Jaffre of the Asian Development Bank will lead the panel session on women’s empowerment in tourism in the region.
As Preah Sihanouk province is the host destination, on 27 April delegates will have the opportunity to join many of the local excursions and post-tours such as Sihanoukville city tour, Koh Rong Island, diving, mangrove tour, kayaking, and community-based ecotourism exploration. Each trip will showcase sustainable tourism practices in the destination.
The MTF 2023 will also host a Sustainable Tourism Exhibit comprising over 20 exhibitors, showcasing responsible and sustainable tourism, community-based tourism and local community products. The exhibit will run on 25 and 26 April.
An estimated 150 international delegates are expected to attend the MTF 2023, which is free to join for leaders of the travel industry.
Registration is available through the new Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office website at www.mekongtourism.org. Registration will close on 18 April, or when places are fully booked, whichever comes first.
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: Yas Marina, the UAE’s finest superyacht marina complete with premium berthing facilities and unrivalled dining, nightlife and leisure experiences, is showcasing its offerings at the Dubai International Boat Show 2023 (DIBS) at the Dubai Harbour from 1st – 5th March. The UAE’s only Five Gold Anchor Platinum rated marina, welcomes destination stakeholders and international travel partners to the trade show at its dedicated stand, number MLL-70.
Recognised as the premier and established boat shows in the UAE, GCC and Middle East, DIBS is the definitive event for luxury, lifestyle and boating excellence.
Visitors to DIBS will be treated to insights into the latest industry trends, interactive activations, access to beach clubs, live entertainment, discounts off marine related retail and much more.
DIBS will be held at the Dubai Harbour from 1st – 5th March.Awarded the prestigious 5 Gold Anchor Platinum accreditation from The Yacht Harbour Association, Yas Marina is now formally one of the most remarkable marinas in the world for its exceptional facilities, amenities and service levels. The premier lifestyle destination also offers a variety of licensed outlets, fitness and leisure facilities.
Situated on Yas Island, the 227 wet-berth Marina boasts an additional 93 dry-berths, features numerous restaurants, bars and lounges catering to all taste buds and budgets. Each outlet along the waterside promenade boasts iconic views of the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island and racetrack. Then, as the sun sets, the family-friendly destination transforms into a buzzing hub of dining and nightlife entertainment. ADVERTISEMENTFrom premier fitness facilities and physiotherapy to water sports including the Yas Marina Sailing and Rowing Centre, musical water fountain and a children’s playground, there’s something for all ages.
Weekly promotions and seasonal activities make Yas Marina a destination to keep discovering, morning, noon and night.
Website: www.yasmarina.ae
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ITB Berlin presents the findings of the latest World Travel Monitor® by IPK International on global outbound travel trends in 2022In 2022 the travel industry experienced a significant recovery. Worldwide, outbound trips increased substantially year on year, but without regaining 2019 levels. Variations were evident with regard to individual continents, destinations and travel markets. Whereas outbound travel in Asia lagged far behind pre-pandemic levels, international trips of Europeans and Americans were much closer to 2019 figures. In 2023, despite all the crises and uncertainties, interest in travel abroad is consistently high, so that very little stands in the way of international tourism recovering further in 2023.
Significant increase in outbound travel in 2022
IPK’s World Travel Monitor® stated that worldwide, outbound travel in 2022 rose by 90 per cent year on year, equivalent to a global volume of almost 700 million trips in 2022. Compared to outbound travel before the pandemic in 2019, this is 66 per cent of pre-crisis levels. Thus, 2022 represented a significant turnaround towards recovery. Looking at individual continents, trends varied however. International travel from Europe rose by 92 per cent, from North America by 87 per cent and from South America by 70 per cent. These growth rates resulted in outbound travel almost fully recovering or reaching three-quarters of previous levels. International travel from Asia remained substantially below 2019 figures, while still showing a 90 per cent year-on-year increase in 2022. The difference in trends compared with other continents was mainly the result of tight Covid policy restrictions in China, which is the largest source market. Outbound travel in 2022 was highest in the USA, followed by Germany and the UK.
Most popular destinations in 2022
With regard to destinations, sun and beach holidays in Turkey and Spain were especially popular, almost regaining 2019 levels. Year on year, the UK also reported high three-digit growth rates above the global average. Overall in 2022, many destinations hardest-hit by pandemic restrictions in 2020 and 2021 attained above-average results. .ADVERTISEMENTAccording to the Destination Performance Index (DPI) developed by IPK, in 2022 the most popular travel destination was the Maldives. In the case of all international holiday trips the World Travel Monitor® asked whether travellers were satisfied with their trip, would recommend it to others and whether they would return, and evaluated the results. The winner Maldives was followed by Dubai and Cyprus in second and third place.
Keen interest in holidays – sun and beach destinations top the list
In 2022, with a market share of 70 per cent, holiday trips were again the main reason for travel, and compared to 2021 showed higher growth than business travel and even other private trips. In the business travel market, MICE trips in particular displayed a significant year-on-year upward trend. In 2022, within the holiday travel market, sun and beach trips were the most popular holiday worldwide at over 90 per cent growth (overall market share: 35 per cent), with city breaks in second place. In addition to city breaks, round trips also made above-average gains. Holidays in nature (in the countryside or mountains), which experienced a considerable boom during the pandemic, also remained highly popular in 2022 and increased their market share.
Transport choices and sustainability
Concerning transport choices, in 2022 the following global trends became apparent: while international air travel increased significantly again, compared with 2021 it lagged far behind pre-pandemic levels in 2019. As in previous years, most international travel took place by air (market share: 60 per cent). Growth in car travel was slightly below average compared with 2021. Rail travel growth was significantly above average. This was mirrored by the survey findings on sustainable travel. Thus, around 20 per cent of interviewees said sustainability / environmental considerations had influenced their choice of transport for an outbound trip in 2022. The importance of this topic was also reflected in the new IPK NEXT Media study, powered by pressrelations NewsRadar®, which examined international media reporting in the context of holidays and travel in 2022. It analysed the extent to which the media reported on sustainable travel. What can be seen is that in 2022 the media very frequently reported on aspects of sustainable travel. In the German media, 25 per cent of tourism reporting addressed the topic of sustainability.
Higher travel expenses in 2022
In 2022, while the average duration of an international trip was almost the same as before the pandemic, according to the World Travel Monitor® travel expenses per person and trip rose significantly again. In 2022, average spending per night and person was around 165 euros. Stays became shorter – their duration reaching almost pre-pandemic levels – due to an above-average growth in short breaks (one to three nights). These suffered a much greater decline over the last two years of the pandemic. Increases in travel spending resulted above all from higher travel costs, due to inflation and the reduced availability of flights and services. By contrast, the World Travel Monitor®’s findings showed hardly any change in outbound travellers’ incomes.
Recovery set to continue in 2023
According to the IPK’s surveys, this positive trend will continue in 2023, and globally the outbound travel figures for 2019 are within reach, at least as far as the majority of source markets, travel destinations and markets are concerned. The latest survey results reflect a virtually uninterrupted desire for international travel in 2023.
Visitors to the ITB Berlin Convention 2023 will gain further industry-specific insights. In 200 sessions more than 400 experts will exchange views on the current tasks and challenges facing the tourism industry at the leading think tank for the travel industry from 7 – 9 March.
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Official opening ceremony on 6 March 2023 with leading names in politics and tourism – Georgia, the Host Country of ITB Berlin, will kick off the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show with a spectacular show program of traditional dance and music performances.
A high-profile lineup for the festive opening gala of the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show: Georgian Prime Minister H.E. Irakli Gariashvili will ceremoniously open ITB Berlin 2023 with a brilliant show of traditional Georgian dances and music. The opening ceremony, hosted by ITB Berlin and this year’s Host Country, will take place on the eve of the first day of the trade show, March 6, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the CityCube Berlin for invited guests.
Dr. Robert Habeck, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey and Dirk Hoffmann, Managing Director of Messe Berlin, will welcome invited guests from all over the world to this year’s ITB Berlin. Other well-known representatives of the travel industry have also announced their attendance: Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Under the heading “Infinite Georgian culture – from the beginnings of viniculture to modern avant-garde art”, an impressive journey through the cultural and ethnic diversity of the country in the Caucasus awaits the audience. The official opening show includes a conceptual and contemporary performance of masterpieces of Georgian performing arts from various genres: from ethno jazz and classical music to part-singing and electronic music, as well as performances by the world-famous Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet. Divided into six acts, in addition to ballet dancers showcasing the diversity of Georgia on stage, the Rustavi Ensemble will present traditional Georgian polyphony and impress with its unique Georgian style of polyphonic singing. The audience can also look forward to the artistic director and chief conductor of the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra Nikoloz Rachveli, the internationally renowned opera soprano Nino Machaidze, and the Georgian pianist Dudana Mazmanishvili, who is causing a sensation on the world’s stages with her lyrical talent and extraordinary virtuosity. Other notable artists will include the Georgian violinist Liza Batiashvili, the Georgian composer and musician Dato Evgenidze, and Nika Machaidze, a musician, filmmaker and artist. He produces a form of electronic music (IDM) that uses breakbeat rhythms to create harmonies and melodies that reference Georgian folk music.
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