According to Ms. Herudain, project manager, ITB Berlin plays an important role as a generator of business impulses. And if, in the words of the tourism business workers themselves, who gathered at the wonderful Premier Palace Hotel in Kiev, they go to the tourism fair in London to "hang out", then they go to Berlin to work. After all, it is here that they can find interesting business ideas already tested by colleagues, outline plans for future cooperation with serious partners.
- The leading role of ITB Berlin as an international center for professional meetings is confirmed by the fact that over three quarters of its participants and about 30% of trade visitors come from abroad, - says Ms. Herudain. - For example, last year the total number of participants was just under ten thousand people. In 2004, participants from all five continents will be represented. We expect more than 9,000 companies from 180 countries.
The total area of this largest tourism meeting place is more than 150,000 square meters. Traditionally, the International Tourism Exchange Berlin consists of several market segments. For example, "Travel Technology" introduces specialists to the latest developments in the tourism business. The market segment "Cultural Tourism" focuses on short-term cultural and educational tours. According to estimates by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), this type of travel has recently been moving to the forefront. Cruise tours are presented as a separate segment. Special attention is also paid to ecotourism - the annual growth rate of this type of international tourism is 10-15%.
According to WTO data, in 2001, out of 700 million tourist trips in total, about 140 million were made by young people. And according to forecasts, in 2005 every fourth traveler will be young. At ITB Berlin, the market segment "Youth Tourism Center" is a key base of tourism products for children and youth.
The innovations of ITB Berlin in 2004 include a conference on Central and Eastern Europe under the motto "New Tourism for a New Europe". Its goal is to bring into focus the new states that are joining the EU. The interest of specialists will definitely be attracted by two new forums: "Caribbean" and "South America", and one should expect increased interest from travelers in these exotic regions. For the first time, the central theme of the industry congress will be the motto "Marketing Trends and Innovations". The ITB Congress and the standard program, which annually includes over 300 events, are an essential part of the exchange. Thanks to the prompt updating of information on the ITB Berlin server www.itb-berlin.com, everyone can access fresh data and also register online.
Since 1994, Ukraine has regularly participated in the International Tourism Exchange Berlin. For example, in 2002, our country was represented by 28 travel companies. According to Ms. Herudain, "Ukraine is a very interesting European destination." According to WTO data, in 2001 there were more than 11.877 million tourist visits to Ukraine.
It remains to be hoped that this year will not disappoint fans of the Ukrainian destination. And the International Tourism Exchange Berlin will help reveal the beauty of our country to millions more travelers from around the world.