ITB Berlin Convention unpacks all aspects of the travel and tourism industry in 2023
The ITB Berlin Convention, taking place over the three days of the show, will be looking at tourism from all angles
What is driving today and tomorrow’s tourism industry, how can we master the transformational process towards a sustainable and successful future? While there are many challenges facing the tourism industry, there are plenty of answers and solutions.
A premiere at the ITB Berlin Convention 2023 will be the “Board of Experts”, whose members will be responsible for one or more of the planned 15 to 20 thematic tracks. Under the banner “Mastering Transformation”, these experts and personalities will examine hot topics, such as skills shortages, climate change, post-covid recovery and energy transition and provide answers to them.
For example, the “eTravel Track” is dedicated to technology-driven innovation and digital transformation in the travel industry and how to productively harness it. The “Marketing & Distribution Track” gathers tourism leaders to provide a global update on how the industry can stay competitive and successfully navigate the transformation processes ahead. The “ITB Future Track” delves into the economic and political developments of tomorrow. Other tracks look at diversity, responsible tourism, hospitality, destinations (DMO), MICE, tour operators, business travel, airlines, cruises, medical and wellness, youth and adventure among others.
Four stages codified in different colours to simplify orientation for participants (orange, blue, green and red) cover the various topics. Here are some of the highlights for the first convention day, Tuesday, March 7. The full programme is available online.
Selected highlights of the day:
| Tuesday 7/03 | Topic |
| Future Track 13:00 Hall 7.1a Orange Stage | Ministers Round-table: In a world of extraordinary challenges and crisis collaboration becomes essential for travel. ITB Ministers Round Table is the place to discuss chances and challenges in travel on a global scale. Ministers from leading destinations worldwide who will discuss the state of the business as well as tasks and strategies for a further revitalisation of travel. Future travel must however not be in contradiction to sustainability in all their forms – prosperity, decent work, new partnerships and of course climate action and peace. How to do it best? |
| Future Track 12:10 Hall 7.1a Orange Stage | Crises are increasing in frequency and complexity, demands are changing due to constraints in the past, and issues such as sustainability are rapidly gaining importance. How this will affect travel in the future? Listen to experts including Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General UNWTO, Eduardo Santander, Executive Director & CEO European Travel Commission and Julia Simpson President & CEO World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). |
| Future Track 10:45 Hall 7.1a Orange Stage | The global economy and the great transformation: Outlook and implications for the tourism industry with Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Clemens Fuest and Professor Harald Pechlaner. |
| Sustainable Destination Track 10:30 Hall 3.1 Green Stage | Gender Equality: Tourism as a door opener for female empowerment & the role of gender equality in addressing the climate crisis. Is tourism opening doors for gender equality and how does climate change affect men and women in a different way? Would the world be a better place if women would have a stronger voice? As women are often decision makers in their various contexts, tourism can help removing barriers for women. In the long term, this will also contribute positively to the climate. Female panelists will discuss how tourism can support, educate and empower women to stand in for themselves, to fight discrimination as well as climate change, while ensuring sustainable growth. |
| Diversity & Inclusion Track 12:10 Hall 3.1 Green Stage | LGBTQ+ tourism and its resilience. The session will include the announcement of the winner of ITB LGBTQ+ Pioneer Awards. |
| Tour Operator Track 10:45 Hall 7.1b Blue Stage | Expectations and Forecasts from the Customers’ Perspective for the Travel Industry of Tomorrow with Bryan Bachrad, Senior Director of Global Accounts, Expedia Group and Dr. Dirk Glaeßer Director, Sustainable Development of Tourism UNWTO. |
| eTravel Track 13:00 Hall 6.1 eTravel Stage | Lea Jordan from TechTalkTravel will evaluate what are the most impactful technology trends between blockchain, IoT, Machine Learning, Web3, the Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGBT for the travel and hospitality industry. Which trends are relevant, and which ones are rather hypes? |
| Carrier & Cruise Track 13:00 Hall 7.1b Blue Stage | How Technical Innovation in Aviation can shape the customer journey with increased individual needs from passengers? As aviation is in the midst of a transformation process looking at optimising customer needs, the panel discussion focuses on technical innovations. |
Hot topics including energy crisis, war in Ukraine, sustainability and Digitalisation vs digitisation to be discussed during Future Track conference on the global economy
The tourism industry showed amazing resilience in 2022. On March 7, from 10.30am to 11.45am in Hall 7.1a, ITB Berlin Convention looks at current challenges faced by the tourism industry. “The global economy and the great transformation: Outlook and implications for the tourism industry” analyses how the world economy is coping with the fallout of the Ukrainian war and the energy crisis, with decarbonisation and sustainability, demographic change and digitisation vs digitization. These elements require adjustment by companies, consumers, and governments. How to turn challenges into opportunities will tell Prof. Clemens Fuest, President of the ifo Institute – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich to day moderator Heinz-Dieter Quack, Professor for business administration, destination management, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.
Keynote by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Clemens Fuest, President, ifo Institute
Future Track Keynotes
The global economy and the great transformation: Outlook and implications for the tourism industry
Tuesday, 7 March 2023
> 10.30am – 11.45am
Location: Hall 3.1 Orange
Photo: © Messe Berlin GmbH
