“Our mission is to bring together the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industry”
ITB Berlin News spoke with ITB Berlin Director Deborah Rothe in an exclusive interview ahead of this year’s show
Deborah Rothe gave a preview of some of this year’s show highlights and outlined the priority of sustainability and working together within the industry in order to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Following last year’s successful comeback, what expectations do you have for this year’s edition in terms of attendance and scale?
We were delighted with the spectacular comeback as a live event in 2023, so naturally we aim to build on its success this year. All stakeholders are expressing significant optimism: associations report a strong desire to travel despite economic challenges and difficult overall circumstances, which is also reflected in the current booking status. This year, our 27 exhibition halls, along with the Home of Luxury in the Marshall Haus, and the new venue for all Buyers Circle members, the Palais am Funkturm, are already over 90 percent booked ahead of the show. We anticipate a total of more than 5,500 exhibitors from no fewer than 168 countries. The diversity of exhibitors underscores the global significance of ITB Berlin and we are highly confident in our expected visitor numbers as the current figures look excellent: we anticipate similar numbers to 2023, and perhaps even surpassing them!
In every challenge lies an opportunity. AI is undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity to significantly optimise processes and preserve human resources in times of staff and talent shortages.
What are some of the key highlights visitors can look forward to at this year’s show?
This year, we are unveiling five renovated halls, allowing for a seamless “ITB Berlin tour experience”. This enhancement has enabled us to better consolidate areas and regions. For instance, all German-speaking countries can now be found in the multifunctional hub27. The Buyers Circle has a new home in the Palais am Funkturm, and the Culture Lounge will be located in Hall 8.2, which also houses the new ITB MICE Hub, providing a space for MICE industry providers independent of their destinations at ITB Berlin. ITBxplore and the ITB App assist in navigating and preparing visitors for their experience at ITB Berlin. We’re excited about improvements in scheduling, such as viewing availabilities and enhanced visibility for Buyers Circle members through tagging. Speed Networking is back this year, as are the well-received Street Food Market, ITB MICE Night and ITB Chinese Night. ITB Business Satellites will replace the Business+ Lounges and brand new Meeting Cubes offer room bookings for hourly rental in the CityCube Berlin with additional catering options also available.
Oman is this year’s Official ITB Berlin Host Country. Can you share some insights into what unique experiences Oman will be offering to visitors?
Visitors can look forward to over 5,000 years of history, five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and numerous cultural landmarks as part of the Sultanate of Oman’s showcase. In Hall 2.2, visitors can explore a stand covering 800 sqm, with an additional stand in Hall 4.1 focusing on Adventure Travel. The host country has doubled its exhibition space compared to the previous edition, offering a diverse programme of events and highlights, and also actively participating in the ITB Berlin Convention. Oman is also sponsoring our popular Blogger Base and hosting the traditional opening ceremony on the eve of the show. The country is even bringing the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, comprised exclusively of Omanis, a unique feature in the Arab world.
This year’s ITB Berlin Convention motto is “Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism. Together”. Why is it so important to highlight how technology is transforming the industry?
While the focus in 2023 was on “Transformation,” this year, the ITB Berlin Convention is centered around “Transition” – how discussed measures and strategies can actually be implemented. The industry is facing multiple challenges, including digital transformation. Therefore, two major themes will be artificial intelligence and Web 3.0. In every challenge lies an opportunity. AI is undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity to significantly optimise processes and preserve human resources in times of staff and talent shortages. Artificial intelligence will be a key focus and even have its own track in the ITB Berlin Convention programme.
In the face of challenges and crises, we firmly believe that our industry can only overcome them collectively.
Do you have a message you would like to share with the industry?
Several months ago, we launched our new #ITBTOGETHER campaign, which we are promoting across all communication channels. With it, we aim to emphasise the importance of a strong sense of togetherness in overcoming current challenges, such as meeting the requirements of sustainability and adapting to digitalisation. In the face of challenges and crises, we firmly believe that our industry can only overcome them collectively. Our mission is to bring together the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industry at various locations around the world. And as we organise shows not only in Berlin but also in Singapore, Shanghai, and Mumbai, we definitely live the campaign motto far beyond the borders of Berlin.
