ITB CSR Commissioner Rika Jean-Francois announced the first ITB Medical Tourism Award at ITB Berlin NOW, following the decision made by the jury members HTI, ESPA and ITB Berlin. Congratulations went to Romeo Draghicchio, director of the Croatian National Tourism Board in Frankfurt. In recent years, Croatia has made a name for itself as a quality medical tourism destination. Out of the one million people who visited the country in 2019, 500,000 came for medical reasons, Draghicchio said. And even during 2020, the year of the crisis, the country weathered the situation comparatively well. At 50 million overnights, the figures for 2020 were 50% of 2019, a record year.
Photo: Dubrovnik – © Spencer Davis / Unsplash
VisitScotland presents new products
Scotland is currently having to contend with two travel obstacles: the pandemic and Brexit. Nevertheless, at exhibitor presentations at ITB Berlin NOW it had so many new things to offer that the land in Britain’s north is surely still worth a visit. Together with colourful images, VisitScotland’s slogan is “Dream now. Travel later.” Part of that dream is experiencing Scotland’s natural beauty, for example by diving in lochs or tasting specialities from nature such as venison and wild herbs. Cultural highlights new to the tourism programme are the opening of a Johnnie Walker museum and restaurant in Edinburgh. For those averse to whisky there is also carbon-neutral gin.
