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Makram Al-Queisi, Jordan's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, spoke to ITB Berlin News about what makes Jordan tourism different from other destinations Makram Al-Queisi outlined Jordan's efforts to become a year-round destination and to encourage travellers to interact with local communities for authentic experiences. How does it feel to be back at ITB Berlin this…

Tourism Malaysia is introducing an array of distinctive travel packages at ITB Berlin this year, spotlighting the nation's vast and varied niche tourism offers. This comes on the heels of an impressive year in 2023, with the nation greeting upwards of 20.1 million visitors, marking a significant revival in its tourism industry. The latest figures…

ITB Berlin News spoke with Azrul Shah Mohamad, the CEO of Tourism Selangor, about the "Visit Selangor Year 2025" initiative What makes Selangor stand out on the market? Selangor boasts a vast array of tourism options, including gastronomy, ecotourism, agrotourism, adventure tourism, sports tourism, theme parks, and arts and culture, as well as a splendid…

Costa Rica has created one of the world's most successful schemes to offset tourists' carbon footprint when visiting the country Costa Rica is recognised worldwide for its tourism development model based on sustainability, innovation, and inclusiveness. The country is constantly looking for ways to contribute to environmental sustainability and social progress, for present and future…

Daytrip continues to extend its private door-to-door car transfer service, closing a $10M Series B round of funding and expanding into India The global travel platform, Daytrip, which allows travelers to book private transfers with English-speaking drivers and optional sights seeing stops in over 110 countries, is looking towards further growth. Already available across six…

India is back at ITB Berlin this year with strong tourism growth behind it. Last year, foreign tourist arrivals surged by 64%, reaching 9.24 million arrivals compared to 6.44 million the year before. This brought the country to only 15.5% below its pre-pandemic level in 2019. India anticipates a year of diversification and product expansion…

At this year's ITB Berlin, Zanzibar is focusing on preserving its natural and cultural heritage to provide tourists with a diverse array of attractions Zanzibar is an archipelago with two main islands, Unguja and Pemba, each boasting their own unique character. Unguja, home to Stone Town and the larger of the two islands, with its…

Kenya beats to the rhythm of all the sports on offer in the country, in particular athletics and golf Kenya encourages us to think of the world of sport as a giant tapestry, with it weaving together in perfect harmony the threads of competition, athletics and cultural exchange. From the thundering footsteps of marathon runners…

The Don Genaro Apartments, a small holiday resort in a very beautiful and quiet location on the Caribbean island of Curaçao is for sale. Don Genaro has been successfully run as a holiday and diving resort by a German couple for over 14 years, but they would now like to retire. The well-maintained complex offers…

Good morning, and welcome to Day 2 of ITB Berlin 2024! As your show director, it's my pleasure to guide you through another exciting day filled with opportunities, insights, and unforgettable experiences in the world of travel and tourism. Yesterday marked the grand opening of ITB Berlin, officially inaugurated by the Governing Mayor of Berlin.…

Wednesday 6 March 2024 On this second day of ITB Berlin, which conferences, events and talks should be at the top of your list? Here's our selection of some of the must-attend highlights. Business Travel Track10:35 - 11:00Hall 3.1 / Green StageBeyond Rebound: Charting the Next Course for Global Business TravelDiscover the future of business…

ITB Berlin's opening ceremony, organised by this year's Official Host Country Oman, kicked off the event on Monday, 4 March. The ceremony featured inaugural remarks from prominent political and tourism industry figures, including Dieter Janecek, the German federal government's Coordinator for Maritime Economy and Tourism, Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel and…

Visit Qatar and Visit Saudi will sign an MoU today at 3:30 p.m., announcing an exciting new campaign "Double the Discovery" which aims to promote tourism in both countries, offering residents and international visitors the chance to explore the rich cultural and historical wonders of Qatar and Saudi Arabic in a single trip. Both destinations…

ITB Berlin News caught up with Boon Sian Chai, Managing Director & VP of International Markets at Trip.com Group to explore the needs of today's travellers and the personalised solutions the company is offering to address them ADVERTORIAL The travel landscape is rapidly evolving, posing fresh challenges for brands looking to captivate modern travellers with…

ITB Berlin News spoke with Albania's Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, to discuss the country's ambitions as an up-and-coming destination Albania is a small but mighty destination with a diverse tourism offering that brought about its stellar performance of 10.1 million foreign visitors in 2023. As the government pursues its efforts to stimulate…

ITB Berlin news spoke with Oman Airports CEO, Sheikh Aimen, about strategies for the future and the role of the airports in the Sultanate's overall tourism strategy. How was the year 2023 for Muscat International Airport? What are your expectations in 2024?2023 was a year of recovery and growth for Muscat airport. We witnessed an…

From March 2024, Turkish Airlines  will fly three times a week from İstanbul to Melbourne. After many months of negotiations with the Australian Ministry of Transport, Turkish Airlines has been granted up to 35 flights per week with the possibility to immediately provide 21 frequencies to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. On 1st March 2024, Turkish Airlines is launching…

Caroline Bremner, Senior Head of Travel Research at Euromonitor, spoke to ITB Berlin News about the major trends in luxury travel ahead of her conference at the show tomorrow. At your conference tomorrow you'll be addressing how luxury travel is leading transformation in the tourism sector. Could you share some insights on the key factors…

Following his conference at yesterday's ITB Berlin Convention, ITB Berlin News spoke with Booking Holdings' CEO and President, Glenn Fogel, in an exclusive interview about the direction the tourism industry is taking Technology has become an essential component of travel planning, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) taking on an increasingly important role. But as the CEO…

Asia tourism recovery was behind the rest of the world in 2023 due to the late reopening of countries. However, Asia tourism is now gathering momentum and should experience a very promising 2024. According to UN Tourism, Asia and the Pacific reached 65% of pre-pandemic levels last year. However, performance among sub-regions was mixed: South…

With UN Tourism predicting the unleashing of remaining pent-up demand with increased air connectivity, Asian markets and destinations are expected to reach a full recovery by the end of 2024. The strong presence of Asia Pacific countries and regions at ITB Berlin 2024 underlines this uptrend. Hall 5.2a is fully booked this year, with New…

The Philippines is promoting its new tagline "Love the Philippines" at ITB Berlin this year as well as the island of Bohol, the country's first UNESCO Geopark. The Philippines experienced a strong year in tourism in 2023 as the country welcomed 5.45 million foreign visitors. The country has set its sights on 7.7 million international…

At ITB Berlin, Thapanee Khiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, wants to capitalise on European markets to promote the concept of a "meaningful holiday experience". How was the year 2023 for Thailand? With 28 million foreign visitors in 2023, Thailand's tourism recovery was in line with our forecasts. We now expect that Thailand…

ITB Berlin News spoke with Indonesia's Minister of Tourism Sandiaga Uno who is confident that the destination's tourism figures will be back to 2019 levels this year. Are you satisfied with the evolution of tourism to Indonesia in 2023? We were very grateful to have to upgrade our projections twice in 2023 from an initial…

At this year's ITB Berlin, Zanzibar is focusing on preserving its natural and cultural heritage to provide tourists with a diverse array of attractions. Zanzibar is an archipelago with two main islands, Unguja and Pemba, each boasting their own unique character. Unguja, home to Stone Town and the larger of the two islands, with its…