AT THIS year’s ITB Berlin Convention leading speakers, including senior executives, researchers and politicians will be presenting the latest data from the international travel industry and providing inspiration and knowledge. From March 4 to 6, the programme will also include interesting papers and discussions on fascinating topics such as authoritarian regimes and slum tourism. For trade visitors at ITB Berlin admission to the international travel industry’s leading think tank is free.
On March 4 at the ITB Future Day, together with his guests, cruise industry analyst and university lecturer Thomas P. Illes will be discussing shipyards’ decisions to relocate their business to new markets. Raoul Jack, principal consultant, PFJ Maritime Consulting; Dominic Paul, SVP International Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises, managing director RCL Cruises; and Giuseppe Tringali, senior naval architect and general manager, Greece; and Knud E. Hansen A/S, will be discussing new markets such as China and their impact on the international cruise industry. Götz Ahmelmann, CCO of Air Berlin, will be speaking about European air travel and the role of Air Berlin.On March 6 at the ITB Marketing and Distribution Day, Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, Ryanair, will be speaking about the transformation taking place at Ryanair and the implications for Europe’s travel industry. A radical restructuring of the airline’s business model is currently under way in a bid to attract business travellers. On the same day, at the ITB CSR Day, Dr Taleb Rifai, secretary general UNWTO, and Dr Hannah R. Messerli, senior private sector development specialist will be speaking about the effects on tourism of the United Nations’ Sustainable Tourism Program. This year’s Studiosus discussion will examine the issue of ’Exploiting poverty, or self-help?’ in slum tourism. Among other events, day one of the convention will feature a panel discussion on the Asian market. Dr Wolf-Dieter Zumpfort, member of the board of the Friedrich-Naumann Freedom Trust and former director of TUI AG, will hold a brief paper introducing the session on the topic of visiting conflict regions and countries with authoritarian regimes. Moderated by Ali Aslan, a journalist and presenter at Deutsche Welle TV, the debate will be asking whether visiting authoritarian regimes can be considered responsible tourism and whether conflict regions can realistically participate in the globally booming tourism market. On day three of the ITB Destination Days, the discussion will focus on the combined efforts of Palestinians and Israelis to achieve a better understanding and fair tourism in the Holy Land.