ITB Berlin: next month big sustainable tourism programme

Eco mobility: sustainable business travel: luxury plus sustainability: eco plus adventure: responsible tourism networking: VESTAS: And more

Sustainability will be one of the main topics on the agenda at ITB Berlin. The world’s leading travel trade show will make use of its key role to promote a dialogue among companies in their effort to provide economically, socially and ecologically responsible tourism products and services. The issue of Corporate Social Responsibility concerns every area of the ITB Berlin Convention.

The most important event setting the pace is the ITB CSR Day, which was launched successfully three years ago.

On 10 March leading figures from politics and science will be discussing innovative concepts, best practices and the economic potential of sustainable tourism. Among the key topics will be Asia with its emerging markets, the question as to whether luxury is compatible with sustainability, and tourists’ preferences as regards CSR. In this context, an empirical survey by Hochschule Chur will take a new look at how tourists make their decisions.

At the Business Travel Days from 9 to 11 March, the initial findings of a pilot project carried out by the TÜV Rheinland Akademie, entitled ”Sustainable Business Travel in Berlin", will be released.
Among other topics, the Hospitality Day on 10 March will highlight concepts and evaluations concerning the environment and CSR.

Climate-friendly transport is an innovative trend which has an enormous potential in the tourism market. Consequently, and for the first time, ITB Berlin will hold an Eco-Mobility Day on Friday, 11 March, where transport experts will discuss the eco-mobility status quo.

An up-to-the-minute market survey by GfK will formulate motorists’ needs. André Borschberg, CEO of Solar Impulse, and Louis Palmer, the initiator, tour director and pilot of the well-known solar taxi will talk about best practices. ITB Berlin is sponsoring a photovoltaic cell on the wing of the aircraft with which Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will attempt the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the world in 2012.

CSR is also the main theme of the ECO & Adventure Hall (4.1). Lectures and events on sustainable and socially responsible tourism await participants on each of the three days of the fair reserved for trade visitors. International tourism experts will talk about the world “between sea-level and the highest mountain peaks“ and discuss human rights and tourism. Sponsored by GIZ, a “Shark Day – for Marine Biodiversity and Tourism“ will be taking place for the first time on 11 March. The German actor Hannes Jänicke, who for years has been propagating wildlife conservation, will be present at this event.

The international Responsible Tourism Networking Event will also be taking place on the Friday. Coorganized by ITB Berlin and The Blue Yonder, this event is regularly held at three locations around the world: at ITB Berlin, at SATTE, India’s largest tourism trade fair in New Delhi, and at ITB Asia in Singapore.

The presentation of the VESTA – Vision – Destinet European Award for Sustainable Tourism will take place at the reception of the Networking Event. Another award presentation will also be taking place on the large stage in Hall 4.1.

Presented by Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung, it will honour the winners of the bi-annual TOURA D’OR Film Competition for Forward-Looking Tourism.

In Hall 4.1 the focus of interest will again be on Haiti, which last year was rocked by an earthquake. ITB Berlin and the stand construction company Rhino Design are sponsoring Haiti’s participation at the fair. Discussion will centre on tourism initiatives and the prospects for organizing sustainable tourism. As in 2010, a charity fund is being set up to assist reconstruction on the island, with Poland occupying a prominent role. This year’s partner country at ITB Berlin has waived its privilege to collect money for a Polish welfare project in favour of donations to Haiti.

ITB Berlin 2011 will take place from Wednesday, 9 to Sunday, 13 March. – from Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. Parallel with the trade fair, the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest travel industry event of its kind in the world, will be held from Wednesday, 9 to Friday, 11 March 2011.

Full details of the convention can be found at www.itb-convention.com.

ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show. In 2010 a total of 11,127 companies from 187 countries exhibited their products and services to 179,351 visitors, who included 110,953 trade visitors.

Valere Tjolle
  Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite – special offer www.travelmole.com/stories/1146486.php