The whole world of travel meets at ITB Berlin, the world’s premiere travel trade show.
The ITB is held annually, attracting more than 180,000 visitors, among these 108,000 trade visitors, and over 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries. ITB Berlin claims to be the leading platform for businesses in the tourism industry.
It is a combination of trade exhibition, public exhibition and the biggest professional convention worldwide – the next ITB is being held 11-15 March 2009 on the fairgrounds of Messe Berlin.
The decision by Tourism New Zealand to pull out of ITB has not gone down well with tourism operators in New Zealand. Tourism New Zealand believe that the ITB is not value for money and is more a big social occasion. They will however be attending London’s World Travel Mart, part of a compromise with the New Zealand Tourism Industry.
Tourism New Zealand is spending an extra $2 million on top of the $5.3 million it has already spent this year to try and maintain visitor numbers from the UK – New Zealand’s second largest tourism market.
A Report By The Mole
