ITB Berlin 2013: Provides significant impetus for growth

ITB Berlin 2013 was by far the world’s largest meeting place of international tourism policy decision-makers and business leaders. The German chancellor Angela Merkel, the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, representatives of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), as well as more than 100 ministers of tourism and state secretaries, met in Berlin to help shape the future for growth in the tourism industry.
From 6 to 10 March 2013, 10,086 exhibitors from 188 countries presented their products and services in display halls that were fully booked up. Overall, some 110,000 trade visitors came to Berlin, of whom 43 per cent were from abroad. This year there was a slight increase in buyers from the USA and the Middle East. Exhibitors reported holding quality talks and sealing more business deals.

Big success for the partner country Indonesia

The participation of Indonesia, this year’s partner country, at ITB Berlin 2013 was spectacular and featured more than 300 dancers, musicians and performing artists from Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Papua, Jakarta and Java. Besides showcasing its natural wonders, the world’s largest archipelago shined the spotlight on seven other aspects of the country: culture and traditions, nature and eco-tourism, leisure sports, cruises, gastronomy and shopping, spas, wellness and MICE events. International trade visitors and the general public were able to sample the country’s culinary delights and enjoy its age-old tradition of spas on the stand of Indonesia at the show.

Esthy Reko Astuty, Director General of Marketing, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy: “We are extremely satisfied with the way ITB Berlin 2013 went and are very proud to have been the show’s partner country. We had excellent opportunities here to showcase the diversity of our country: the various cultures, the beauty of our natural landscapes and the special people who live there. The joint appearance of the German chancellor Angela Merkel and our president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at the opening ceremonies was renewed confirmation of the good relations that exist between Germany and Indonesia. We felt very welcome and honoured by the visits of many official representatives on our stand as well as by the enormous interest shown by the international press. We came to Berlin with close to 50 per cent more exhibitors than in 2012 and can say that we are very satisfied.”

The next ITB Berlin will take place from Wednesday, 5 to Sunday, 9 March 2014.

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