BERLİN – This is the fifteenth time that the focus in Hall 4.1 will be on Adventure Travel & Responsible Tourism, with next year featuring coastal ecosystems as the key topic. At events under the heading of ’The Coast – A wealth of beauty, cultural treasures and biodiversity facing major threats’ visitors to the 13th Pow-Wow for Tourism Professionals will be able to find out more from papers and discussions about sustainable and responsible tourism. The key topic will be coastal protection.
Coastlines and beaches cover a total of around one million kilometres and for many they represent a vital living environment. According to the United Nations about 40 per cent of the world’s population live in areas no more than 100 kilometres from the coast. These regions are also of interest to the tourism industry, as travellers from all over the world have always been greatly attracted to the sea and beaches. However, it is precisely these regions that are seriously threatened, on the one hand by excessive tourism and on the other by natural disasters and climate change. And not least, vast amounts of mainly plastic waste are polluting coastal areas. Thus, anything that impacts on coastal ecosystems also affects tourism.
Growth in cycle tourism
Coinciding with the fifteenth anniversary of Hall 4.1 is the invention of the bicycle, which took place 200 years ago. Cycle tourism is a mainstay of sustainable travel and becoming more and more popular worldwide. In recent times ebikes and bike sharing companies especially have given this form of tourism a boost. Thus, on 9 March 2018 at ITB Berlin the Cycling Tourism Day will be devoting its attention to travelling in the saddle. The event is sponsored by EuroVelo – the European Cycle Route Network – and the Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club (ADFC).
On 8 March 2018 attention will focus on active tourism. Presentations and panel discussions will also be highlighting adventure tourism, ecotourism and geotourism.
Astro-tourism: Stargazing at ITB Berlin
Due to its continuing popularity experts at ITB Berlin 2018 will be taking a look again at the forward-looking topic of astro-tourism and how this growing segment is evolving. This year, ITB Berlin will literally be positioning the topic centre stage at the show and is planning to install an ‘Astro Station’ in the Summer Garden, where interested visitors can gain a fascinating insight into the vast expanses of the universe on both the days for trade visitors and the public.
In addition, the astronomer Harald Bardenhagen will be on hand in Hall 4.1, where he will present a mobile planetarium, and where at live presentations visitors can find about the secrets of outer space
As in previous years exhibitors from Germany and abroad representing cultural tourism, natural attractions, adventure tourism, socially responsible and sustainable tourism as well as geotourism and geoparks will be gathered in Hall 4.1. Visitors will also be able to exchange views about the latest trends and future developments at panel discussions, workshops and networking events.
About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
ITB Berlin 2018 will be taking place from Wednesday, 7 to Sunday, 11 March, and from Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. In 2017 a total of 10,000 companies and organizations from 184 countries exhibited their products and services to around 169,000 visitors, who included 109,000 trade visitors. Parallel with the show the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest event of its kind, will be held from Wednesday, 7 to Saturday, 10 March. Admission to the ITB Berlin Convention is free for trade visitors and exhibitors. For more information please visit www.itb-berlin.com, www.itb-convention.com and the ITB Social Media Newsroom.