We were at the world's leading travel trade show
The 52nd of the world's leading travel trade show was held in Berlin between 7-11 March and as Right Holidays, we joined 160,000 visitors and 10,000 exhibitors to grow our network, keep up with advancements and news in the industry. For those of you who may not know, ITB Berlin is the world’s largest travel trade show. More than 180 countries were exhibiting at the trade show and the atmosphere was incredibly warm and friendly. We were amongst the 20 travel agencies who joined Turkish Airlines, 50 hotels and 40 associations from Turkey.
When it comes to the leisure industry, all we want is for people to relax, enjoy themselves and find peace. That’s why the trade show was also focused on ‘Global Peace and Prosperity’. CEO of Chinese travel giant Ctrip, Jane Sun launched the event, in her speech she said: “Travel connects people with places, experiences and memories, people meet different people through travel, experience different cultures and understand different values” and reminded us why we love what we do in the first place.
Sustainability in tourism was also a topic discussed in-depth. Thomas Cook, a trusted airlines company we work with, announced a new sustainability strategy.
How is Tourism growing in 2018 for Turkey?
Another topic was the growth of tourism and the increase of demand in travel. CSR officer at Messe Berlin GmbH, Jean-François pointed out that there was a strong growth in medical tourism industry. This is a topic we are interested in as well, as the demand for medical treatment in Turkey is also growing everyday.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said the number of European tourists visiting Turkey will increase this year. Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmuş also said, “Early booking data signals an increase in reservations by up to 100 percent compared with last year.
Turkey was represented by fairy chimneys, local arts and crafts and its ancient historical sites. We were happy to see familiar faces and top quality hotels we work with exhibiting. As travel professionals, it is important for us to keep a close eye on our industry and contribute to it by learning every day. We are looking forward to more events this year.
Right Holidays is an IATA Accredited Agent (91285445) and a full member of ATOL (10660).