American tourism to Egypt has been slow to recover since the war between Israel and Hamas started in October. That’s what Egypt Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa told Skift this month at ITB Berlin, the travel trade show.
04.03.2024 - 08:04 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou
A total of around 12.1 million visitors (+16%) and around 30 million overnight stays (+12%) in hotels.
BERLIN – Berlin tourism sees a steady recovery: Around 12.1 million guests visited the German capital in the year 2023 and accounted for 29.6 million overnight stays. The figures were presented by Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey together with Managing Director of visitBerlin Burkhard Kieker at a press conference on the Berlin TV tower. The number of guests jumped by 16 per cent and the number of overnight stays increased by twelve per cent. A total of 718 accommodation establishments were ready to welcome visitors.
Burkhard Kieker, Franziska Giffey and Sabine Wendt (© visitBerlin, Foto: Dirk Mathesius)
Franziska Giffey, Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises said: “2023 was a very successful year for Berlin’s tourism and convention business. This positive trend is sure to continue. We are among the top cities in Europe alongside London and Paris, and Berlin was recently voted one of the most interesting destinations in the world alongside New York and Cape Town. With more than twelve million guests from all over the world and around 30 million overnight stays last year, the trend is quite obvious: Berlin is luring an ever growing number of tourists. The city’s cosmopolitanism and tolerance, culture and creativity, neighbourhoods and metropolis, innovation and economic strength together with its commitment to urban tourism are the aces up our sleeve. This development is beneficial for our entire city and we will continue to systematically support the industry in order to secure important jobs and make Berlin one of the most attractive, innovative and sustainable cities in the world – in other words, a place that everyone should visit at least once in their lives.”
Burkhard Kieker, Managing Director of visitBerlin, said: “Berlin is buzzing. We welcomed more international guests again in the year 2023. We are very pleased about the interest expressed by our Polish neighbours. The whole city benefits from this success, especially the culture, tourism and event industry. This is not a simple matter of course, rather it is the culmination of close cooperation between all players in the industry.”
In the year 2023, the share of international overnight stays exceeded 40 per cent for the first time since 2019. In addition to Germany, the most important source markets were once again the UK (1.3 million overnight stays, +35%), the US overseas market (1.2 million overnight stays, +19%), the Netherlands (843,000 overnight stays, +10%), Spain (643,000 overnight stays, +10%) and Italy (637,000 overnight stays, +23%). Polish guests also travelled more to Berlin
American tourism to Egypt has been slow to recover since the war between Israel and Hamas started in October. That’s what Egypt Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa told Skift this month at ITB Berlin, the travel trade show.
The maritime and tourism authorities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman have formalised the Cruise Arabia alliance. This regional partnership will promote the Arabian Gulf as a global cruise ship destination. Dubai Department for Economy and Tourism (DET) announced on Friday that an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the stakeholders at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB Berlin) travel trade convention.
In Saudi Arabia’s latest tourism campaign, Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi aims to bust the stereotypes global travelers may have about the kingdom. The campaign emphasizes that Saudi Arabia has a lot to offer and is a welcoming destination, said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority.
The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) has bestowed the prestigious title of Global Tourism Icon upon Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the tourism industry. This esteemed accolade, that was presented yesterday (March 6), comes as a testament to Minister Bartlett’s relentless dedication to promoting sustainable tourism practices, fostering cultural exchange, and advancing the tourism sector on a global scale. He has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at enhancing visitor experiences, building resilience and creating economic opportunities for local communities through tourism.
Israel’s Tourism Minister Haim Katz has appealed for travellers to visit Israel again. Travellers were safe in the country, he said in front of the press on Tuesday at ITB Berlin. He would be urging the German government to drop the travel warnings for Israel issued by the German Foreign Office.
At ITB Berlin – the world’s leading travel trade show – Weeva launched its new AI capabilities in an industry-defining first for the travel and tourism sector. Since providing a preview of the new AI features at the Phocuswright Conference in October 2023, the formal launch now means that the award-winning sustainability management platform is the first to integrate generative AI capabilities into its user experience.
THE importance of the German market to Tobago has been underscored by THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris.
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Oman has planned to invest over US$31bn by 2040 in the tourism sector, H E Azzan al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Tourism, stated at ITB Berlin. The sultanate has planned to invest over US$31bn by 2040 in the tourism sector, H E Azzan al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Tourism in the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT), stated in Berlin, Germany on Monday.
Visit Qatar is set to participate at ITB Berlin 2024, the world’s leading travel trade show. ITB hosts over 5,000 international exhibitors every year and is one of the most important events in the travel industry. His Excellency, Mr. Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, Chief Marketing and Promotions Officer at Qatar Tourism, along with a team of 28 delegates from travel and hospitality industries will be representing Visit Qatar this year. The ITB is a hub for informative, cultural, and inspirational B2B exchanges pertaining to travel, tourism, hospitality, and trade. Visit Qatar aims to foster several exchanges with key travel, trade, airline, and media partners to promote Qatar to key stakeholders in the European market. In addition, Visit Qatar anticipates fruitful discussions, trade meetings, new partnership deals, and opportunities.
The much-anticipated ITB Berlin, the world’s premier B2B travel show, has kicked off on the Berliner Exhibition Grounds, showcasing an impressive international presence and a diverse range of exhibitors from across the globe. Spanning from March 5th to 7th, 2024, the event has recorded exceptional bookings, filling over 90 percent of the display area with 150,000 square meters dedicated to exhibitors from 170 countries and territories.
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