Travel in city Berlin

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.

HCM City has been awarded “Asia’s Best MICE Destination” for a fourth year in a row. The award was announced at the 4th annual World MICE Awards gala ceremony held on March 6 in Berlin. The award is a recognition for the continued efforts of the city’s tourism sector and demonstrates global confidence in the city’s tourism potential, said Bùi Thị Ngọc Hiếu, deputy director of HCM City Department of Tourism, who received the award at the ceremony.

The World Travel Awards are some of the travel industry’s most prestigious accolades, and the winners in the European categories have been crowned at the thirty-first edition of the ceremony in Berlin. Leaders in tourism, airline, hotel and hospitality sectors are all included in the programme, but it’s the destinations themselves that we’re most excited about. And claiming the award for Europe’s next emerging destination, a title won by Batumi in Georgia for the last five years, it was Braga, a city not too far from the coast nestled in north-western Portugal.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is driving future tourism investment for St. Thomas which is gearing up to become Jamaica’s newest tourist destination. In a meeting with German leisure, travel and tourism company, TUI Group, it was confirmed that the company is exploring expanding its footprints in Jamaica and is showing signs of interest to invest in St. Thomas.

Saint Lucia has proudly secured the title of Caribbean’s Best Corporate Retreat Destination 2023 at the 4th annual World MICE Awards. The accolade was given to the island during a huge ceremony held in Berlin. The World MICE Awards is renowned internationally for honouring excellence in the industry of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE). Through a Facebook post, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority announced the development and said that last year, the island played host to many distinguished conferences and retreats which solidified its reputation as a premier destination for such events. The Director for the United Kingdom and Europe, Patricia Charlery Leon and the Representative for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Antje Rudhart accepted the accolade on behalf of Saint Lucia.

Travelers in Germany have had to navigate around a flurry of strikes during the past two days, as staff of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and German air carrier Lufthansa have walked out over ongoing contract negotiations between the transit providers and unions.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman have signed a pact to promote cruises across all four destinations. The Cruise Arabia Alliance was forged at this week’s ITB Berlin travel trade show and is the latest development in trying to promote multi-country holidays in the Gulf.

Jamaica has been named Global Destination of the Year at the renowned travel trade show, ITB in Berlin. The award was presented yesterday by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA). The PATWA is a nonprofit international media organization of travel writers founded in 1999 and the awards seek to recognize organizations, destinations/brands and individuals achieving the highest standards in their field. In accepting the award on behalf of the destination, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett said, “Jamaica is known for its food, music and indeed love so we are humbled to be recognized for these experiential offerings to our visitors that provide meaningful memories.”

Athens has clinched a prestigious title in the tourism realm, emerging as Europe’s Leading City-break Destination at the World Travel Awards 2024. The announcement came during a glittering ceremony held in Berlin on Wednesday, coinciding with ITB Berlin, a major tourism exhibition. Athens, represented by its special pavilion at the EOT Pavilion, took centre stage at the event.

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.

Albania has been announced as the Official Host Country of ITB Berlin 2025. On Wednesday, 6 March 2024, Albania’s Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro and Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin, signed a partnership agreement on the Albanian stand in Hall 1.1. Afterwards, the minister introduced the CEO to various regions and local specialities.

Travel from Germany to the United States of America has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Speaking at ITB Berlin, on Wednesday the US ambassador to Germany, Amy Gutmann, stated that the two million mark has again been exceeded, and is now within 85 per cent of the 2019 figure.

Millions of people look to TikTok every day to plan their next vacation. So airlines, destination marketers, and hotels create short videos on the platform to influence final booking decisions.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, March 7. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

On the sidelines of the first day of ITB Berlin, Emirates and TUI Cruises have renewed their partnership for a further two seasons, in line with Dubai’s efforts to grow its cruise capacity. Emirates will work with TUI Cruises to offer flight options that align with upcoming cruise schedules. “The airline will also explore enhanced transportation solutions between Dubai International (DXB) and Port Rashid, leverage insights to improve services on the ground, and provide dedicated support teams for cruise passengers. Currently, the port’s Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, the world’s largest single covered cruise terminal facility, is capable of handling 14,000 passengers a day,” the companies said in a joint statement.

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.

Dublin’s tourism chief thinks AI can replace generic top 10 lists and travel guides – at least that’s one of the potential outcomes of his group’s new project with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT.

Italy’s tourism industry wants to be more innovative and flexible – Greater emphasis on interaction between visitors and locals – Minister supports better wages for the catering industry.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) and Oman Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in collaboration with OMRAN Group have launched the See Double campaign – their first joint promotion that aims to entice visitors to explore the nature emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and neighbouring Musandam, the governate of Oman, in one experience-packed trip this summer.