ITB Berlin 2024 the world’s leading B2B trade event is here

The World Travel Awards - dubbed the ‘Oscars of tourism’ - have been announced for 2024 and two Scottish distilleries plus a number of hotels have triumphed.

ITB Berlin, an annual event considered one of the most critical in the travel trade industry, concluded last week after another successful year. 

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.

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.

Digital nomadism has shot up in popularity recently. While many destinations have simple citizenship requirements in place, the country a person hails from can still significantly impact their travel opportunities.

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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.

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.

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.

The State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine (SATD) has unveiled a new campaign entitled “We Are Here: Brave Hearts of Ukraine” during the ITB Congress in Berlin.