The opening ceremony and the first ITB Summit, two events featuring high-ranking speakers, will signal the start of the 48th edition of ITB Berlin. On the eve of ITB Berlin, Mexico, this year’s partner country, will fascinate the guests at the opening event with sophisticated culinary delights, live music and dance performances.

Celebrities representing politics and the tourism industry will address the audience at the opening ceremony, which will take place on 4 March 2014 at 6 p.m. in Hall 1 of the International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin). On the eve of ITB Berlin the 600 delegates invited to the first ITB Summit will be able to find out about new trends and developments in online marketing.

The opening ceremony will be as unique, unexplainable and impressive as Mexico itself. At four individual stops inside the lobby of the ICC Berlin guests will be able to watch Mexican artists welcoming them with their performances. Opening the ceremony, Vice Chancellor and Federal Economics and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit and Messe Berlin CEO Dr. Christian Göke and will address the 4,500 guests.

In their role as leading representatives of the travel industry Dr. Michael Frenzel, President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) and Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), will hold speeches. Representing this year’s partner country, H.E. Claudia Ruiz Massieu Salinas, Secretary of Tourism of Mexico will also address those present.

Mexico will fascinate its guests with a dazzling programme of entertainment and a fascinating multimedia show featuring modern as well as traditional elements. This kaleidoscope of colours, photography and images will conjure a visual tour, bringing Mexico to life. At the subsequent reception and networking event a selection of culinary delights from the partner country and a welcome cocktail by master chef Enrique Olvera will await the guests.

 

 

Mexican magic on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds

 

The partner country of ITB Berlin will be spreading its magic and producing unique surprises for the public on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. “Live it to believe it“ is the slogan of the new Mexico tourism promotion campaign. Showing Mexico as a modern sophisticated and unexplainable destination it lures tourists from Europe by demonstrating authenticity.

Spanning a bridge between North and South America and covering a surface area five times that of Germany, it brings 3,000 years of history, its rising-star status and an aura of constant change to Berlin.

Those with a preference for earthly offerings can spoil their palates with Mexican dishes and hot chocolate. Mexican cuisine is ranked on UNESCO’s list of non-material cultural goods. 80 exhibitors will be making the impossible come true on a display area covering 700 square metres. They are presenting Mexico as an outstanding destination for adventure trips and the demanding traveller, as a country rich in natural and cultural treasures, with breathtaking scenery, offering hospitality, excellent service and luxury in its highest form.

Inside a flight simulator, and in no time at all, visitors can head for Mexican holiday destinations or take a virtual trip on monitors to explore the country’s many attractions. Colourful Mexican handicrafts and festive performances of music and dance will be giving visitors a small sample of the huge diversity of Mexico.

An outstanding mariachi band from Jalisco will be impressing the audience, and several times daily visitors can experience musicians from Chiapas playing music and a ballet from Yucatan. The dancers of the Carlos Acereto Folk Ballet will also be appearing at the Delphic Festival in the Palais am Funkturm for the grand finale of ITB Berlin.

 

 

TO DO! 2013: Winners from Cambodia, Mexico, and Iran

The 19th Award Ceremony of the International Contest for Socially Responsible Tourism on 5th March, 2014, will take place at ITB Berlin. The Chambok Community Based Ecotourism Project in Cambodia at the Kirirom National Park, the regional development project of Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda in the Biosphere Reserve in Querétaro, Mexico, and the Boomkolbeh – Turkmen Ecolodge at the rim of the Golestan National Park in Iran are the winners of the TO DO! 2013. The trophies of the international Contest for Socially Responsible Tourism will be awarded at this year's ITB Berlin on 5th March, 2014, at 2.30 pm on the main stage in hall 4.1.

Participation and Sustainability

The tourism projects awarded with the TO DO! 2013 share the same objective: to improve people's living conditions by carefully developing tourism products and services in a planned manner – in ecologically valuable areas. The most important criterion for the award is the participation of the local population in the planning and implementation of all the tourism related projects. This establishes a special con-nection between participation, social responsibility and sustainability.

All the three projects are situated on the rim of or directly within nature conserva-tion areas. Due to the lack of income opportunities, illegal activities such as logging and poaching happened in the past. Through the various initiatives aimed at a tour-istic valorisation of scenically attractive regions, a new way of natural resource use has emerged, along with alternative income opportunities – especially for women. Furthermore, the population living in the respective regions benefits from more eco-friendly ways of dealing with nature and from the reforestation These concepts are supported with training and education programmes, partly also for tourists or for the staff of companies.
 

TO DO! is sponsored by ITB Berlin

 

More information: www.to-do-contest.org

 

Source: ITB Berlin

 

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VISITING GERMANY: BERLIN – ITB BERLIN – The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show between 5 and 9 March 2014