PR No.: PR 12009
UNWTO events at this year’s ITB Travel Trade Show include a high-level session on tourism trends in the Mediterranean, the Silk Road Ministers’ meeting, a session on consumer protection and a meeting of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection, among others (Berlin, Germany, 7-11 March, 2012).
Silk Road Ministers’ Meeting (7 March, 11.00 – 12.30, Hall 7.3, Berlin Room)
Ministers of the Silk Road will meet to discuss how they can work together to capitalize on the revival of the Silk Road. This year’s meeting will include a special session on the importance of route development in strengthening the Silk Road product offer and attracting investment. The Ministers’ Meeting will be followed by the VIP Walk ‘Flavours of the Silk Road’ where UNWTO Secretary-General and ITB management will visit 10 countries showcasing the Silk Road’s most celebrated cuisine.
Tour Operators will convene at the Tour Operators’ Forum on the Silk Road – Creating a stronger business environment for growth (8 March, 11.00 – 13.00, Palais West), to discuss how to overcome the challenges and create opportunities for doing business on the Silk Road.
For more information, please click here or contact silkroad@UNWTO.org
High-Level Session on Tourism Trends and Outlook in the Mediterranean (7 March, 14.00 – 15.00, Hall 7.1b, Auditorium London)
Destinations around the Mediterranean, the world’s most visited region, face a number of challenges; economic, political and environmental. This session, moderated by UNWTO media partner CNN, with Ministers of Tourism from the region and private sector representatives, will address questions such as: What trends are affecting the region? What challenges and opportunities face these destinations in the long-term and how can they adapt to changing market conditions? In view of the UNWTO forecast Tourism Towards 2030, what is the outlook for the region over the next two decades?
For more information, please click here or contact comm@unwto.org
First Meeting of the Global National Tourism Organizations (NTO) Think Tank – Creating value through collaboration (7 March, 16.00 – 18.00, Hall 7.3, Berlin Room)
A joint initiative of UNWTO and the European Travel Commission (ETC), the Global NTO Think Tank will provide an opportunity for NTOs from around the world to collaborate on common issues and strategic priorities.
By invitation only. For more information, please contact eterzibasoglu@unwto.org
UNWTO Press Conference – International tourism results and World Tourism Day 2012 (8 March, 12.00 – 14.00, ICC, Hall 4/5)
The UNWTO Secretary-General will present the tourism trends and figures for 2011 and outlook for 2012.
UNWTO will also launch the World Tourism Day 2012 official celebrations with the presence of the Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Borrego Cortés, under the theme: Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development. World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) President & CEO, David Scowsill, will also be present to highlight the joint efforts of WTTC and UNWTO in advancing a common agenda on visa facilitation as a driver of economic growth and job creation.
For more information, please contact comm@UNWTO.org
Meeting on Crisis Management - Information needs in times of crises for the travel and tourism sector (9 March, 09.30 – 11.00, ICC, Salon 21)
UNWTO and members of the Tourism Emergency Response Network (TERN) will meet to discuss their information needs in times of crises to help minimize the negative perception on consumer’s behaviour, while at the same time ensuring safety and well-being and allowing for a fast recovery.
For more information, please click here or contact rcm@UNWTO.org
UNWTO Session on Consumer Protection - Accommodation related issues (9 March, 11.00 – 13.00, ICC, Hall 7)
In the absence of international regulations governing the rights and responsibilities of tourists/consumers and tour operators, UNWTO set up a working group to draft a legal instrument for their protection. At ITB 2012, UNWTO will host a special session on accommodation related issues, the conclusions of which will feed into the next meeting of the working group.
For more information, please click here or contact cpt@UNWTO.org
27th Meeting of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection (9 March, 14.30 – 17.30, ICC, Hall 7)
The 2012 meeting of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection will focus on “Young Workers in the Tourism Sector: Risks and Opportunities”. The event is jointly organized by UNWTO and the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO–IPEC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The meeting will also feature a reporting session, affording representatives of national tourism administrations, the tourism sector, NGOs and specialized media outlets an opportunity to report on new projects concerning child protection in tourism.
For more information, please click here or contact ecsr@UNWTO.org
Visit the UNWTO stand at ITB: 20/127
Relevant links:
Contacts:
Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications Programme
Tel: +34 91-567-8100
Fax: +34 91-567-8218
The UNWTO, supported by ITB, will be holding a series of Silk Road events at this year's edition of ITB Berlin. All Ministers of Silk Road Member States are encouraged to attend the Silk Road Ministers' Meeting on 7 March 2012, where leaders of the Silk Road destinations will meet to discuss how they can work together to capitalise from the revival of the Silk Road.
Tour Operators should join the Tour Operators’ Forum on the Silk Road - Creating a Stronger Business Environment for Growth on 8 March 2012, where both inbound and outbound tour operators will discuss the role they can play in overcoming the challenges for doing business on the Silk Road.
For full details on all UNWTO events taking place at ITB Berlin, please download the programme - click here.
International tourism recovery is underway across the world. Sustaining this growth through innovation, while advancing social responsibility in the sector, is the objective at the heart of the activities and events organized by UNWTO at this year’s Travel Trade Show, ITB Berlin (Berlin, Germany, 9-13 March 2011).
The UNWTO Secretary-General will deliver the keynote address at the official opening of ITB (8 March, 18.00, ICC, Hall 1) reflecting on tourism’s role in the past decade, looking ahead to the next, and setting the tone for UNWTO activities at ITB 2011:
Silk Road Ministers’ Summit (9 March, 11.00 – 13.00, Room Istanbul between Halls 10 and 11)
Leaders of the Silk Road destinations will meet to discuss how they can work together to maximize tourism development through the revival of the Silk Road brand. Organized by UNWTO and supported by ITB Berlin, the Summit will debate development and investment opportunities while tackling some of the regions’ most critical issues and challenges such as travel facilitation.
The Silk Road B2B Tour Operators Networking Event (10 March, 10.00 – 11.30, Room Istanbul between Halls 10-11), will bring together outbound and and incoming tour operators to explore new business opportunities and exchange tips on selling the Silk Road.
The Silk Road Hour, shown daily at 14.00-15.00 on the silver screen at the ITB Film Festival 2011, will be a collection of short films and live cultural performances featuring the destinations of the Silk Road, organized by the National Tourism Administrations.
For more information, please visit www.UNWTO.org/silkroad or contact silkroad@UNWTO.org
Workshop on the Protection of Tourists/Consumers and Travel Organizers (9 March, 17.00 – 19.00, Palais West, North Entrance through Hall 19)
The rapid growth in international tourism, coupled with the rise of crises situations, man-made or natural, calls for global binding rules governing the rights and responsibilities of tourists and tour operators. This first UNWTO Workshop is intended to trigger debate on a future legal instrument that will ensure the protection of both tourists and professionals in times of crises.
For more information, please visit http://www2.UNWTO.org/en/event/unwto-workshop-touristsconsumers or contact ecsr@UNWTO.org
UNWTO Press Conference - International tourism figures and UNWTO events (10 March, 12.00 – 14.00, ICC, Hall 4/5)
The UNWTO Secretary-General will present the tourism trends and figures for the full year 2010 and preliminary data for 2011. The conclusions of the Global Tourism Forum Andorra 2011, directly preceding ITB, will be presented, as well as the calendar of upcoming UNWTO events for 2011.
For more information, please contact comm@UNWTO.org
For information on the Global Tourism Forum Andorra 2011: http://gtfandorra.UNWTO.org
Launch of the UNWTO/UN Women Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010 (11 March, 10.30 – 12.30, ICC, Hall 7)
Since 2008, UNWTO and UN Women (formerly UNIFEM) have been working together to bring gender issues to the forefront of tourism, promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment and the mainstreaming of gender issues in national tourism policies and corporate decisions. The result of this close collaboration, the ‘Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010’, is a landmark study and the first to map women’s active participation in the tourism sector worldwide.
The report will be officially launched at ITB by the UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and the UN Women Deputy Director, Joanne Sandler.
For more information please visit /archive/global/event/launch-unwtounwomen-global-report-women-tourism-2010 or contact ecsr@UNWTO.org
26th Meeting of the Task Force for the Protection of Children in Tourism (11 March, 14.30 – 17.30, ICC, Hall 7)
The annual meeting of the International Task Force for the Protection of Children in Tourism will this year focus on child protection in tourism planning and development.
In 2011, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), supported by ITB Berlin, will host a series of events designed to promote the Silk Road tourism brand at the world’s leading travel trade show.