Best of the Best at ITB 2013

Best of the Best at ITB 2013

(Forimmediaterelease.net) Germany belongs to a group of 10 countries boasting an exceptional image. That is the result of a survey among trade visitors at ITB Berlin, carried out by the Denmark-based Reputation Institute, which polled 1,145 trade visitors at the world’s largest travel trade show. Half of the respondents came from Germany. The other half came from 84 different countries. Opinions were asked regarding the image of 20 countries.

The countries boasting the best reputations were: Australia, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Indonesia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Austria, Japan, and France. Of these, Germany was ranked fourth among the 5 countries most worth visiting. It was led by Spain, Switzerland, and the UK and trailed by France.

Among the top 5 countries for investing in, Germany climbed to second place behind the UAE, ahead of Switzerland, the UK, and Austria. The top 5 countries for living in were Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and the UAE. Among the top countries for studying in, Germany was ranked second, behind the UK in first spot. The remaining places were taken by Switzerland, the USA, and Australia.

Germany came first in two categories. It was voted the best country to work in, beating the UK, Switzerland, Australia, and the UAE. Trade visitors at ITB Berlin also considered Germany the best country for introducing new products to the market, ahead of the UK, Switzerland, France, and Japan.

The award ceremony of the Best Exhibitor Awards (BEA) which was organized by students of the Cologne Business School (CBS) during ITB in Berlin was once again one of the fair highlights. Four days long, the future Tourism Managers of the CBS evaluated the approximately 10,000 exhibitors at the CBS according to numerous criteria like information content, interactivity, interesting effects, and service quality.

Saturday night, March 9, the award ceremony took place in the Palais at the Funkturm on the Berlin fair trade premises. The CBS students Jessica Wack and Marie-Caroline Utsch hosted this year’s award ceremony. The 10 best placed exhibitors of each category were awarded in front of over 600 invited guests, and the best 3 of each category on stage. The patron of the project is Klaus Laepple, honorary President of the DRV and former President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW). The General Secretary of the BTW, Michael Rabe, held a welcoming address, thanked the students for their outstanding commitment, and recommended them as future tourism managers.

For days on end, the future tourism managers, most of whom opted for the core subject of tourism, have visited some 12,000 booths at the ITB and assessed them according to numerous criteria such as booth construction, information contents, service quality, friendliness, and special effects.

As in every year, extraordinary performances of the prizewinners took place at the award ceremony. Besides many others, the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka danced, and Sharjah and Burundi drummed their way onto the stage with traditional sounds.

This year’s Best of Best Award was given to Abu Dhabi.

Speaking for Emirates, the prizewinner in the category Carrier, Volker Greiner, Emirates Vice President North & Central Europe, said: “We are proud to receive the prestigious Best Exhibitor Award for our trade fair appearance this year. Over many years, ITB Berlin has become our largest trade fair presence outside our home market in Dubai. (…)”

Martina Leicher from the Cologne Consultancy COMPASS GmbH, which has mentored the project since its initiation, drew attention to the ever-increasing popularity of the BEA as well, stating: “Over the years, the BEA became a Benchmark-Tool for the exhibitors at ITB, and for many of them it is very important to score high in the ranking. That’s mainly because of the fact that the BEA is the only evaluation of its kind. The criteria catalogue is online available, and many exhibitors are making use out of that in the preparation for the ITB.

Following 4 intense trade fair days, Prof. Dr. Guido Sommer, Dean of the Tourism Department at the CBS, draws a positive conclusion, saying: “This year we have even put a higher focus on the overall concept, authenticity, and B2B-Area. The whole team did a fantastic job, and I am proud of the students for their professional work and their self-initiative. For the Cologne Business School, it is very important to cooperate closely with the tourism industry, not only during the lectures, but also by working together on projects such as the Best Exhibitor Award.

The CBS and COMPASS will also continue the project in 2014 and evaluate the trade fair booths as a partner to Messe Berlin in order to honor the most impressive of them with the Best Exhibitor Award.

The Cologne Business School (CBS) is an internationally-orientated, state-recognized university of applied sciences and counts as one of Germany’s top business schools. The Cologne Business School also ensures highest quality education – in addition to official state recognition, all study courses are regularly examined by the tri-national accreditation agency FIBAA (Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation).

MEDIA CONTACTS: Messe Berlin – Michael T. Hofer, Group Press and Public Relations Director; ITB Berlin / ITB Asia – Astrid Zand, Press Officer, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin, Tel.:+ 4930 3038-2275, Fax: + 4930 3038-2141, Email: zand@messe-berlin.de , Web: http://www.messe-berlin.com

Whole World. One Exhibition.

Today at Baku Expo Centre the 11th Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair, AITF 2012, opened. The largest tourist forum in both the country and the entire Caspian region once again brings together tourism professionals from national tourism organizations, travel agencies, airlines, hotels and resorts.

With the slogan “The Whole World, One Exhibition”, AITF 2012 has brought together a record number of participants. There are 201 companies and organizations from 32 countries, presenting 62 tourism destinations. Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Cyprus, Malaysia, the UAE, Russia, Turkey and the Czech Republic are among the permanent participants in AITF. Companies from Qatar, Poland, Vietnam, Lithuania, Slovakia and Croatia are all making their debut at this year’s show. In total, this year’s exhibition includes 15 national and regional stands from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Dagestan, India, Cyprus, Crimea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Slovenia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the Emirate of Dubai, the Stavropol region and Croatia.

The official opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, Mr Abulfas Garayev; the Advisor to the Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan on Culture and Information, Mr Said Ahmad Arslan; the Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism of Bulgaria, Mr Ivo Marinov; a representative from the World Tourism Organization, Ms Alla Pirisolova; and the director of Iteca Caspian, Mr Farid Mamedov. Opening the exhibition, Minister Garayev thanked the organizers of AITF 2012, and noted that the exhibition is considered by international organizations to be the most influential in providing impetus to the development of the tourism industry.

The representative from the World Tourism Organization, Ms Alla Pirisolova, read a letter from the Secretary General of the WTO, Mr Taleb Rifai, who noted that AITF offers great opportunities for tourism development.

At the opening ceremony, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mr Ivo Marinov highlighted that it was the first time that Bulgaria had taken part in AITF to promote its tourism potential.

The Advisor to the Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan on Culture and Information, Mr Said Ahmad Arslan, noted that AITF is an important event for increasing the awareness of the global community about the country’s development.

Director of Iteca Caspian Mr Farid Mamedov welcomed all participants on behalf of the organizers, and thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, as well as other the agencies, partners and sponsors who had provided support for the exhibition.

The unconditional prestige of the exhibition and the considerable attention paid to Azerbaijan’s booming tourism industry is underlined by the participation of the World Tourism Organization with its own stand.

This is the third consecutive year in which Turkey has been the partner country of the exhibition. For the firs time, AITF has its own guest country, namely, Bulgaria.

Over the next three days, travel industry professionals will get a unique chance to meet the major companies in the global travel industry, to experience the flavour of each and every country represented at the national stands and to expand their portfolio of tourist destinations.

The exhibition is very attractive with the offers of various recreation and travel opportunities. Medical tourism is widely represented by resorts in Bulgaria, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Azerbaijani tourists are well familiar with the resort cities of Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk, Mineral Waters, Pyatigorsk and Truskavets, which are all represented at AITF 2012. They will be complemented by Crimean resorts and a number of medical and health organizations, including the National Spa Association of Lithuania and Slovenia’s regional administration, the Land of Celje, which includes six luxury thermal spa resorts.

As is tradition, the exhibition includes a stand organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic, and the upcoming 2012 Eurovision Song Contest provides the main theme for the display. Presentations of new projects and developments in the field of leisure and adventure in Azerbaijan will be made by the nation’s leading travel agencies, recreation centres and health resorts, as well as by major hospitality chains operating in Baku, including Fairmont, Hilton Baku, Four Seasons and Park Inn.

Those who admire exotic destinations will be offered interesting, and sometimes bizarre suggestions for holidays in Thailand, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

The biggest stand at the exhibition will once again be claimed by Turkey, which maintains its leading position among the tourists visiting Azerbaijan. Resorts on the famous Turkish Riviera, and well-known hotels and tour companies from different regions of the country will offer visitors trips to both popular and hitherto unexplored corners of Turkey.

A large delegation has arrived at AITF from Croatia. This is certainly in part due to the abolition of visa requirements for citizens of Azerbaijan travelling to Croatia till the end of October 2012. On the Croatian stand, tours will be offered, with accommodation at the best hotels on the Adriatic coast; visitors will be introduced to the sights of the country and will be invited to attend the numerous cultural events held annually in the capital city and the provinces.

This year, there is an increase in the number of airlines announcing their special offers for the Azerbaijani market. AZAL (also acting as the official air carrier), AirAstana, AirBaltic, Qatar Airways, Fly Dubai, Czech Airlines and Turkish Airlines will present their most affordable scheduled and charter flights for the summer tourist season.

Every year, AITF attracts more tourism professionals from around the world. This year’s business programme is full of thematic presentations and seminars. One of the most interesting events on the first day of the exhibition promises to be a seminar on the “Tourism opportunities in the countries of the Visegrad Group”. This will be attended by representatives of the national tourism agencies of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and the managers of major host companies, hotel chains, resorts and airlines in these countries.

A presentation of the hotels and resorts covered by the scheduled flights of Qatar Airways will take place in the first two days of the exhibition; the National Tourism Authority of Thailand will be holding a presentation on its exotic resorts; Croatian companies and tourism organizations will be holding a series of workshops; and the Azerbaijani travel agency, SW Travel, will launch a new online booking system.

In parallel with AITF, the 6th International Exhibition of “Everything for Hotels, Restaurants and Supermarkets”, HOREX Azerbaijan, is taking place.During the exhibition, leading companies from Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and France will demonstrate professional kitchen equipment, laundry facilities, household chemicals, textiles and exclusive dishes for motels, restaurants and hotels. In addition, information technology products for hotels, such as online booking and online payment systems, will also be on display. The exhibition includes well-known brands in the hospitality industry, such as La Cimbali, Santos, Robot Coupe, Rational, Winterhalter, Karma-Global, Rotondi, Scotsman, Modular, Bonnet, Sagi SPA, Rovabo, Danube International, Muehldorfer and Ingrid Lesage Creations.

During the exhibition, presentations and master classes with internationally renowned experts will take place on the stands of participants. Visitors will become participants in and spectators of an unforgettable spectacle and have the chance to see the latest equipment in action.

Thus, HOREX reflects the needs of the rapidly developing tourism and hotel business in Azerbaijan and will contribute to establishing new standards of quality.