Ground-breaking topics will be on the agenda of tourism’s leading think tank. Next year, from 7 to 9 March, the ITB Berlin Convention will once again be taking a look at the most important trends in the international travel industry. At numerous podium discussions and lectures with leading experts and practitioners from the tourism industry and related sectors visitors to ITB Berlin will receive useful information and valuable suggestions on future action. For visitors to ITB Berlin a regular ticket for admission to the trade fair will also be valid for the convention.

Dr. Martin Buck, director of the Competence Center Travel & Logistics: “Over the past eight years the ITB Berlin Convention has earned itself a reputation as an important compass of the global tourism industry. Every year the convention combines innovative topics and exclusive surveys with outstanding speakers of international standing. It not only gives visitors a distinct advantage in terms of knowledge, but also represents an ideal networking platform.”

The growing shortfall in specialists, plus competition for highly qualified young employees also presents the tourism industry with enormous challenges. For this reason the “war for talent” will be a new key topic at the ITB Future Day. Personnel and tourism experts will discuss how companies are gearing up to compete for specialists and how the travel industry can learn from the experiences of other industries. Among other topics on the agenda will be ensuring high-quality services in a service-driven sector such as the tourism industry. Following Thursday’s Hospitality Day, on Friday, 9 March 2012 in Hall 5.1, a concise overview of college training and advanced training courses awaits future hotel industry specialists and managers.

Next year the ITB Berlin Convention will have a broad range to offer at the ITB Mobility Day. This year, as host of the ITB Eco-Mobility Day and a discussion on sustainable transport, the ITB Berlin Convention once again lived up to its reputation as a leading innovator. In 2012 the ITB Mobility Day will for the first time cover all forms of transport, and present examples of the latest best practices and new findings on climate-friendly transport.

Next year, in addition to ecological and economic issues, the ITB CSR Day will also examine aspects of social sustainability. For the first time the programme will include the topic of accessibility. A further session will discuss the fast-growing number of sustainability certificates and how trustworthy they are for both the industry and consumers. At the ITB CSR Day the tour operator Studiosus will be talking about human rights in the tourism industry..

The ITB Berlin Convention has put together a new format dealing with the topic of health tourism. In collaboration with visitBerlin nine companies and destinations will introduce their concepts during four-minute slots at the ”ITB Health Tourism Battle“. By pressing a button the audience can decide on which concept is best, and will reward its creators with a city tour of Berlin.

Berlin.mobi
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