Which destinations will be in demand in 2024? Have the crises changed the way we travel? And has the travel industry recovered from Covid? Diplomatisches Magazin spoke about this with Deborah Rothe, Director of the International Tourism Fair Berlin (ITB)
DM: Ms Rothe, last year ITB implemented the new B2B concept for the first time. Did it work? And what was the feedback from exhibitors?
Deborah Rothe: The positive overall response and the encouraging feedback from the industry after ITB Berlin 2023 have reinforced our B2B concept. We are sticking to this format as it has proven to be successful and future-orientated. With this new focus, we see ourselves optimally positioned for the future, strengthen our role as a think tank and expert forum and sharpen our profile. We also expect to increase customer loyalty and acquisition. The capacities gained in the team will be used specifically for the further development of ITB Berlin in order to address the needs of our target groups even better. As an alternative for private visitors, we presented the Berlin Travel Festival as an integral part of BOOT & FUN BERLIN. This event, which took place from 1 to 3 December 2023 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, offered inspiration for holiday planning and invited visitors to discover new destinations, holiday activities and travel trends. After all, travelling and leisure go hand in hand.
DM: What is the general result for tourism companies in 2023? Has the industry recovered from the loss caused by Covid?
Deborah Rothe: The industry has largely recovered, but there are big differences depending on the segment and region. In principle, the tourism business is roughly back to precorona levels. However, the business travel segment has not yet fully recovered due to fundamental changes. Many companies are examining the necessity of trips more closely and combining them. As a result, higher classes of transport are less frequented by companies. Airlines are successfully compensating for this with private travellers who want to treat themselves to greater comfort and are also booking business class and premium economy. There are also changes in hotels. As many short-haul business travellers now prefer to travel by train, trips cannot necessarily be completed in one day. On the other hand, this naturally brings hotels growth, high capacity utilisation and, in some cases, higher revenues. As mentioned, the post-Covid recovery is and was also dependent on the region. China, for example, reopened with a significant delay, which is why business there started up again later. However, business there has now also returned to pre-pandemic levels.
DM: The last few years will go down in history as years of dramatic global crises. First Covid, then the war in Ukraine and the attack on Israel in October 2023. Are these crises changing people’s travel behaviour? One could assume that holiday trips are no longer planned for the long term?
Deborah Rothe: The industry is changing, but it remains stable and extremely resilient. Geopolitical crises lead to shortterm waves of cancellations, but these often recover within a few weeks. Some travellers may well be inclined to book at shorter notice. For those who rely on school holidays, early booking is advisable due to high demand during peak periods. Travel providers, hotels and tour operators continue to rely heavily on flexible rates, which are gratefully accepted by many consumers in turbulent times.
DM: What are the key regions for tourism in 2024?
Deborah Rothe: The Balkan countries are on the rise – such as our 2025 host country Albania and Montenegro. The same applies to the Caucasus nations such as Georgia, which was the guest country in 2023. We were excited to hear China’s announcement that it has cancelled visa requirements for a number of countries up to a certain length of stay. This should give the country a significant boost. Equally interesting is the opening that we have seen in Saudi Arabia over the past few years. Just a few years ago, it was practically impossible to enter the country for touristic reasons. Now visas are available to discover this exciting country. For stopover guests who only stay in the country for up to 96 hours, the visa requirement is even completely waived. In addition to these up-and-coming countries, there are of course also important volume markets that are and will remain extremely important, at least for European travellers – including Spain, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. This is all a German or Eurocentric perspective. Elsewhere in the world, the trends are of course different. Alongside China, travellers from India are increasingly entering the stage of the most important source markets. The potential for tourism there is enormous – the countries of South East Asia, such as Thailand, are increasingly adapting to this.
Interview Marie Wildermann