Here comes success! Discover Indonesia s endless wonders. Ministers hail sizzling sales. Tourist bosses spread the love

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1 THE OFFICIAL ITB DAILY 9 M ARCH I expect more than five million German visitors this year. Numan Kurtumulus Turkish tourism minister TURKEY Ministers hail sizzling sales Turkey sent both its foreign and tourism ministers to ITB this year to celebrate the country s spectacular recovery as political tensions ease. Page 4 All smiles. Malaysia will be ITB partner country H. 26 THAILAND Tourist bosses spread the love With visitor figures scaling new heights, Thailand hopes to tempt travellers away from popular hotspots to some of its lesser-known regions. Page 5 Here comes success! Record-breaking performances by key destinations in South East Asia are fuelling expectations of further growth in 2018, but also awareness of a risk of overtourism. Visitors to Thailand reached an unprecedented 35 million last year, leading tourism minister Weerasak Kowsurat to say at ITB that he is taking preventive action now. It s not about how many tourists or how much money they bring, he said. We want to see a bigger smile from hosts and guests. Singapore, meanwhile, notched up a healthy increase in German arrivals, SOUTH EAST ASIA Everything points to 2018 being another bumper year. SARA MACEFIELD prompted by a rise in cruise visitors, although as many as 40 per cent of last year s 342,000 travellers were on business or stopovers. However, with extra flights boosting air capacity by 27 per cent, officials expect another good year. Indonesia is similarly upbeat, targeting a rise in German travellers from 264,000 to 304,000. Malaysia is banking on boosting visitor figures this year by restoring direct flights from Germany, and again in 2019 when it will be the ITB partner country. We think the new flights will also open doors for us to eastern Europe, said Rosnah Mustafah, deputy director of the Malaysia Tourism Promotions Board. CARIBBEAN Islands are fun, lifted and back After taking a battering from last year s hurricanes, the Caribbean has come to ITB with an upbeat message that the region is fully open for business. Page 6 Where to find us Editorial Hall 6.3, Room 209 Tel: fvw stand Hall 10.1, Stand 121 All the news from ITB is available daily at fvw.com Discover Indonesia s endless wonders Tanah Lot, Bali March 7-11, 2018 Visit us at Hall 26 A, Stand 114, 115, indonesia.travel Indonesia.Travel indtravel

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3 daily f 3 Paul Needham fvw ITB Daily English editor Number of the day 4 per cent is the proportion of airline pilots worldwide who are female, according to the International Society of Women Air Pilots. Several carriers pledged to do better to mark International Women s Day. Dear ITB Visitor We hope you have had a successful week at ITB. This year s show has been busier than ever, with countless meetings squeezed into the first two days. ITB stands are a good reflection of trade activity and trends. Among big European destinations, Greece has been packed out, while Turkey is full and Spain is busy. Most overseas destinations have had plenty of visitors too, especially exhibitors from Asia and the Middle East. But a trend for less entertainment in the halls has also been noticeable this year. ITB has again lived up to its reputation as the place where travel professionals gather to do business. We wish you a good final trade day and a safe trip home. Chart of the day Cruise destinations European cruise passengers took 75 per cent of their 6.9 million trips in 2017 within their own region. The average duration was eight days. Mediterranean 50 % Northern Europe Outside Europe Source: Cruise Lines International Association Guest Loyalty Programme Dusit Thani Maldives Enrich each and every stay at Dusit Hotels & Resorts with Dusit Gold. Sign up for free to enjoy up to 30% discount on dining plus more exclusive benefits such as free night awards in Dubai, Kenya, Maldives and more distinctive destinations worldwide. DOWNLOAD OUR APP Download the Dusit App now for an exclusive in-app deal and all Dusit Gold benefits at your fingertips.

4 Back at the top table of travel TURKEY Bookings are up 50 per cent after two difficult years for a traditional favourite. PAUL NEEDHAM FRANKFURT MAI 2018 IN 2018 ZEICHEN SETZEN UND VERANTWORTUNG ÜBERNEHMEN! Upbeat ministers are celebrating a spectacular comeback for Turkey in 2018 after two years of dramatic decline. German bookings have jumped more than 50 per cent thanks to value for money and an easing of political tensions between the two countries. I am expecting a massive increase this year, said Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu at ITB. Cavusoglu, who represents Antalya in the Turkish parliament, urged the German government to drop warnings about possible arrests of German citizens from its travel advice for the country. Tourism minister Numan Kurtumulus told an ITB press conference: We will count among the strong players in the travel industry again in 2018 and I expect more than five million German visitors this year, after 3.5 million in The record year for German visitors to Turkey was 5.6 million in Figures slumped to 3.9 million in 2016 after terror attacks and controversy about Turkish government policies, and there was another slight fall last year. Globally, Turkey hopes to welcome 38 million visitors this year, up from 32 million in This would exceed the previous record of 36 million arrivals in Turkey has the largest stand at ITB this year. Legacy steht für Vermächtnisse und dafür, bleibende Zeichen zu setzen, aberauch für Verantwortung - auf persönlicher, geschäftlicher und politischer Ebene. Für die IMEX 2018 ist diese Verantwortung wichtiger denn je, sich neu zu erfinden und sich noch intensiver mit den Themen auseinander zu setzen, die die Zukunftder Branche bestimmenwerden. Wir glauben daran, dass Events die Welt näher zusammenbringen können. Wir wollenunserer Verantwortung gerecht werden. Wir wollenden Wandel in unserer Branche aktiv gestalten, fördern und inspirieren FOKUS- THEMA Another record year GREECE Smaller islands and the mainland set for promotion as sales leap again. PAUL NEEDHAM Golden outlook. Turkey is in a confident mood at ITB. H. 3.2/201 Registrieren Sie sich unter de.imex-frankfurt.com/register und werden Sie Teil unserer Legacy Bewegung. #IMEX18 Greece is expecting to set another new record in 2018 after international arrivals soared to 30 million in 2017 from 25 million the year before. The German market generated double-digit growth for the third year in a row, with visitor figures jumping 18 per cent to 3.7 million. Tourism minister Elena Kountoura told fvw she is confident of further growth this year, after figures showed early German sales up by 30 per cent. Greece will promote its smaller islands and the mainland more prominently this year, and try to lengthen the relatively short tourist season by launching new cultural and sporting events in three pilot regions: Crete, Rhodes and the Peloponnese. Some hotels will stay open through to November.

5 5 daily f THAILAND Minister wants visitors to explore different parts of the country to avoid overtourism. SARA MACEFIELD Thinking outside the box. Thailand tweaks tourism policy. H. 26B Moving off the beaten track Thailand s new tourism minister is making it his mission to open the Land of Smiles to a new generation of travellers keen to see a different side to the country. Weerasak Kowsurat only took office 90 days ago, but he is already forging ahead with initiatives to attract visitors to parts of Thailand that, until now, have stayed out of the tourism spotlight. With international arrivals predicted to reach a record 36 million this year, Kowsurat wants to prevent his country becoming a victim of its own success as travellers flock overwhelmingly to the likes of Bangkok and popular beach resorts such as Phuket. The biggest challenge is making a long-lasting impression on travellers to the kingdom, he said. We now need to instil a sense of ownership and participation in tourism among the Thai people by building a truly sustainable tourism industry. The strategy to spread travellers more widely is being backed by improved transport links for the newly promoted parts of the country. High-speed train lines are planned and some small regional airports will also be upgraded. So far, 55 provinces have been identified as less visited areas where tourists can immerse themselves in local communities and culture, while the northern state of Isan is expected to benefit most from the extension of a railway line from China that will run through Thailand to the coast. Such developments will open potential for rail tourism. The minister is also pushing voluntourism as part of the country s focus on sustainability, with more visitors helping out with community projects that include beach clean-ups. The strategy to redistribute visitors also extends to the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions market with a campaign to encourage more events outside Bangkok. INDIA H. 5.2B Billion-dollar refurb continues Taj Mahal. Major clean-up. India is upgrading 12 top attractions, including the Taj Mahal, the Khajurao temples and Goa s beaches, to draw more international visitors. Suman Billa, state secretary for tourism, said his country is investing US$1 billion in the strategy. India is also positioning itself as a destination for adventure tourism, golf and countryside tours after developing niches such as yoga and ayurveda breaks in recent years. CROATIA H 1.2/214 Developers begin huge upgrade Croatia is investing US$1 billion in hotels, marinas and camping sites, and looking for new markets by opening tourist offices in more countries, including China and South Korea. Croatia hopes the global popularity of TV blockbuster Game of Thrones, which was partly filmed in Dubrovnik, will lure more visitors to help it become a year-round destination. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

6 6 fdaily ABU DHABI H. 2.2/200 Emirate builds big for its future Riding out the storms CARIBBEAN The region s islands have all reopened for business after damaging hurricanes affected the tourist trade last year. SARA MACEFIELD Looking ahead. Abu Dhabi to open a huge airport terminal. A new branch of the Louvre is the latest in a series of major tourism-related developments in Abu Dhabi. The gallery opened in November 2017 and already draws 5,000 visitors daily. It will be followed next year by the opening of the world s largest airport terminal under one roof. Abu Dhabi tourism chiefs said 2018 has got off to a flying start, with bookings up 22 per cent. TOUR OPERATORS Alltours fears bed shortage in Med Greece and Turkey could both be heading for a capacity squeeze this summer because of soaring sales in Germany and several other source markets, a top tour operator warned at ITB. Markus Daldrup, head of Alltours, said: There could be a bed shortage in Turkey and Greece. Not only the German market but others, such as Russia, are growing too. All Mediterranean destinations have been selling well for Alltours so far this year. DER Touristik, meanwhile, is set to enter the French tour operating market by buying Kuoni France, which has 58,000 customers and an annual turnover of 144 million euros. Kuoni France is the haute couture of travel, said DER Touristik CEO Sören Hartman. Hurricanes may have blown Caribbean tourism off course in 2017, but the region still welcomed 30.1 million visitors as arrivals rose for the eighth consecutive year. Now the Caribbean Tourism Organization is getting the message out that the region remains open for business, with UK & Europe marketing director Carol Hay stressing that many islands are unaffected, while those which were damaged are recovering. It is a challenge that so many people do not realise how big the Caribbean is and this makes it important for us to continually explain its geography and location, she said. The CTO is upping trade activity for 2018, with more fam trips for travel agency staff to experience the region first-hand. Hay is confident of more growth this year, adding: Air lift is increasing and we are attracting investment for developments. There s a lot happening in the Caribbean. One example is the Dominican Republic, where 15,000 new rooms are being added to the country s existing stock of 80,000. Dom Rep continues to be the top choice for Dominican Republic. More hotel rooms. H.22A/100 German holidaymakers in the Caribbean, attracting 265,000 last year, 2.4 per cent more than in But it s a different story for Cuba, where the German market has plateaued at just over 240,000. The island was badly affected by Hurricane Irma, but the damage has been repaired and many hotels upgraded. Take a walk in Mandela s shoes SOUTH AFRICA Hundredth birthday of anti-apartheid leader is focus of marketing strategy. PAUL NEEDHAM South Africa is hoping to attract more visitors this year as it celebrates the centenary of Nelson Mandela s birth through a mixture of marketing initiatives and numerous commemorative events. Tourists can use a smartphone app to learn about the former president and plan their own Nelson Mandela trail through the country. Safari trips are the other major marketing focus for Sisa Ntshona, CEO of South African Tourism, expects good growth after a 2.3 per cent rise to 10.3 million international visitors last year. The German market remained strong, increasing nearly 12 per cent to 350,000 visitors, following a 21 per cent surge in All you need to know about the German outbound market Sign up for Free SIGN UP FOR FREE #1 NEWS- LETTER

7 daily f 7 Slice of the action. Ham-ateur dramatics at the RIU reception. Sauce market. This chef serves up a treat at the Steigenberger kitchen party. Hit the deck! A DJ guarantees a banging time for all at the DER Touristik bash. Get down and party! NIGHT FEVER The networking doesn t stop at ITB when the Messe halls close each evening. Show-goers flock to parties throughout Berlin to continue the fun into the small hours. Pinball wizards. Revellers let their flippers do the talking at the Europcar shindig. Hat s the way I like it! Looks like everything is all white on the night for chefs at the Travel Industry Club awards.