ITB Berlin NOW 2021 to Commence with WTCF as the Exclusive Co-Host of the ITB Convention

From 9 -12 March 2021 ITB Berlin NOW will virtually open its gates after last year’s last-minute cancellation. As the world's biggest tourism fair and acknowledged platform of exchange of ideas and expertise showcasing all parts of the tourism industry, ITB Berlin aims at presenting the latest developments, innovative strategies in view of an globalized world. The event is the annual highlight in the tourism fair calendar and a must attend gathering of tourism professionals around the world. The fair will be held online this year which includes the opening ceremony, keynote speeches and special forums. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is long time partner of ITB Berlin as the exclusive co-host of the ITB Convention for the fifth consecutive time.

On 9 March ITB Berlin NOW 2021 will be inaugurated. The Secretary-General of WTCF, Mr. Chen Dong will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony. On the afternoon of 11 March, Ms. Pang Wei, Deputy Director-General of Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, will give a keynote speech. She will share with the audience Beijing's experience in successfully fighting the pandemic and restarting tourism in the capital under the topic "City Tourism after COVID-19: Tourism Re-start of Beijing".

On the afternoon of 11 March, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Arlt, CEO of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) and member of the WTCF Expert Committee will present the latest research of WTCF: the World Tourism Economy Trends Report 2021. The report comprises the findings of the academic research undertaken by WTCF with focus on a comprehensive analysis on the industry's economic trends on national, regional and international level, changes to the regional developmental landscape, key features of major countries, development trends of key players and innovative recovery strategies undertaken by cities. The official website of WTCF (https://en.wtcf.org.cn/) will provide the full report of the World Tourism Economy Trends (2021) for further reference after the official presentation.

WTCF will also hold a special online expert panel named "New Normal, New Practices". Present at the forum will be professionals from the academia, the private sector and global cities. They will discuss the recovery and development of urban tourism amid the normalization of pandemic prevention and control. The forum will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Arlt, CEO of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute. Mr. Philip Dodd will deliver a keynote speech with the title "City Swop - Cultural Exchange: Generating New Forms of Urban Tourism". Four international experts from the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau, Airbnb, Trip.com and ForwardKeys will join the panel discussion. They will address the question of how we will travel after the pandemic from different point of views and sectors of the tourism industry. What can we learn from the pandemic for a better urban tourism? The session will be broadcast live globally via simultaneous interpretation in Chinese and English.

This year ITB Berlin NOW Convention will not be accessible free of charge for the general public. Tourism professionals need to register for ITB Berlin NOW and get access by buying the ticket for the ITB Convention. WTCF members will take advantage of a 50% discount on the official price. (www.itb.com/now).

ITB Berlin looks back of a successful history of 50 years. Every year, the fair attracts 850 top buyers, 10,000 exhibitors from 5 continents and 185 countries and regions as well as thousands of visitors from around the word. ITB Berlin is the biggest tourism fair in the world and it is recognized as the "Olympics of the tourism sector." Since 2016, WTCF has been invited annually to attend the fair and is proud to be the exclusive co-host of the ITB Berlin Convention. The federation addresses the audience at the opening ceremony, delivers keynote speeches and organizes special forums and other activities for the fair.

Attachment: Part of Agenda