With almost 100.000 visitors, the ITB Berlin International Travel Fair is undoubtedly the most important B2B tourism event in the world, both by the number of participants and by the 5500 exhibitors from 170 participating countries.
Romania returned to ITB Berlin after a break of 5 years. He participated with a delegation composed of 38 co-exhibitors, including Mr. Adrian Voican, ANAT vice president and BIBI Group4Travel president. Diversified tourist offers were promoted: from cultural, gastronomic and wine tours, hiking and travel, to relaxing stays in spa areas or on the Romanian Riviera.
Ecotourism was present through various offers that combine sports with relaxing tourism, with the family, in nature, one of the most appreciated areas being the Danube Delta, a unique treasure in Europe due to its rich biodiversity, a natural habitat for birds from all over the world.
ITB Berlin 2024 was about the future, about business, innovative ideas and success. They talked about the implementation of artificial intelligence and the labor shortage, about responsible tourism.
"In mid-June, Romania will host the #ECTAA – The European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations meeting. We have the promise of support from the "European ANAT" both for long-term financing and for know-how related to technology and sustainability. On June 12, a workshop on guaranteeing tourist packages will take place in Bucharest. European solutions will be presented with an emphasis on the responsibility of tourism for biodiversity and climate justice, with practical examples of sustainable solutions, which is exactly what was emphasized in Berlin this year.", says Mr. Adrian Voican, president of BIBI Group4Travel.
Germany occupies, year after year, the first place in the ranking of countries sending foreign tourists to Romania, with 218,3 thousand people in 2023, which is why it is and will remain a priority market. At the same time, it is important to mention that Germany is also the main trade partner of our country.
According to Eurostat, the nights spent in accommodation units in the EU reached 2,9 billion, an increase of 6,1 compared to 2022 and 1,4 compared to 2019. The number of foreign tourists in Romania had an important increase of +23 % compared to 2022, closing in on Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which lead the ranking with an increase of 29%. At the opposite pole, Croatia, which recently entered Schengen, had a growth of only 2%, while Luxembourg stagnated.
For 2024, Romania predicts an evolution for incoming tourism, with values above 2019. AND this prediction would have been much more optimistic if Romania had been included in the Schengen area and by land, which would have led to a greater interest from foreign tourists, for domestic tourist destinations