Exotic opening of ITB Berlin

BERLİN-Opening ceremony of the world’s largest travel trade show with celebrity guests from politics and tourism – a film featuring highlights from 50 years of ITB Berlin – a colourful show hosted by this year’s partner country, the Maldives

The world’s leading travel trade show will begin with a breathtaking opening ceremony that will take its guests on a trip to the Maldives. This year’s partner country will perform a medley of lively folk dances, songs and music, and offer visitors an insight into the many aspects of its culture. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 8 March at 6 p.m. in the CityCube Berlin. Numerous celebrities representing politics and the tourism industry will address the audience.

Sunshine, beaches and the sea – at the opening ceremony the guests can experience the unique atmosphere of the Maldives when over 60 artists performing in a musical will tell the story of ‘odi or dhoni’, a wooden boat or ship. The audience can follow the boat’s various stages: keel laying, building of the hull and finally the launch. The elaborate stage performances will provide an insight into the history, culture and way of life in the Maldives. Around 4,000 guests can follow 50 years of ITB Berlin in a film that tells the story of the tourism trade show along with landmark events in the history of the international travel industry.

Among the well-wishers will be political figures such as Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller and Iris Gleicke, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, and Government Commissioner for the new Federal States, SMEs and Tourism. Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin, will greet the guests. ITB will also welcome members of the tourism industry, including Dr. Michael Frenzel, President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW), and Taleb Rifai, General Secretary of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Tourism Minister H.E. Moosa Zameer, a high-ranking representative of the partner country, the Maldives, will also be present. Afterwards, culinary delights from this island nation in the Indian Ocean will await the guest at a reception and networking event.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention

ITB Berlin 2016 will take place from Wednesday to Sunday, 9 to 13 March. From Wednesday to Friday ITB Berlin is open to trade visitors only. Parallel with the show the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest event of its kind, will be held from Wednesday, 9 to Saturday, 12 March 2016. More details are available at http://www.itb-convention.com. ITB Berlin is the global travel industry’s leading trade show. In 2015 a total of 10,096 companies and organisations from 186 countries exhibited their products and services to 175,000 visitors, who included 115,000 trade visitors.