ITB 2021 – MEETING IN CYBERSPACE
(Posted 29th October 2020)
The organizers of ITB Berlin, Messe Berlin, has after intense consultations with government departments, health officials and the industry at large decided, that it will not be safe to hold the event in any other format but going virtual.
Earlier this year did Messe Berlin pull the plug at the very last moment, leading to some exhibitors and visitors already being on the way to Berlin while others were stopped in their tracks often at the day they had planned to leave for the German capital.
For 2021 will this not be repeated and the early announcement to go virtual will give exhibitors and buyers the opportunity to prepare in good time to make the event a success, virtual or not.
Germany as much of Europe is presently facing a massive second wave of Corona infections and in a matter of days will additional measures become reality, including closures of contact businesses, the prohibition of leisure travel and even open air contacts being limited to just two members of the same household.
The world’s travel industry, including airlines, since the mid 1960’s assembled in Berlin – back then still a divided city with the notorious wall running through the city – but for the second time in succession will this not happen in 2021, dealing a massive blow to hotels, restaurants, taxi organisations and more as the city faces an economic loss of hundreds of millions of Euros.
ATCNews will provide updates about the exact format ITB2021 will use, programme components and speaker announcements.
The dates for 2021 have been set for 09th to 12th of March next year.
