A lifestyle expat travel blog about culture, history, Brexit, the Royal Family, travels around the world, Europe, and being British in Berlin!
OMG!
I’m enormously excited!
And why?
The ITB travel trade fair is going to be in town.
Yeeeeeeeees!
Before I became the awesome travel blogger that I am today, I used to attend the ITB as an ordinary member of the public. It was one of the highlights of my year!
And let me tell you, it still is!
I mean, thousands of international travel organisations and travel destinations are going to be in the city, looking to present the best parts of their country, or industry.
And yours truly will be among them.
Last year, was pretty tight, so I had to see all my contacts in just 24 hours!
And why was that?
Because I needed to fly back to England for the dignified graduation ceremony of my MA – Masters of Art Degree, which I had obtained from the University of Chester!
In fact, I had to cancel the Bloggers Speed Dating networking event that I had originally booked months before.
I had to cancel the personal appointments that I had with Marketing & Tourism officials.
I had to forgo all the Berlin parties that were set to burn each night on fire!
Mind you, I didn’t do too badly in 2016 regardless..!
This year, I’m here, and I’m all ready and organised.
Now that I’m a professional blogger don’t you know, I get to have internal access to all that the travel industry has to offer.
If you’re reading about the ITB for the first time, here’s what I previously wrote:
But it doesn’t hurt to reiterate the facts:
The ITB Berlin stands for the Internationale Tourismus-Börse or in English, the international tourism trade fair.
The ITB represents B2B, hotels, tourists boards, tour operators and providers, airlines, transport operators, responsible travel organisers, information technology experts, social media bloggers, and anybody else interested in travel and tourism.
It’s also the world’s leading travel industry think tank, in which the convention trade fair establishes itself as the industry’s main knowledge platform, with top-notch presentations on global trends, travel innovations and path-breaking events for the entire tourism industry!
Phew!
Well, the ITB Berlin is the foremost business platform for the global tourism business. We’re talking:
Omigosh!
If you’re at the ITB, you’re in good company.
The ITB Berlin is a huge deal and the partner country for 2017 is Botswana with the motto: – #ilovebotswana.
Wow!
The name ITB Berlin stands for a unique success story and things that are made in Berlin.
What began in 1966, as a small overseas import trade show, has developed into a true global success.
What originally, was only an event of five (5) participating countries and regions, has grown to over 180 with an exhibition space expanding from 580 m² to 160,000 m² today!
In more than five (5) decades, so many societal and political changes have taken place. As far as the tourism industry is concerned, Germany has developed into one of the world’s most important economic factors!
Today, the ITB Berlin is the leading trade show of the travel industry and, at the same time, the biggest travel show for the German public!
However, it’s a huge venue and there have been incidents of people wandering around and not actually getting to where they wanted to go! Not naming names or anything, so here’s a few tips on how to navigate your way around!
Trade visitors: 8th – 12th March, 2017. 09:30 – 18:00
The general public: 11th – 12th March, 2017. 10:00 – 18:00
Journalists and bloggers: 8th – 12th March, 2017. 08:30 – 18:00
You can buy tickets at the Exhibition Grounds – or save time and money and buy them in advance at the Online Ticket Shop. Entrance for Trade Visitors / Press to the ITB Berlin Convention is included in the price of your trade fair ticket.
Trade Fair Visitors:
The General Public.
p.s. You should also be able to buy a €12.00 ticket from any BVG/Sbahn ticket machine. And if you live in Berlin, watch out for the free voucher that sometimes comes, via a free delivery of the weekend edition of the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper!
If you’re a trade visitor or a member of the press, then there is a free ITB shuttle service that will take you from the airport, from selected hotels and from various stops around the city to the ITB Exhibition Ground. If you’re using the city shuttle line service, please note that the stops are not marked as ITB Berlin stops, but are selected buses at the regular bus stops of the Berlin Public Transport System, otherwise known as the BVG!
You can find bus stops at:
Line A
Line B
There are seven (7) entrances, but to give you a better insight you can download a map of the exhibition ground:
The ITB venue is pretty huge so within the exhibition ground itself, you can use the free ITB fairground shuttles that will transport you from hall to hall!
If you’re not using any of the above, or you’re a member of the general public, then you need to get yourself to the following public transport stations. Don’t forget to get a ticket!
There’s no need to panic though, as the city of Berlin provides an extensive public transport network, but make sure you read this post as to how to buy a daily ticket, as Berlin doesn’t have any barriers, and you don’t want to get caught out without a ticket now, do you? The stations that you need to get to are:
See you at the ITB!
This article is isn’t sponsored and the marvellous time that I’m going to have at the ITB Berlin, is my very own!
In March and April, I’ll be on the road again to Austria & Croatia!
On 07.03.17, I’ll be at the Travel Massive ITB 2017 Opening Party! It’s always a lot of fun, so if you’re in town, come and join us!
On 08.03.17, I’ll be participating in the iambassador – Traveldudes – ITB Travel Tweet-Up event.
And of course, on 08.03.17 – 12.03.17, the world’s leading travel trade show – the ITB will be in action, and everyone who is anyone in the travel industry, will be here!
On 15.03.17, I’ll be at the Spring Reception for the British Community at the British Embassy in Berlin.
From 07.03.17 – 09.03.17, our friends – the British musical and comedy duo – Carrington Brown – will be performing Germany’s premiere of Carrington-Brown feat. The Swonderful Orchestra: Comedy meets Classics at Tipi!
I’ll be there. Will you?
If you’re not in Berlin in March, I can’t even!
Watch this space!
Note! I never travel without insurance as you never know what might happen.
I learnt my lesson in Spain. And obviously, in countries like Qatar, where technically the risk is higher, I can’t imagine going that far beyond, WITHOUT INSURANCE. No siree! You can get yours here, at World Nomads!
Please note that there are now affiliate links (for the very first time) connected to this post. Please consider using the links, because every time some sort of accommodation or travel insurance is booked via my links I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!
A win-win for all!
Thanks a million!
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Congratulations on your Master’s Degree! Amazing pictures and a great city guide!
Thanks so much Agness! I’m awfully proud of both! 🙂 🙂
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