ITB Asia welcomes back the world

Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Alvin Tan and Dr. Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin GmbH, cheered the physical return of ITB Asia in 2022…

Yesterday’s ITB Asia opening ceremony celebrated the resilience of the travel industry after two years of the pandemic. It also confirmed the strong support of both Singapore’s government and ITB Asia for the tourism sector. “To describe the fact to bring back people together at ITB Asia here in Singapore, I would like to use the word ‘magic’, ” said Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Alvin Tan.

“It is very good to see ITB Asia returning as an in-person event to Singapore. This signals that the industry is really back. Especially as ITB Asia is the largest travel trade show in our home market”, stressed the Minister.

Tan highlighted that the past two years also worked as a catalyst for Singapore to reshape and renew its tourism product. “To keep Singapore attractive, we created new re-imagined opportunities. New hotels, new attractions have been injected into our existing tourism offering. We continue to rejuvenate Singapore as a lifestyle destination,” added Tan. And Singapore works the magic: tourism is on track to full recovery with 2022 close to the government’s top forecasts.

During his speech, Dr. Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin GmbH, also expressed his satisfaction to see ITB Asia back. “We are delighted to welcome again people from all over the world for this 15th edition. The travel industry is known for its resilience. I am happy to see ITB Asia finally back as a face-to-face event, accompanying the recovery and growth of the travel and tourism sector. The presence of our partners on our side is a huge vote of confidence,” he stated.

Photo: (L-R) Dr Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin GmbH, Mr Burkhard Kieker, CEO, visitBerlin, Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, Mr AlHasan Aldabbagh, Chief Markets Officer – APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority, Mr Yap Ching Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board