ITB Berlin to Continue the Climate Debate

In a packed programme of events, international experts and politicians will discuss climate protection and sustainability at the ITB Berlin. Celebrity speakers will include Prof. Dr. Norbert Walter of Deutsche Bank and scientist Dr. Bertrand Piccard, the first person to circumnavigate the world non-stop in a balloon?
Last year an outstanding discussion event on climate protection at the ITB Future Days ensured that the global travel trade’s largest convention drew widespread industry attention to the topic of climate change and tourism. At the ITB Berlin 2008 the focus will again be on the environment. About twelve events on climate protection and sustainability will be taking place at this year’s ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations.

At the ITB Future Day UNWTO General Secretary Francesco Frangialli and the subsequent discussion round moderated by Geoffrey Lipman will set the global stage for a climate debate. Among those attending will be ministers, the CEOs of airlines, the hotel trade and other high-ranking decision-makers.

The title of the event on Wednesday, 5 March is “Tourism – responding to climate and poverty imperatives”. In the wake of the 2007 conference in Bali and as part of the scheme to implement the UNWTO Davos Declaration this will highlight strategic guidelines on how the global travel and tourism industry should confront climate change.

The same day sees another high point of the convention programme. Prof. Dr. Norbert Walter, Chief Economist of Deutsche Bank, Eric Heymann, Senior Economist Deutsche Bank AG/DB Research, and Philipp Ehmer, Deutsche Bank AG/DB Research, will be holding papers on “Tourism in 2030“ and showing how climate change is reshaping the tourism map of the world.

Their information is based on a survey called “Climate change and tourism“, due for release at the ITB 2008, which is an analysis by Deutsche Bank Research on how climate change is impacting on the tourism industry. The survey names the winners and losers as a result of climate change and suggests ways to adapt.

The main topics at the Hospitality Day on Thursday, 6 March will include the environmental concepts of the hotel trade, which an event under the heading of “Green Hotels“ will examine. Are these concepts merely a marketing tag or will they have a lasting impact? Among the participants debating this question will be Ed Fuller, CEO Marriott International, Tony Williams, Emirates Hotels & Resorts, Dr. Manfred Stock of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Dr. Michael Hartmann, Siemens Technology. The event will be moderated by experts Welf Ebeling, Executive Vice President and COO of The Leading Hotels of the World, and Maria Pütz-Willems, hospitalityInside.com.

Discussion is focusing Increasingly on commercial aviation because of its impact on our climate.

On Friday, March 7 at the ITB Aviation Day, the showcase event for the global aviation industry, there will be a dual focus on this highly controversial topic, with high-ranking figures attending the Solar Impulse forum chaired by Dr. Bertrand Piccard. An adventurer and scientist, he developed the first solar-powered glider, and now plans to highlight the opportunities for research and innovation with renewable energy sources by circumnavigating the world with a craft that uses no fuel and produces no toxic emissions. He has already completed a non-stop circumnavigation of the world in a hot-air balloon. Among other topics the ITB Aviation Day will discuss the viability of solar technology in commercial aviation.

Some leading names will be getting to grips with a hotly contested issue: “Is commercial aviation destroying our climate?“ They include Andrew Harrison, CEO easyJet, Eric Heymann, Senior Economist, Deutsche Bank AG/DB Research, Dr. Rainer Ohler, Senior Vice President Public Affairs and Communications, Airbus, Dr. Janina Scheelhaase, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, and Dr. Tanja Wielgoß, General Manager, Bundesverband der Deutschen Fluggesellschaften. The discussion will focus on aircraft pollution and climate change, and on whether air travel will one day become unaffordable.

On Thursday, 6 March a session under the heading of “Progress in tourism research”, co-organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswirtschaft, will be introducing particularly successful methods for developing unique and effective destination products. Prof. Dr. Anders Levermann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Prof. Dr. Hansruedi Müller, Director of the Research Institute for Leisure and Tourism at the University of Bern will be presenting the scientific facts on climate change and be talking about the impact on tourism.

Also on 6 March, leading figures will be taking part in an event on the subject of sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean. This is organised by Europäische Investitionsbank (EIB) and admission is by invitation only. Discussion will focus on the sustainability of cultural, social, economic and human resources key to maintaining the natural environment in countries in southern parts of the Mediterranean.

On Friday, 7 March the ADAC Tourism Forum will be taking place for the first time at the ITB Berlin. Leading experts from the tourism and transport industry will be taking part in the debate under the heading of “Tourism by car in the age of climate change“. They include Heinrich Beckmann, Management Spokesman of DB AutoZug GmbH, Dr. Peter Brandauer, Mayor of Werfenweng and President of Alpine Pearls, Dr. Gordo Jain, Government Executive Officer, Federal Ministry of the Environment , Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, Markus Graf von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff, classic car racer, who owns a spa clinic and hotel and has built his own motor racing circuit, Albert Kockelmann, Division Manager at ADAC and Coordinator for motorcycles, classic cars, car marques and local clubs, and Dr. Peter Zimmer, Manager of Tourism and Travel Services at ADAC. ADAC Vice-President for Tourism Max Stich will provide an introduction to the discussion round with some expert information.

Do travellers from industrial nations honour zero footprint projects in Africa? What does a zero footprint tourism infrastructure look like? The Africa Forum will be taking up these topics on Thursday, 6 March. Africa urgently depends on income from international tourism. The issue will be about how to ensure that air travellers can still visit this faraway destination in the face of climate change. Best practice examples from other industries will be highlighted to show that zero footprint tourism is possible in Africa too.

“Respecting the environment” is the topic of the Business Travel Supplier Day on Saturday, 8 March. “Are providers a driving or driven force?“ This is the controversial question that Oliver Graue, chief editor of biztravel, will be asking the following panel guests: Patricia Benz, Global Director of Sales Germany, Austria & Switzerland, The Rezidor Hotel Group, Michael Führer, Director Sales Germany AirPlus International, Anja Hänel, Verkehrsclub Deutschland, and Torsten Kriedt, Senior Director, Consulting & Practice Development, BCD-Advito.