The beauty, romance, adventure and intrigue of the ancient Silk Road will be celebrated this year in a series of special events taking place at ITB Berlin – the world’s leading travel trade show. Organised by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and supported by ITB Berlin, the Experience the Silk Road programme will give trade and consumers alike the opportunity to take a journey across three continents to discover why the Silk Road is fast becoming one of the world’s most significant network of destinations.
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Summit
Wednesday 9 March 2011 11.00-13.00
‘Istanbul’ Room, Großer Stern (between Halls 10 & 11)
Leaders of the Silk Road destinations will meet to discuss how they can work together to capitalise from the revival of the Silk Road brand at the UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Summit on 9 March 2011. Moderated by UNWTO and supported by ITB Berlin, the Summit will debate development and investment opportunities while tackling some of the regions’ most critical issues and challenges. Key industry players from the public and private sectors will discuss how they can work together to ensure that the Silk Road as a travel experience delivers all that it promises and more.
By invitation only – contact silkroad@unwto.org for more information
Silk Road B2B Tour Operators’ Networking Event
Thursday 10 March 2011, 10-00-11.30
‘Istanbul’ Room, Großer Stern (between Halls 10 & 11)
What are the top selling Silk Road itineraries?
How can multiple visas be organised for tourists in Central Asia?
Which European destinations are historically linked to the Silk Road?
These questions and more will be answered at the Silk Road Tour Operators’ Networking Event, a special session organised by UNWTO, supported by ITB Berlin, that will bring together outbound and incoming tour operators to explore new business opportunities and help overcome the information barriers that complicate packaging the Silk Road. Key trade representatives will uncover the secrets to selling Silk Road product and demonstrate why this ancient travel route is experiencing a new revival.
For more information, contact silkroad@unwto.org
The Silk Road Hour – at the ITB Film Festival 2011
In conjunction with the 10 year Anniversary of “The Golden City Gate” International Tourism Film and Media competition
14.00-15.00 daily at the ITB Cinema, Hall 7.2a
The Silk Road Hour, shown daily on the silver screen at the ITB Film Festival 2011, will be a collection of short films starring the great destinations of the Silk Road. Witness the legacy of the ancient route that connected the East with the West for many centuries and take a visual journey to the key points of interest across the globe where visitors can relive the history and intrigue of the Silk Road today.
For more information, please visit www.das-goldene-stadttor.de/engl_content
-Break out box promoting the new Silk Road pavilion
| New at ITB Berlin 2011!
Visit the Silk Road Pavilion at Halls 7.2a & 7.2b |
PROGRAMME TEXT
UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Summit at ITB Berlin
Driving tourism development through the Silk Road brand
Wednesday 9 March 2011,
‘Istanbul’ Room, Großer Stern (between Halls 10 & 11), ITB Berlin
Messe Berlin Exhibition Grounds, Germany
In 2011, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), supported by ITB Berlin, will host a series of events designed to promote the Silk Road tourism brand at the world’s leading travel trade show.
As part of this programme, the first ever UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Summit will take place, bringing together leading decision makers in tourism to discuss opportunities for developing the Silk Road brand in the context of:
Ø Increasingly competitive economies in Asia and the Middle East
Ø Enhanced connectivity via rail networks linking Central Asia to Europe and beyond
Ø Market trends and growing demand for experience-based, seamless travel
Ø Mobile technologies and the role of social media
Ministers and leading private sector representatives will share experiences and insight from across all corners of the Silk Road, addressing key issues relating to the three pillars of the UNWTO Silk Road Action Plan: i) Marketing and promotion, ii) Capacity building and destination management and iii) Travel facilitation.
The outcome of the Summit will help shape UNWTO’s global vision for Silk Road tourism.
