EMIRATES — which flies to 133 destinations in 85 countries, including Zimbabwe, across six continents from its hub in Dubai — has successfully wrapped up its participation at ITB Berlin 2024, welcoming close to 6 000 visitors who experienced its latest products and initiatives, while hosting more than 260 meetings across the three-day travel and tourism event.
JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA
Zimbabwe was represented at ITB Berlin 2024, the world’s largest travel show held in Germany.
Its day was celebrated on 2 March at the stand where traditional cuisine was served to the international audience. The event lured around 800 internationals who came to taste Zimbabwean food.
Gastronomy tourism is an initiative of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa. It is a way of preserving the Zimbabwean tradition and culture, and promotion of healthy living and national identity.
The event provided a platform for the exhibitors to make contact with operators around the world. Zimbabwe`s celebration at ITB showcased not only its culinary delights but also its commitment to preserving tradition, culture as a sustainable strategy of the tourism industry.
Emirates also sealed deals and collaborations with eight companies including cruise-liner operators, tourism boards and airlines across Europe.
The stellar visitor numbers to the airline’s eye-catching stand is a testament to its standout products and onboard experiences, clever use of space, balanced with ample meeting areas ready for doing business.
Emirates leveraged its much-awaited return to ITB Berlin by showcasing its latest signature products including the Emirates Premium Economy seat and game-changer First Class suite for the first time in Germany.
Visitors flocking to the stand got a close look at Emirates’ other iconic products such as the First Class Shower Spa and the latest version of its A380 Economy Class seats, as well as innovative onboard features including the newest generation A380 Onboard lounge.
Emirates’ sustainability initiatives were also on display. Visitors were able to touch and feel the airline’s sustainably sourced onboard amenities and products as well as its sought after ‘air-crafted By Emirates’, a unique capsule collection of luggage, bags and accessories, all sustainably fabricated from upcycled materials from retrofitted aircraft.
The new collaborations forged with the Greek National Tourism Organisation, Austrian National Tourist Office and Tourism Ireland build on Emirates’ ongoing commitment to support incoming tourism into the three markets, as well as the wider region, and further strengthen the appeal of these unique destinations to the airline’s customers.
In line with Emirates’ continued efforts to expand its network footprint in Europe, the airline signed MoUs including ITA, Icelandair and GO7. The new partnerships, which will be activated over the course of the next few months, provide customers even better connectivity and more travel options across Europe.
These agreements will also pave the way for Emirates to help customers wanting to venture beyond its own gateways to exciting leisure and business centres across Europe with easy one stop connections, simplified itineraries, and baggage transfers.
Through the renewal of Emirates’ partnerships with TUI and AIDA Cruises, the airline will further help bolster Dubai’s already growing cruise industry in the lead-up to the next two cruise seasons. The city houses some of the most modern maritime infrastructure in the world, with the capacity to handle thousands of cruise passengers at any one time.
Emirates was honoured to receive a VIP delegation at its ITB stand on the first day of the show.
Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airlines, and Adnan Kazim, Emirates deputy president and Chief Commercial Officer, warmly received Kai Wegner, governing mayor of Berlin; Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and Dieter Janecek, Federal Government coordinator of the Maritime Industry and Tourism, Federal ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and other senior officials.
The airline showcased its economy class seat display with its latest amenities as well as the iconic A380 Onboard Lounge to the VIP delegation, demonstrating its signature and industry-leading products during the official opening tour and to the wider public.
The Emirates stand with its signature cabins on display was also visited by His Excellency Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand. Volker Greiner, Emirates Vice-president North & Central Europe greeted the Thai Prime Minister and the VIP delegation.
ITB Berlin represents Emirates’ largest trade-fair presence outside its home market of Dubai.
