ITB Berlin changes rules due to COVID 2019

The safety of our visitors is our highest goal. This is a known phrase often used when there is nothing else to say. 100,000 travel professionals from all corners of the globe are ready with tickets in hand to fly to Berlin and attend ITB 2020. Some already said they canceled, but the investment to exhibit at ITB is tremendous. Money talks for many exhibitors and it appears the City of Berlin cannot afford to write off such an event. Berlin owns the majority of Messe Berlin.

Today ITB put new rules in place to “secure” the safety of their visitors, exhibitors, and staff.

While events get canceled in many European cities, including Frankfurt and Cologne, the German Capital Berlin shows resilience. The founder of the tourism resilience movement the Hon. Minister of Tourism from Jamaica, Edward Bartlett is staying safely home because to attend parliamentary meetings.

Mohammed Hersi, Chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation has a reminder stating on Twitter: Cost-benefit analysis, better off postponing the fair to a later date. Can you imagine all those delegates running such a risk-taking back the virus to their hotels & firms they run in their country? This is the creme de la creme of global tourism. Not worth the risk even for Berlin . UNWTO please take notice. While crowds are being discouraged in many places ITB will bring together the who is who in world tourism. Corona is not a terror threat that you can physically mitigate.

ITB Berlin issued this statement:

As We have been instructed by the local public health authorities all exhibitors at ITB Berlin are required to fill out a declaration. This declaration is a condition for access to the exhibition grounds and serves to identify persons belonging to a COVID 19 risk group.

The risk group criteria are as follows:

·         A recent stay in one of the risk areas as defined by the Robert Koch Institute (within the last 14 days):

China: Hubei Province (including the city of Wuhan) and the cities of Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Taizhou in Zhejiang Province.
Iran: Qom Province 
Italy: Province of Lodi in the region of Lombardy and the city of Vo in the Province of Padua in the region of Veneto.
South Korea: Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province)

The list of risk areas is being regularly updated by the Robert Koch Institute. Updates can be found on their  website

Visitors meeting the following condition will not be permitted:

• During the last 14 days contact with persons who have tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2.

• Any signs of typical symptoms, i.e. fever, coughing or breathing difficulties. 

• Anyone belonging to the risk group or who refuses to fill out the declaration will not be admitted to ITB Berlin.

This is a precautionary measure in order to protect those participating in ITB Berlin and the public in general. The Federal Ministry of Health and the Robert Koch Institute have assessed that the health risk in Germany remains low (cf. www.rki.de).

Currently, no restrictions on entry to Germany have been imposed on Chinese, Asian or Italian citizens. The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of the council of EU health ministers that still applies. Accordingly, before arriving in EU countries air travelers may be asked if they have been in coronavirus-infected regions or have come into contact with infected persons.

We regret any inconvenience caused. However, the safety and health of all visitors and exhibitors at ITB Berlin has the utmost priority for us, and we are following the instructions of the relevant public health authorities to ensure that.

For that reason, in order to protect exhibitors and visitors, our cleaning and disinfection measures will remain in place. All participants are also advised to observe the hygiene measures recommended by the Robert Koch Institute: regular and thorough washing of hands, as well as avoiding coughing, sneezing and shaking hands.

Let’s hope everyone will fill out their declaration truthfully. The German Federal Minister of Health Spahn doesn’t want people to worry saying, we’re prepared. After he said this 2 more cases of the virus came about in Germany.

Safertourism, PATA, African Tourism Board and LGBTMPA are organizing a Coronavirus breakfast talk with expert Dr. Peter Tarlow from Texas at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin. More information and registration go to www.safertourism.com/coronavirus