International Toursim Bourse - Berlin

It’s been a while since I wrote about anything specific to Odessa – and today could be yet another day where I concentrate on the shenanigans within Ukraine or the broader regional realpolitik that effects Ukraine – there is always so much to comment upon when living in a nation stuck between the geopolitical masses of the EU and Russia.

However, I feel obliged to write about something local again – so I will – before undoubtedly returning to the regional chess board within which Ukraine is but a chess piece.

In March the International Tourism Bourse takes place in Berlin.  It boasts 150,00 M2 of exhibition space and attracts over 100,000 tourism trade professionals each year.

Ukraine has had a presence there for a number of years – but this year, not only will Ukraine have its own pitch, but Odessa will have its own separate pitch as well – making it the only Ukrainian region to have one – quite rightly with over 1 million tourists from Germany, Italy, the USA, Russia and France last year – not to mention a sprinkling from other countries as well!

So ponder on that Crimea, Carpathia, Lviv and Kyiv!

Doesn’t that make me sound so very……provincial.  I promise to try and be more erudite tomorrow when I return to the bigger picture.  In the meantime though, if you happen to be in Berlin when the ITB gathering occurs, be certain to have a look at the Odessa pitch!

About these ads