ITB Berlin Raises Awareness of CSR in Tourism

A fresh impetus for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in tourism: the United Nations has declared 2017 the ’International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development’. Economically, ecologically and socially responsible tourism has always been an important topic at the ITB Berlin trade show.

The ITB Berlin 2017 travel trade show will take place from Wednesday to Sunday, 8 to 12 March, at Messe Berlin.

According to the organizers, this year the lectures, panel discussions and seminars are more wide-ranging than ever. The ITB Berlin Convention and the programme of stage events in Hall 4.1b will feature forward-looking topics, including on climate protection, sustainable food and beverages in the hotel industry and at tourism destinations, as well as child protection and human rights.

From 8 to 10 March 2017 at the 12th Pow-Wow for Tourism Professionals in Hall 4.1b, lectures, panel discussions, workshops and networking events will present and debate up-to-the-minute topics. They include climate protection and nature conservation, geoparks, wildlife tourism, astro-tourism and socially responsible tourism.

Awards for sustainable tourism concepts

On 8 March, for the third year running, the World Legacy Awards, a partnership between National Geographic and ITB Berlin, will take place. This year, for the first time, the ceremony will be held on the stage at the Palais am Funkturm. The winners in five categories will be leading tour operators and travel companies, organisations and destinations which are driving the transition towards sustainable tourism in the global tourism industry. On the Thursday of ITB the five winners of the World Legacy Awards will take part in a panel discussion at the ITB Berlin Convention, with members of the audience able to ask questions.

Also taking place at the Palais am Funkturm on Thursday, 9 March will be the presentation of the international TO DO! Awards given by the Study Group for Tourism and Development. This year, the winners of this prestigious competition sponsored by ITB Berlin are from Myanmar and Uganda. For the first time, in cooperation with the Round Table on Human Rights in Tourism and Studiosus Reisen, and under the patronage of the German UNESCO Commission, the study group will present a TO DO! Award in the Human Rights category. The winner is UNITE – the union, London, UK.

An overview and full details of events are provided here.