Europe


CARINTHIA TOURIST BOARD (EU1600) Christian Kresse, chief executive


WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018? The new direct flights from Gatwick to Klagenfurt in Carinthia. Ski pistes are especially sunny on the southern side of the Austrian alps, which is another reason why Carinthia is becoming ever more popular as a winter-sport destination, especially for families.


WHAT SURPRISES VISITORS ABOUT CARINTHIA? The high-quality nature-adventure programmes that are led by trained guides. Not only do they ensure safety out in the countryside and reveal lots of special information about the land and people, but they also take care of transport, cuisine and equipment. Carinthia’s active nature guides can be booked for individual tours.


WHAT NEW PRODUCT IS PLANNED FOR 2019? A new addition to winter in Carinthia is the Nockberge trail, which connects the skiing areas of Katschberg, Innerkrems, Turrach, Falkert and Bad Kleinkirchheim/ St Oswald. It’s a wise choice for casual skiers who have a good knowledge of ski touring, but aren’t interested in exploring alpine passages. Also new is the Carinthia Card in winter, providing access to Pyramidenkogel, thermal spas, snowshoe hikes and more.


COSTA DEL SOL TOURIST BOARD (EU650) Elias Bendodo, president


HOW ARE INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS FARING? The Costa del Sol has seen a slight increase in the arrival of international tourists, which is good news since it broke all previous records in terms of international tourists in 2017. One in every three passengers comes from the UK, our main source market. This past year nearly three million British people have enjoyed the sun and the beach, monuments, fine food and the options we offer.


WHAT CHALLENGES ARE THE COSTA DEL SOL FACING? A commitment to raising the quality of our offering, to segmentation and to providing tourists with new experiences.


WHAT IS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY FOR 2019? It will focus on digital marketing to reach the tourist directly and advance the segmentation of destinations, with a view to attracting tourists with higher spending power. We will focus on the younger generations, digital natives and the cosmopolitan tourist. It is a strategic segment that contributes to deseasonalisation, to improving profitability and to reinforcing the quality and sustainability of the Costa del Sol.


IBEROSTAR HOTELS & RESORTS (AF400) Finn Ackermann, commercial director EMEA


WHICH HOTEL IS PERFORMING BEST? In Spain we see a very clear pattern: our refurbished and upgraded hotels are performing really well, while those few due to have a renovation next year are a bit more challenging, despite the difference in the rates. Iberostar Grand Perast in Montenegro (pictured) is very positive and obviously Tunisia is having a great comeback – a good moment for us to grow from four to six Iberostar hotels in the destination for summer 2019.


WHAT NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS ARE IN THE PIPELINE? We have a massive ongoing investment plan with almost €1 billion budgeted for the next 4-5 years,


adding to the


€500 million already invested in the past four years, mainly in refurbishments. We have just opened the Iberostar Grand Packard five-star in Havana, the most prestigious hotel in Cuba. More hotels to come in 2019 are in Rome, Madrid, Algarve, Cuba, Majorca and Ibiza.


WHAT’S THE TOP REASON TO CHOOSE IBEROSTAR IN 2019? We offer the best locations, best service, excellent gastronomy and, of course, the best staff at guests’ disposal.


POLISH TOURISM ORGANISATION (EU1420) Iwona Białobrzycka, UK and Ireland director


WHAT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE LAUNCHED IN 2018? We have not only continued to increase our global presence and launched marketing opportunities in South Korea and Singapore, but we’ve also added a new direct route from Warsaw to Singapore. We’ve also launched marketing projects dedicated to tour operators and travel agents.


WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT IN 2019? Never before has Polish culinary tradition been put in the spotlight,


but it’s been highlighted with Krakow winning the first title of the European Capital of Gastronomy Culture in 2019. We also expect new flight connections to increase business travel and Mice customers.


WHICH SECTORS WILL YOU BE TARGETING IN 2019? We will create an image of Poland as a country for everyone, regardless of age or budget. We are planning to enhance our presence across media platforms, while seeking to reach people who search for authentic stories. We expect to see more digital promoters and culinary


influencers writing about their experiences in Poland – satisfied visitors are our biggest advertising capital.


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