Joint Wadden Sea stand focuses on linking sustainable growth and nature protection at ITB 2020 in Berlin
+++ Please note that the ITB 2020 has been cancelled +++
The transnational Wadden Sea World Heritage will be represented with a joint stand at the world's largest tourism fair ITB in Berlin on 4 to 8 March 2020. The stand 227 in hall 4.1 is organised within the framework of the Interreg project “Prowad Link”. Stakeholders come from the Dutch, Danish and German parts of the Wadden Sea as well as The Wash/ North Norfolk Coast (UK). The stand showcases examples of sustainable tourism and cross-border cooperation and invites the fair guests to taste a bit of nature’s open space on Berlin’s crowded fair grounds.
“As a transnational nature site we stand for collaboration,” says Bernard Baerends, Executive Secretary of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS). “Without it, the Wadden Sea could not be treated as the cross-border ecological entity it is. Our ITB concept mirrors this value: We are joined by stakeholders from all parts of the Wadden Sea and beyond.” Next to the Wadden Sea projects Nakuwa and Waddenagenda as well as the World Heritage Magazine, The Wash/ North Norfolk Coast will also be co-exhibitor - a long-standing partner of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation and project partner in the current Interreg project Prowad Link. The project aims to increase revenue from sustainable offers, support nature conservation, promote investment in sustainability and create long-term collaborations together with small and medium sized enterprises.
As the leading trade show for the travel industry, the ITB Berlin poses an opportunity to the Prowad Link partners to connect with other stakeholders in responsible tourism. The organisers invite visitors to network and get to know Wadden Sea World Heritage and Norfolk related services and products. The stand is understood as a remote gateway to the represented natural areas as well as matchmaking platform for trade visitors to engage in a dialogue on economically, socially and ecologically responsible tourism products and services.
Experts on sustainable travel from the Wadden Sea and North Norfolk will also contribute to the ITB’s 15th Pow-Wow for Tourism Professionals at the Adventure stage of hall 4.1., adjacent to the Wadden Sea stand. On Wednesday, 4 March, Hilary Cox, Cromer Town Councillor (UK), will hold a key speech on the hidden shallows of North Norfolk’s coastline. Her speech will be followed by various contributions by Wadden Sea stakeholders on sustainable mobility, underwater adventures, gamification and hiking routes.
During the visitors' days at the weekend, the stand turns into an adventure market for all senses. The Wadden Sea invites young and old with knowledge and discovery games, tastings of typical Wadden Sea products including oysters, virtual mudflat visits and a bird drawing course.
The ITB stand is organised in the framework of the Prowad Link project. 14 project partners in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom work with interested SMEs to develop new, sustainable products and offers in the pilot regions of the Wadden Sea (DK, D, NL), Geiranger Fjord (NO), Wash & North Norfolk Coast (UK). The 3-year project is co-funded by and carried out in the framework of the Interreg North Sea Region Programme under the Programme Priority 1 “Thinking Growth”. The programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union.