Participating in the world’s largest travel trade show in Berlin this month on the IHG corporate stand, officials from Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha came away with confirmed business for the year ahead and confident that the hotel and Dubai would remain a popular choice in Europe, and Germany in particular. More than 110,000 trade visitors attended ITB Berlin this year, 43 per cent from overseas, with an upturn reported from the Middle East and the United States. According to Senior Sales Manager, Mohamed Ashour, leading tour operators were keen to find accommodation allocations in Dubai, and while the beach was still a strong sell, he said that more and more travel agents and operators were looking to promote city breaks. “Some 75 per cent of meetings were requests from the German market and it is encouraging that our location next to the Mall of the Emirates was popular, offering as it does easy access to the Dubai Metro and the major shopping areas, as well as the Dubai Marina, golf and beach facilities,” he said. “As a result of our presence at ITB Berlin, we can expect a tremendous boost in room revenue annually from Germany and other Northern European countries.”