This book offers insight into important trends in the global travel and tourism industry and analyzes developments in the aviation and hospitality industry, destination management and general travel behavior. The articles are based on presentations and panel discussions presented at the world's largest tourism convention, the ITB Convention Market Trends and Innovations.

Zusammenfassung
As other industries, the global travel and tourism industry has been facing - mense challenges and highly visible upheaval since the beginning of the new m- lennium. The International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin, the world's leading travel trade fair, aims at pinpointing the most important challenges, identifying the trends and offering a platform to solve pressing problems. The ITB Convention Market Trends & Innovations has developed into a center of excellence and a driving force for the global travel and tourism industry, generating a much needed information platform. This compilation unites the highlights of the convention in articles prepared by renowned professionals and scientists from the industry. Readers may benefit from this comprehensive vision of the developments which are shaping the str- ture of the global tourism industry today and in the future. This book is indisp- sable for tourism and travel professionals and well as for academics and students analyzing current global tourism and travel trends. The first chapter takes up the issue of mega trends in society and in the ec- omy and analyzes their effects on the tourism industry. In highly developed co- tries, overwhelming demographical change is underway. Schröder and Widmann demonstrate how tourism businesses should adapt to the aging customer base.

Inhalt
Mega trends and their impact on the tourism industry.- Demographic change and its impact on the travel industry: Oldies nothing but goldies?.- Eve-olution: Women's rising power in travel decisions.- Polarization of markets: Luxury and budget hotels.- Smart shopping in the European low cost flight market.- Aviation management.- The global phenomenon of low cost carrier growth.- Consolidation in the airline business.- Effectively planning and managing European airport capacity.- Destination management.- FIFA World Cup 2006 and its legacy on tourism.- Traveling to a shopping adventure.- Alpine destination life cycles: Challenges and implications.- Marketing and sales management.- Commission systems in tourism.- New stationary distribution channels for tourism.- Travel technology.- Travel technology in the era of Web 2.0.- Website accessibility in the cruise market.- Business travel management.- Trends and issues in global business travel management.- Long-term perspectives in the tourism industry.- Space tourism.- The future of leisure travel.