Berlin, 12 May 2010 In future, Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH (BTM) will engage in joint promotion activities with the Eastern European metropolis, Budapest, in order to work overseas markets even more effectively. To this end a cooperation agreement was signed in the Hungarian capital between Budapest’s tourism body, Budapesti Turisztikai Nonprofit Kft., and BTM by the CEOs Lázló Fekete and Burkhard Kieker. The aim is to enter into a similar agreement with Prague. Just last week Burkhard Kieker presented Berlin together with the Czech capital to representatives of the Brazilian travel industry.

“Each of the three cities has its own unique charm and they are all linked by their recent history”, says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of BTM. He is looking forward to extensive cooperation with his new partners. “On the European markets we are competitors but on overseas markets we are the ideal partners. With our different profiles we complement each other perfectly. This cooperation is an investment in our future markets. Tourists from Brazil or China in particular are beginning to perceive Central and Eastern Europe as new, exciting travel regions.”“

With Budapest there are plans for joint presentations, workshops, road shows and press events in Brazil, Japan, India, China and Korea. In these countries the demand for new European travel itineraries has grown over the last few years. The focus of tourist interest is increasingly shifting from Western Europe with the travel destinations London, Paris and Barcelona to Central and Eastern Europe with the cities Berlin, Budapest, Prague and Vienna. “We are responding to and strengthening this trend”, comments Kieker.

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