Exclusive Insights from ITB Berlin 2024: Unlock the Future of Travel

What is the ITB Berlin Convention?

Taking place from March 5th to 7th, ITB Berlin serves as a crucial gathering point for the travel sector. The ITB Berlin Convention 2024 will see a myriad of international experts uniting under the motto ‘Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism Together’.

This collaboration unfolds across 17 themed tracks at ITB Berlin, spread over four live stages. In addition to being a meeting point, ITB Berlin also provides a dynamic platform for the change of groundbreaking ideas. Highlights for this year include the increasing application possibilities of artificial intelligence as well as the challenges of advancing digitalization. Visiting partners at the ITB Berlin Convention will receive updates directly from the executives of top international firms. This opportunity offers a unique opportunity for networking and business development within the travel and tourism industry.

March 5th – Global Market Trends & Technological and Legal Challenges

This event will spotlight global market trends alongside technological and legal challenges. These discussions will address the needs of travel agencies, hospitality professionals, and tour operators. Notable discussions of March 5th, 2024, feature:

Current challenges faced by the airline and cruise industry by Carrier & Cruise Track

Discussion about future prospects and technology in tourism by Glenn Flogel, CEO of Booking Holdings.

Engineering and the future: How GenAI and Microsoft copilot bring new intelligence to travel by Karim Bagga – Engineering Group Manager, Travel & AI Microsoft.

How GenAI is changing the digital world- from future technology to daily business by Stefan Ebener – Head of Customer Engineering, Google.

How Airbnb is unlocking new opportunities for growth by Dave Stephenson – Chief Business Officer, Airbnb.

March 7th – The Responsibility of Tourism for Biodiversity and Climate Justice

Recently, sustainability and eco-tourism have taken centre stage in the tourism sector, with every player, from airlines to resorts, striving to green their operations. With this, the responsibility of tourism for biodiversity and climate justice will be the focus of the responsible tourism track to be hosted on March 7th at ITB Berlin. During this track, current practical examples will be used to demonstrate sustainable solutions. This will highlight the industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation The top speakers to be hosted on the 7th include:

Bruno Oberle – President World Resources Forum Association

Külli Kraner – Head of Tourism, Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications

Ingo Burmester – CEO, DER Touristik

If you love traveling and earning rewards, the expanded partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards is great news. With over 35 million members worldwide, this collaboration lets you convert points between the two programs, doubling your opportunities to earn and redeem rewards whether you fly or stay at a hotel. Here’s a simple guide to what this means for you and how to get the most out of your travel loyalty programs.

What Is the Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards Partnership?

Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty program for Marriott International’s vast hotel portfolio, including more than 30 brands worldwide. Emirates Skywards is the frequent flyer program of Emirates Airlines, flying to over 140 destinations globally. Together, they’ve been partnering for over 10 years to let travelers earn rewards faster now with a new feature that lets you convert Skywards Miles to Marriott Bonvoy Points and vice versa.

How Does the Points and Miles Conversion Work?

The key highlight of this partnership is the seamless conversion between Marriott Bonvoy Points and Emirates Skywards Miles:

Convert Marriott Bonvoy Points to Emirates Skywards Miles: For every 3 Marriott Bonvoy Points, you get 1 Skywards Mile. Plus, if you convert 60,000 points, you receive a bonus of 5,000 Skywards Miles.
Convert Emirates Skywards Miles to Marriott Bonvoy Points: Starting now, you can convert 3 Skywards Miles into 2 Marriott Bonvoy Points. The minimum transfer is 3,000 Miles.

To make a conversion, log in to your Emirates Skywards account, enter your Marriott Bonvoy membership details, and convert easily on the Emirates website.

Double Your Rewards Earn Both Points and Miles

Here’s how you earn more rewards by linking your accounts:

When staying at Marriott Bonvoy hotels: Earn 1 Skywards Mile for every USD 1 spent, on top of your Marriott Bonvoy points.
When flying Emirates: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and above members earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy Points for every USD 1 spent on Emirates flights, in addition to Skywards Miles.

If you have elite status in either program, you also get special perks like priority check-in, priority boarding on Emirates flights, late hotel checkout, and complimentary in-room Wi-Fi.

Who Can Benefit Most from This Partnership?

This program is perfect for frequent travelers who fly with Emirates and stay at Marriott hotels regularly. To maximize benefits:

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, and Ambassador Elite members earn bonus points on Emirates flights and get airport perks.
Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold, and Platinum members earn miles on Marriott stays and receive hotel elite benefits like late checkout and priority check-in.

Keep in mind, you need to be registered with both programs under the same name and link your accounts to enjoy these benefits.

Why This Partnership Matters for Travelers

With this upgraded collaboration, your travel rewards become more flexible and valuable. Whether you want to use your points to book a luxurious hotel stay across 144 countries or redeem miles for flights to 158 destinations, this partnership opens doors to a more rewarding travel experience.

It’s especially helpful if you want to switch between earning hotel points and airline miles without losing value. Plus, the ability to earn both simultaneously makes every trip more rewarding.

How to Get Started

Make sure you are an active member of both Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards.
Link your accounts online through the Your World Rewards portal or Emirates website.
Start earning double rewards on flights and hotel stays.
Convert points and miles easily whenever you want to enjoy stays or flights.
Don’t forget to check your elite status perks before booking to get the most value.

Elevate Your Travel Rewards with Marriott and Emirates

If you travel often, this enhanced Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards partnership gives you more freedom and flexibility to earn and spend rewards across a global network of hotels and flights. The ability to convert miles to points and vice versa means your loyalty rewards can work exactly how you want them to whether that’s booking your next Emirates flight, upgrading your hotel stay, or simply enjoying exclusive perks.

Link your accounts today to start maximizing your travel rewards and experience the best of both worlds the comfort of Marriott hotels and the luxury of Emirates flights all while earning twice the rewards.

*As announced on 27th May 2025 by Emirates