The ceremony was brief, but significant. To applause from numerous convention attendees, Botswana was confirmed as the official partner country of ITB Berlin 2017. The presence of two of Botswana’s high-ranking representatives, Minister of the Environment Tshekedi Stanford Khama II and Thabo Brian Dithebe, CEO of the Botswana Tourism Organisation, who both signed the agreement, was proof of how important this partnership is for this nation in southern Africa. Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH, and David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, signed for Messe Berlin.