Winners of Messe Berlin’s ITB Book Awards 2009 selected

BERLIN – The winners of the ITB Book Awards 2009 have been announced.

BERLIN – The winners of the ITB Book Awards 2009 have been announced. This is the eighth time that this award has been given by ITB Berlin to the best traditional travel guides, travel books, and illustrated travel books, and to developments in new technologies and software applications. The winners comprised a total of 28 series and titles in nine categories, mainly the latest publications from 2008.

“With this prestigious award, Messe Berlin again provides an invaluable impetus, presenting topics, trends, and innovations in a wide spectrum of online and offline publications, which are of particular relevance to tourism,” in the words of David Ruetz, senior manager, ITB Berlin. “The names of the winners will again be published in a brochure, which will available in time for the ITB Book Award 2009 presentation ceremonies at the fair. The online version of this brochure can be accessed from March 11, 2009 at www.itb-buchawards.de .”

The Destination Prize is the pre-eminent prize at the ITB Book Awards 2009, and this year it is devoted to a leading, traditional destination, Italy. An outstanding selection of travel literature has been considered in this category, from the best individual publications and series (subdivided into compact, individual, and traditional travel guides) under the following headings: Italy overall, regions, city guide to Rome, best regional travel guidebook, art guidebook, language guide, tourism maps, illustrated travel book, literary travel book, and illustrated literary travel book. In other categories, the ITB Book Award 2009 also focuses on other aspects such as the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010, pilgrimages, traveling with children, the Travel Innovation Prize and outdoor activities with GPS, special travel guides, special travel books, and special illustrated travel books. Traditionally ITB Berlin also awards a special prize.

The nine categories and 29 award-winning titles and series are:

Destination Awards, Destination Italy (13 awards)

Italy, overall: Baedeker Allianz Guide to Italy

City Guide to Rome, traditional format: Merian Guide to Rome by Eva-Maria Kallinger

City Guide to Rome, compact format: Polyglott on tour Rome

City Guide to Rome, special prize: Polyglott city box Rome

Best Regional Travel Guidebook: Michael Müller’s handy travel guides “Veneto”, “Piemont/Val d’Aosta” and “Tuscany”

Best Series of Travel Guidebooks, compact format: Merian live!

Best Series of Travel Guidebooks, traditional format: DuMont Pocket Travel Guidebook

Best Series of Travel Guidebooks, individual travel: Michael Müller

Art Guidebook Prize: DuMont art guidebooks “Lake Garda” and “Tuscany”

Best Language Guide: Lonely Planet Italian Language Guide

Literary Travel Book: Piper Verlag, “Gebrauchsanweisung für Neapel” (User’s Guide to Naples) by Maria Carmen Morese

Literary Illustrated Travel Book: Frederking & Thaler Verlag, “Eine Reise durch Verdis Italien” (A Journey Through Verdi’s Italy) by Elke Heidenreich with photos by Tom Krausz

Prize for Tourism Maps: Marco Polo maps 1:200.000 and Marco Polo regional maps 1:300.000

European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 Partner Region of ITB Berlin 2009

– Prize: Marco Polo, City Guide “Ruhrstädte für Ruhrstädter 2009” (Cities of the Ruhr for their Citizens)

– Prize: Travel Expertise, “Ruhrgebiet Kulturhauptstadt 2010” (Ruhr Region Cultural Capital 2010) by Tanja Köhler and Norbert Wank

The Current Pilgrimage Trend

Guide: Bruckmann Verlag, “Der Jakobsweg” (The Camino de Santiago) Hartmut Pönitz

Literary Travel Book: Piper Verlag, “Spanish Steps” by Tim Moore

Traveling with Children

Hiking: blv Verlag, “Familienberge” (Mountains for Families) by Mirjam Hempel

Series of Travel Guidebooks: pmv Verlag, “Freizeit mit Kindern“ (Leisure Time with Children)

Innovation Prize for the Topical Subject of “GPS”

Outdoor Navigation Device: Garmin, “Oregon 400t”

User Software: 3D maps & Magic Maps tour planner “Tour Explorer”

Advice for Users: Bruckmann Verlag, “GPS für Biker“ (GPS for Bikers) by Thomas Froitzheim

Illustrated Travel Book

White Star Verlag, “Mit den Augen Buddhas – Das Indien Siddharthas” (With Buddha’s Eyes – Siddhartha’s India) by Marilia Albanese with photos by Gianni Baldizzone

Bucher Verlag, “Transsibirische Eisenbahn. Von der Taiga zum Pazifik” (Transsiberian Railway. From the Taiga to the Pacific) by Anne and Olaf Meinhardt

Special Travel Guidebook

Insel Verlag, “Literarischer Führer Deutschland” (Literary Guide to Germany) by Fred Oberhauser and Axel Kahrs

Special Travel Book

Hannibal Verlag nd Asphalt Tango, Garth Cartwright’s Odyssey through the Balkans, in book and music CD form

Herder Verlag, “Senk ju vor träwelling” by Mark Spörrle and Lutz Schumacher

Special ITB Berlin Prize

Langenscheidt Fachverlag, “Das Tourismus-Lexikon” by Günter Schröder

Presentation of the awards:

The spectacular multimedia prize-giving ceremony for the ITB Book Award 2009 is taking place in collaboration with the Italian State Tourist Board ENIT during ITB Berlin, on:

Friday, March 13, 2009, from 3 to 5 pm, Main Stage, Hall 4.1,

Presented by: Mary Amiri (Vox TV)

The judges for the ITB Book Award 2009:

Volkhard Bode (freelance journalist, editorial department, Börsenblatt des deutschen Buchhandels)

Cornelia Camen (editorial department BuchMarkt)

Armin Herb (editorial department Armin Herb)

Peter Hinze (FOCUS news magazine)

Astrid Ehring (Press Officer ITB Berlin)

Organization and communication work: Büro Philipp, Munich

About the author

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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