Despite the enormous economic and geopolitical challenges, exhibitors and trade visitors at this year's ITB Berlin demonstrated the resilience, adaptability and innovative drive of the industry. The ITB buyer circle with 1,300 senior buyers reflected the economic relevance and high quality, while numerous trade visitors also used the trade fair specifically to make purchasing decisions. The overall positive evaluation is reflected in the results and the high expectations for subsequent business.
The new ITB Travel & Tourism 2025/26 report recognises an extremely positive business climate within the sector and equally favourable prospects for its companies – albeit with numerous recommendations for action. The main themes at ITB Berlin were megatrends such as sustainability and digital transformation, with a particular focus on the enormous opportunities offered by AI for seamless travel and payment solutions, for example. On the topic of sustainability, the sector agreed that future growth and resource use must be harmonised, and that tourism must increasingly undergo a complete transformation. With ITB Innovators 2025, ITB Berlin presented 35 visionary solutions that are redefining global tourism. Whether AI-powered assistants, sustainable mobility services or smart booking systems – the focus was on the most innovative concepts in the industry.
"ITB Berlin 2025 has once again demonstrated the resilience and innovative dynamism of the industry. The shift towards sustainable concepts, the integration of AI and digital transformation open up enormous opportunities. ITB Berlin has made it clear that as an industry, we can only set the pace for sustainable and inclusive tourism if we work together," said Dr Mario Tobias, Managing Director of Messe Berlin, commenting on the mood at ITB Berlin.
ITB Americas for the entire American continent will be launched in Mexico in 2026
ITB heads west: ITB Americas, a new B2B travel fair for the entire American continent, will open in Guadalajara, Mexico from 10 to 12 November 2026. A corresponding agreement was signed at ITB Berlin with the Mexican ambassador in Berlin and representatives of the state of Jalisco. ITB Americas is the only travel fair that covers North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean: 80 percent of the exhibitors will be from America and 20 percent from the rest of the world. The latest results from IPK International confirm a positive trend in outbound travel in this region. Dr. Mario Tobias, Managing Director of Messe Berlin, said: "We are delighted to also be represented on the American continent with ITB Americas. As the only travel fair that covers the entire continent and all areas of the travel industry, we are creating a hub for international dialogue – with Mexico as the ideal location."
ITB Berlin Convention: Forward-looking ideas and practical solutions
The ITB Berlin Convention once again demonstrated why it is a trendsetting think tank. More than 200 keynote speakers, who in 17 themes and 400 sessions on four stages, discussed topics such as digital transformation, the role of AI in travel planning and sustainable business models. The travel market is growing steadily, but is also undergoing major changes, according to the latest surveys by Phocuswright and Euromonitor. Social media content is becoming increasingly important when planning trips. Another trend is the desire for authentic experiences at destinations, which are sometimes more important during planning than the choice of destination itself. On the topic of AI, the focus of the discussion was on the use of AI solutions that maximise the customer experience in tourism and make it more personal. The MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) expects an increase in turnover and business in the coming months. The discussion on the shortage of qualified personnel in the tourism industry also attracted a lot of attention. Industry experts called for intensified training programmes and an innovative approach to employee retention to ensure that companies have stable and adequately staffed workforces.
Generation Z has an important role to play. The impact of diversity challenges, work-life balance and new work on the business climate was one of the main topics of the new Corporate Culture Clash, which was very well received by the attendees and clearly demonstrated the importance of these topics in the industry. The new ITB Transition Labs presented practical examples of sustainability and digitalisation that are worth following. For the first time, all sessions were streamed live and could also be viewed afterwards on the ITB Berlin YouTube channel.
High international participation and attendance of political figures
In addition to trade visitors from around the world, ITB Berlin 2025 attracted high-ranking political figures from other places. In addition to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, 39 ministers from 34 countries and 37 ambassadors visited the world's leading travel fair to exchange views on the latest developments and discuss political decision-making for the future of tourism. The ITB Ministers' Summit organised by the UN for Tourism brought together more than 35 tourism ministers from around the world. They discussed investment, sustainable development and peace in the tourism sector. The high-level event served as a platform for exchanging information on strategies for economic resilience and promoting cross-border partnerships.
The close links between economics and politics were particularly evident in the dialogue that took place between representatives from Europe, Asia and Africa. One of the key topics was the role of tourism as an economic force for the entire value chain in emerging countries. The focus was on funding programmes and initiatives that promote concepts of sustainable and socially responsible tourism.
The host country, Albania, set the tone
This year, Albania, the official host country of ITB Berlin 2025, was given a special spotlight. Under the motto “Albania All Senses”, the emerging tourist destination in the Western Balkans impressed visitors with a wide range of exhibits and set the tone by showcasing culture, nature and sustainable tourism development. Among other things, the Prime Minister of Albania presented ambitious plans for the sustainable development of the country’s coastal regions. Interest in Albania as a destination for individual and cultural tourism is already growing. The impressive presentation of the host country with interactive exhibitions and cultural highlights attracted numerous guests and was praised as one of the highlights of the fair. On the eve of ITB Berlin, the country also hosted a festive opening gala with around 2,500 guests from the business, social and political worlds, and offered a visual and acoustic demonstration of what “Albanity” stands for.
Next year, ITB Berlin will celebrate its 60th anniversary from 3 to 5 March 2026 – a very special milestone in the trade fair’s history. Since its launch in 1966, it has developed into the world’s leading travel trade fair and, with ITB Asia, ITB China, ITB India and ITB Americas from 2026, it now organises four trade fairs for specific regions around the world. The anniversary will highlight the past, present and future of travel with special events. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
English About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention and ITB 360°
ITB Berlin 2026 will take place from Tuesday, March 3 to Thursday, March 5 as a B2B event. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the world's leading trade fair for the travel industry. As in previous years, the internationally renowned ITB Berlin Convention will take place in parallel to the trade fair as a live event at the Berlin exhibition centre. Under this year's motto "The power of transition lives here", leading speakers from the worlds of business, science and politics discussed the current and future challenges facing the industry on four stages and a total of 17 thematic tracks. At ITB Berlin 2025, more than 5,800 exhibitors from 170 countries and territories showcased their products and services to almost 100,000 visitors. With ITB 360°, the 365-day global innovation hub of ITB Berlin now offers the global travel community information all year round in the form of expert articles, podcasts and other innovative formats.
Source: ITB Berlin.