Changing times are challenging tourism

Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer called on the travel industry to adapt to new geopolitical challenges. In his keynote speech on Tuesday at ITB Berlin 2026, he said the days of a rules-based world order were over. Instead, the rule of might now prevailed, represented by the two world powers, the USA and China, with India perhaps joining them. The leading figures in tourism should try to act preventively, even becoming "part of diplomacy" if possible.

The political adviser and former Green Party politician said he regretted not being able to offer a more positive world view. Conflict, natural disasters and war were constants, and it was an illusion to believe they could be eliminated. That was why tourism had to adapt too. On a positive note, he said that despite the changing times, people would not stop travelling. "But they won't pay to risk their lives in a luxury hotel room," he said, alluding to the Iran war, in which Iranian drones have targeted hotels in the Gulf region.

"I expected it"

Regarding the current war between the US and Israel on the one hand and Iran on the other, Fischer said: "I expected it." At the latest when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington last week, it was clear to him that military action was imminent. He could not foresee what concrete consequences it would have and doubted whether the final outcome would be positive.

Fischer, who was himself involved in the nuclear negotiations with Iran years ago and is married to the daughter of an Iranian opposition figure, cast doubt on the continued existence of the state as a whole. He said there were so many different ethnic groups there and the hatred was so great that following the elimination of the mullah regime civil war could not be ruled out. This could mean instability for the entire region, including the Gulf states.

Tourism industry must undertake more crisis management

According to Fischer, the tourism industry should incorporate avoiding dangerous situations more into its travel management and make crisis response part of its own rules. Fischer cited the tsunami in Thailand as a cautionary example of such shortcomings, which caught not only tourism but also diplomacy unprepared on Christmas Day 2004. Fischer was foreign minister at the time. He recalled that as well as holidaymakers, local embassy and consulate staff were on Christmas holiday, which made crisis response considerably more difficult. Accordingly, the industry should also learn from the failures of the crisis response to current events.