ITB Berlin 2026 focuses on stability, innovation and international partnerships

At this year's opening press conference at the CityCube Berlin, Messe Berlin CEO Dr. Mario Tobias, Angola's Minister of Tourism Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, President Albin Loidl and Mitra Sorrells, Senior Vice President Content at the US market research institute Phocuswright, spoke about stability, innovation and international cooperation in a challenging global environment. The group expressed their concern about the current developments in Iran and the region. Tobias said that the industry's thoughts were with those affected and their families, and that they were in constant contact with exhibitors and guests. Loidl emphasized that the safety of travelers and employees was the top priority. Tour operators were monitoring the situation very closely and hoped for de-escalation and a diplomatic solution. The events showed once again how closely networked – and at the same time how fragile – the industry is.

Dr. Tobias: anniversary edition a platform for orientation and innovation
Messe Berlin CEO Dr. Tobias put the anniversary edition into perspective strategically. He said that now more than ever, ITB Berlin was a place of orientation in times of geopolitical tension, technological upheaval and growing sustainability requirements. Under the heading ’Leading Tourism into Balance’, the ITB Berlin Convention put the emphasis on resilient business models, sustainable growth and the responsible use of new technologies.

With close to 6,000 exhibitors from over 160 countries, the trade show had underscored its global importance. Tobias also pointed to other advanced digital services and networking formats, and to international expansion with the launch of ITB Americas in Guadalajara, Mexico, in November of this year.

Host Country Angola: tourism driving diversification and local added value
As this year's official host country, Angola was making use of the platform to position tourism as a strategic pillar of economic diversification. Minister Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel highlighted sustainable development, economic resilience and social inclusion. With its young population, Angola had great potential for employment and entrepreneurial initiative in tourism. Training, local value creation and community-based models were central components of the strategy. Under the heading ’The Rhythm of Life’, the country was presenting itself as an authentic, culturally rich destination with an interest in international partnerships.

DRV: Germans continue to travel – with package tours, earlier, and are price-sensitive
DRV President Albin Loidl emphasised Germans' continued desire to travel despite geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties. In the past year, Germans had spent 88 billion euros on pre-booked holiday trips – five per cent more than in the previous year.

Organised forms of travel were the main growth driver: sales of package tours and dynamically packaged trips had risen by more than nine per cent to 43.4 billion euros. At the same time, travellers were becoming more price-sensitive – many of them were booking earlier, frequently chose all-inclusive trips and paid greater attention to their travel expenses.

Phocuswright: AI will become the operational standard in the travel industry
Mitra Sorrells from Phocuswright provided a global market outlook. The global travel market continued to grow, even if the momentum was levelling off compared to previous years. Technology was moving forward with great strides: according to the latest analyses, at least 83 per cent of travel companies were already using artificial intelligence. As a result, AI had evolved from a promise for the future to a standard operational tool. At the same time, willingness to invest in travel start-ups lagged behind the record levels preceding 2022, she said.