Press Release

ITB Berlin is turning 60 and enters the new trade show year with a special anniversary edition from 3 to 5 March 2026. Events will officially kick-off with the opening press conference, on Monday, 2 March 2026, on the morning before the show, at 10 a.m. in Room A3 at the CityCube Berlin (map of the grounds), offering media representatives a concise overview of key industry trends, strategic developments and the main topics at the World's Leading Travel Trade Show.

Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin, will present the highlights, topics and trends of the sixtieth anniversary edition. This year's Host Country Angola will be represented by Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Angola, who will provide insights into the country's tourism highlights and prospects. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, speaks about the new EU strategy for sustainable tourism and the current priorities of European tourism policy. Mitra Sorrells, Senior Vice President Content at Phocuswright, will present the latest market data and trend analyses, including on global market growth in so-called growth regions (Middle East, Latin America, India) and the growing use of AI in the travel sector. Albin Loidl, President of the German Travel Association (DRV), will give an outlook for the prospects of German outbound tourism and key trends in the German travel industry in 2026.

Following the press conference, media representatives are invited to an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, which will offer a preview of selected stands and key areas of the trade show before it officially opens. In the afternoon at 4 p.m. the UN Ministers' Summit at ITB Berlin will take place. The opening day will conclude with the newly organised ITB Berlin Opening Gala, featuring the official host country Angola. Full details are already online in the ITB Berlin event overview, the ITB Navigator and the ITB app, along with information on ITB Berlin Convention sessions.

Opening press conference of ITB Berlin 2026
Participants:
Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin
Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Angola
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Mitra Sorrells, Senior Vice President Content, Phocuswright
Albin Loidl, President, German Travel Association (DRV)
10.00 – 11.00 a.m., CityCube Berlin | Room A3

Exclusive behind-the-scenes tour for media representatives before the start of the show
Stopping off at the new ITB Späti, the ITB Berlin Host Country Angola, Premium Partner Airbnb, Adventure Travel Partner Peru, Trip.com, Airalo and others.
Safety notice: Please note that the tour passes through an area undergoing construction work. We recommend sturdy footwear. Please watch out for potential trip hazards, loose screws or other obstacles. Participants are asked to take care and act responsibly.
If interested, please register by emailing: presse-itb@messe-berlin.de
11.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Start: CityCube Berlin, Room A3

UN Ministers' Summit at ITB Berlin
The focus will be on the fundamentals for sustainable growth in tourism – from effective governance and skilled labour development to other key areas of action. Numerous tourism ministers from around the world will discuss the political framework and future strategies for the industry.
4.00 – 5.00 p.m., CityCube Berlin | Room A3

ITB Berlin 2026, Opening Gala
By invitation only.
6.30 p.m., CityCube Berlin, Hall B via the main entrance

Official opening tour of ITB Berlin
including the opening ceremony on the stand of Angola, the Host Country of ITB Berlin
starting from 9.30 a.m., Hall 21/112

Press conference – alltours
Organised by: alltours flugreisen GmbH
9.30–10.30 a.m., hub 27 | Room Beta 8

Press conference - Austria at ITB Berlin 2026
From the lecture series ’Events at the booth’ | Registration until 27. Feb. 2026 at medien@austria.info
10.00 – 10.45 a.m., hub27 | 106

Press conference – Costa Rica
Organised by: Costa Rica Tourism Board – ICT
10.00 – 11.00 a.m., hub 27 | Room Beta 9

LGBTQ+ Media Brunch
Organised by: Turespana, Sevilla
Registration: LGBTQ+ Media Brunch. Press accreditation is mandatory.
10.00 – 11.30 a.m., Hall 4.1 | LGBTQ+ Tourism Stage

Press conference – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
From Sea to Sound: Seasonal highlights at the holiday destination of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Organised by: MV Tourismus GmbH
11.00 a.m. – 12 noon, hub 27 | Room Beta 2

Official Opening of the LGBTQ+ Tourism Pavilion
11.30 – 11.45 a.m., Hall 4.1 | LGBTQ+ Tourism Stage

Opening of the exhibition ’Destination Europe: A Journey in Posters’
A vibrant exhibition featuring iconic tourism posters showing how Europe has invited the world to travel for generations.
Participants: Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin
Dr. Eduardo Santander, Executive Director and CEO, European Travel Commission (ETC)
Alberto Bosque Coello, Coordinator of the Museum of Tourism
12 – 1.00 p.m., hub27 | Booth 300

Official Opening of the ITB Medical & Health Tourism Pavilion
12 – 12.15 p.m., Hall 4.1 | Medical & Health Tourism Stage

Medical Media Networking Lunch
Registration: MEDICAL MEDIA NETWORKING LUNCH
12.15 – 1.30 p.m., Hall 4.1 | Medical & Health Tourism Stage

NextGen – Pitch contest for young talents
1.30 - 2.00 p.m., Hall 4.1 | ITB Lighthouse Stage

Pitch – East African Community (EAC)
2.00 – 2.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Press conference – Visit Angola
H.E. Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Angola
Press contacts: Anke Möller (anke.moeller@klebergroup.com) and Aline Vitzthum (aline.vitzthum@klebergroup.com)
2.00 - 3.00 p.m., CityCube Berlin | Room A1

Press conference – Visit Maldives
Organised by: Visit Maldives Corporation Limited
2.00 – 3.00 p.m., hub27 | The room will be announced shortly.

Pitch – Comune di Genova
2.30 - 3.00 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch – Tajikistan: With Love from High Altitudes
3.30 - 4.00 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

LGBTQ+ Networking Reception
Registration: Link.
5.00 – 7.00 p.m., Hall 4.1 | ITB LGBTQ+ Tourism Stage

ITB Medical & Health Networking Reception
Registration: https://medical-health-networking-reception.eventbrite.de/
5.00 – 7.00 p.m., Hall 4.1 | ITB Medical & Health Tourism Stage

NextGen – Pitch contest for young talents Award
5.30 - 6.30 p.m., Hall 4.1 | ITB Lighthouse Stage

ITB Afterwork Party: ‘Cheers to 60 Years of Legacy’
Organised by ITB Berlin
5.30 – 7.00 p.m., South entrance

ITB Chinese Night 2026
An exclusive networking evening connecting 300 key players from the Chinese and international travel industry – including tourism boards, destinations, and travel agencies.
Enjoy inspiring conversations, vibrant Chinese cultural performances, and excellent cuisine in a dynamic business setting. Please confirm your participation by 25 February 2026 via online registration: https://www.itb-china.com/chinese-night-2026/
6:30 pm, Berlin Downtown (the address will be included in the registration confirmation letter)

Press conference – DTS Incoming Hellas
Organised by: DTS Incoming Hellas
10.00 – 11.00 a.m., hub 27 | Room Gamma 8

Youth travel in the media spotlight: quality standards, safety and the responsibility of an entire industry
10.30 – 11.00 a.m., Hall 4.1 | booth 222

Presentation of the ADFC Cycling Travel Analysis 2025
11.00 a.m. – 12 noon, hub27 | Room Beta 8

Pitch – Antonina Turizm: Trans Siberian Express: The Trans Siberian Luxury Rail Expedition
Attila Tuna, CEO
11.30 a.m. – 12 noon, Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch – Nepal: Paving Paths for Responsible Tourism and Product Diversification
Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board
12 – 12.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch – The Bahamas: Seven reasons why The Bahamas should be on your bucket list
Bahamas Tourist Office - c/o Majunke International Sales
12.30 - 1.00 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch – Turkey: Go Cycling Go Türkiye, Cycling through History and Nature
Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency
1.00 - 1.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Press conference – Sri Lanka
Organised by: Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau
2.00 – 3.00 p.m., hub 27 | Room Beta 9

Pitch – Worldia GmbH: AI – booking platform for travel agencies
Erwan Corre, CRO & co-founder
2.00 – 2.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Visit East Africa – Feel the Vibe: Connecting Destinations, People and Opportunities
Simon Kiarie, Principal Tourism Officer, East African Community
2 – 2.30 pm, Hall7.2c / ITB Späti

PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit
The Future of Tourism & PATWA International Travel Awards 2026
2.30 - 5.00 p.m., CityCube Berlin | Room A4

Pitch – myclimate: How “Cause We Care” structures and digitalises sustainability
Maria Zietemann, Teamlead corporate partnerships myclimate
2.30 – 3.00 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Announcement of the winner of the Guesbutler prize draw
3.00 – 3.30 p.m., Hall 7.1c | booth 112

Pitch – Qualiday Travel: Breaking Language Barriers in Tourism: Real Time AI Voice Translation for Seamless Travel Experiences
Olga Thoma, Manager Qualiday Travel
3.00 – 3.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Ocean Cruise Panel
Cruise industry meeting at ITB 2026
Organised by: Bremen + Bremerhaven
3.30 – 4.30 p.m., Hall 27 | Stand 303

Pitch – IDeaS Revenue Solutions: Spotlight: A New Focus on Revenue Centric Hotel Marketing
Mike Chuma: Chief Marketing Manager
3.30 – 4.00 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

ITB Travel Tech Startup Scene
4.00 – 4.20 p.m., Hall 7.1a Orange Stage

ITB Travel Tech Startup Pitches
4.20 – 5.00 p.m., Hall 7.1a Orange Stage

ITB Americas Night – A New Meeting Point
The event provides a first opportunity to discuss ITB Americas, the new trade show for the entire American travel market due to launch in Guadalajara, Mexico from 10 to 12 November 2026. Registration: https://itb-americas.com/night/
5.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c/ ITB Späti

Travelife Awards 2026
Recognition of outstanding achievements in sustainability in the travel industry. Organised by: Travelife
5.35 – 6.00 p.m., Hall 4.1 | ITB Lighthouse Stage

River cruise panel discussion
Cruise industry meeting at ITB 2026
Organised by: Bremen + Bremerhaven
10.30 – 11.30 a.m., Hall 27 | Stand 303

Official photo op for the press – Maldives
Participants: Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Tourism and Environment of the Maldives
11 a.m., Hall 5.2/ Booth 115

Pitch – Vox S.p.A. : AI-Powered Live Translation for Multilingual Group Travel
John Boulding, Senior Industry Adviser
11.30 a.m. – 12 noon, Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch – OneJourney: OneJourney™ launches the world’s first Hospitality Payment Card - SwiftPay™
Brian Dass, CEO
12 – 12.30 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch – Pro Sky: Pro Sky Centralizes Group Air Travel for Events
12.30 - 1.00 p.m., Hall 7.2c | ITB Späti

Pitch WONDERO Inc.: Wandero.ai - the agentic AI that handles daily operations at travel companies
Giorgi Akhalaia, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer
13:00 - 13:30 Uhr, Halle 7.2c | ITB Späti

GENDER EQUALITY AWARDS
Hosted by: Prof. Stroma Cole, Director, Equality in Tourism, equalityintourism.org
2.00 – 2.45 p.m., Hall 4.1 | ITB LGBTQ+ Tourism Stage

You can register online here now. Please note the accreditation guidelines. After your application has been processed and approved you will receive an email with a PDF containing your accreditation, press badge and a personal QR code. Please display this QR code at the entrance. Your ticket is non-transferable. You can register and obtain accreditation online around the clock for the entire duration of the event.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention and ITB 360°
ITB Berlin 2026 will take place from Tuesday, 3 to Thursday, 5 March as a B2B event. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the leading trade show for the global travel industry. In 2026, it will celebrate its 60th anniversary under the motto “Discover the stories behind 60 years of legacy.” At the same time, the ITB Berlin Convention will take place under the theme “Leading Tourism into Balance,” bringing together 400 top speakers from business, science and politics on four stages and across 17 thematic tracks to explore the key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the industry. At ITB Berlin 2025, 5,800 exhibitors from more than 170 countries and territories displayed their products and services to almost 100,000 visitors. With ITB 360°, the 365-day global innovation hub that is ITB Berlin now offers the worldwide tourism community year-round insights in the shape of specialist articles, podcasts and other innovative formats.

Additional information is available at www.itb.com and from the ITB News & Insights & Social Media.

Press releases can be found online at itb.com under Press Service / Press Releases.

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