ITB Berlin · 2027

Agoris analysis · updated June 2026

Key takeaways

• ITB Berlin 2027 is the world's largest travel trade show, scheduled from Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 March 2027 at Messe Berlin (Berlin ExpoCenter City, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin). Three days of strictly B2B trade show, a consolidated format since the 2023 reform.
• Partner country 2027: Maldives, with a focus on luxury tourism, sustainability and marine conservation. Following Angola in 2026 and Albania in 2025.
• 2026 edition (3 to 5 March, 60th anniversary): around 97,000 trade visitors, 5,601 exhibitors, 166 countries represented, 47 billion euros in transactions and purchasing decisions generated, 96% visitor satisfaction.
• Trade show run by Messe Berlin GmbH since its creation in 1966 by Professor Manfred Busche (first edition: 9 exhibitors, 5 countries: Egypt, Brazil, West Germany, Guinea, Iraq).
• Halls organised by geographic destinations and by market segments: Adventure Tourism, Business Travel, LGBTQ+ Travel, Luxury Travel, Medical Tourism, Travel Technology. eTravel Stage in hall 6.1, Blue Stage in hall 7.1b for the sustainable destination management forum.
• 2027 exhibitor rates not yet published as of June 2026, exhibitor registration deadline set for 1 September 2026.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

A fully B2B professional trade fair covering the entire value chain of global tourism: national and regional tourism offices (NTOs and RTOs), hotel groups, airlines, tour operators and travel companies, cruise lines, inbound agencies, OTAs, TravelTech publishers, GDS, training bodies, media and professional associations. An exclusively professional audience since the B2B transition confirmed in 2023.

Notable exhibitors (2026, 2027 reference base)

Tourism offices and destinations: Angola (2026 partner), Maldives (2027 partner), Albania, Germany, Atout France, Visit Britain, ENIT Italy, Turespaña, Saudi Tourism Authority, Visit Qatar, Dubai DET, Singapore Tourism Board, Brand USA, Japan National Tourism Organization, Tourism Australia.

Hospitality: Accor, Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Radisson, Meliá, NH Hotel Group, Deutsche Hospitality, Kempinski, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Soneva (Maldives luxury benchmark), Six Senses.

Aviation and cruise: Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, TUI Group, DER Touristik, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean.

Distribution and technology: Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport, Booking Holdings, Expedia Group, Trip.com Group, HRS, HBX Group, Trivago. TravelTech startups grouped within the Business France France Tourisme Tech programme.

Retention rate

A core of national and hospitality exhibitors loyal for several decades (European tourism offices, major hotel groups, long-standing GDS). Significant structural renewal driven by TravelTech, new emerging destinations and vertical segments (Adventure, LGBTQ+, Medical, Luxury). A stable French presence around the France Tourisme Tech pavilion run by Business France, complemented by occasional participation from regional tourism committees (CRT).

Visitor quality

100% qualified professionals (named badges issued on proof since the B2B switch in 2023). A mix of decision-makers: tour operator sales and purchasing management, MICE buyers, destination marketing management, hotel general management, hospitality investors, specialist journalists. 166 countries represented on the exhibitor side in 2026, a predominantly European visitor mix complemented by structured delegations from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. A defining purchasing event for seasonal contracts and annual tour operator negotiations.

Activities & community

Conference programme

ITB Berlin Convention, presented by the organisers as the "epicenter for transformative knowledge", is the world's leading B2B tourism congress: more than 400 speakers across the three days. Structural themes: generative AI applied to tourism, sustainability and decarbonisation, transformation of distribution models, geopolitics of travel, vertical segments (luxury, adventure, medical, LGBTQ+). eTravel Stage in hall 6.1 for TravelTech, Blue Stage in hall 7.1b for the sustainable destination management forum and the Green Destinations + ITB Earth Award presentations. The 2027 programme is published in the run-up to the trade show.

Awards & accolades

Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards: 100 sustainable tourism initiatives recognised each year, presented on the Blue Stage. ITB Earth Award 2026: won by Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) for the Golfinho Rotador / Spinner Dolphin marine conservation project. People's Choice 2026: Selçuk (Ephesus Field Life Village, Turkey), elected by more than 20,000 public votes. PATWA International Travel Awards also presented during the trade show. The 2027 winners will be announced beforehand by the organisers, with the awards presented across the three days.

Satellite events

Regional editions of the ITB portfolio run by Messe Berlin: ITB Asia (Singapore, October), ITB China (Shanghai, May), ITB India (Mumbai, September). The France Tourisme Tech TravelTech programme run by Business France, which brings together a collective French startup pavilion at ITB Berlin each year. Occasional side events in Paris and Lyon ahead of the trade show (preparation days, CRT sector briefings).

Community & networks

A single organiser since 1966: Messe Berlin GmbH, operator of the Berlin ExpoCenter City. Trade show created by Manfred Busche (Professor Doctor) in 1966 with 9 exhibitors and 5 countries (Egypt, Brazil, West Germany, Guinea, Iraq). The full B2B switch was confirmed in 2023 and has become permanent: ITB Berlin no longer hosts the general public. Defining institutional partnerships: UNWTO, WTTC, IATA, Skift, ITB Berlin Pioneers Network (alumni). The structured French presence draws on Atout France, Business France (France Tourisme Tech programme) and participating CRT.

What's new for 2027

Maldives as partner country 2027: luxury, sustainability, marine conservation. Continuing the 2026 momentum (97,000 visitors, 5,601 exhibitors, 166 countries, 47bn euros in transactions). An expected strengthening around generative AI applied to distribution, CSRD compliance for European players, and regenerative tourism. Messe Berlin CSR commitment: signatory of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge and the Climate Pledge, with a target of minus 50% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. Sustainable Tourism Zone and Blue Stage renewed in hall 7.1b.

On site: what you need to know

• Venue: Messe Berlin, Berlin ExpoCenter City, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin, Germany. A historic site run by Messe Berlin GmbH since 1966.
• Transport access: S-Bahn S3, S9, S41, S42, S46 (Messe Süd or Messe Nord/ICC stations). U-Bahn U2 (Kaiserdamm station). Bus M49. BER airport (Berlin Brandenburg) around 45 minutes away by S-Bahn. March period, professional trade show: increased intra-European rail traffic, prioritise public transport.
• Parking: Car parks on site and around the Berlin ExpoCenter City, heavily saturated across the three days. Prioritise public transport or park-and-ride facilities on the outskirts.
• Accommodation: Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf and Westend districts as a priority (immediate proximity to the Messe). Mitte and Kreuzberg for those seeking urban centrality. Book 4 to 6 months in advance, as ITB Berlin is one of the three annual hotel peaks in the German capital (alongside IFA and the Berlinale).
• Opening hours & badges 2027: Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 March, a strictly professional trade show on named badge. Online visitor registration on the organisers' official website from autumn 2026.
• Services: Multiple catering points across the entire venue (sustainable menus aligned with the CSR commitment), exhibitor VIP areas, an international press room, media platforms, an official app, cloakrooms, left luggage, and interpreting services for international delegations (English, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic).

How much it costs to exhibit

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• 12 months out (spring 2026): make contact with Messe Berlin GmbH or with Business France (France Tourisme Tech programme) for TravelTech startups, hall and market segment positioning
• 9 months out (summer 2026): commitment before 1 September 2026 (official exhibitor registration deadline), application for the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards and the ITB Earth Award for eligible destinations
• 6 months out (autumn 2026): validation of the scenography concept, agency and stand builder brief, scheduling of B2B meetings via the ITB Berlin matchmaking tool
• 3 months out (December 2026): final plans, stand construction order, equipment logistics, team accreditations
• 6 weeks out (February 2027): delivery of materials, final team brief, activation of media campaigns and client invitations, ITB Berlin Convention planning
• 15 days out: accommodation confirmation (bookings secured 4 to 6 months ahead), final commercial brief, press kits

For the decision-making visitor

• Register as soon as the 2027 professional ticketing opens (autumn 2026): named badge issued on professional proof
• Prioritise Tuesday 16 March (day 1) for defining commercial meetings and tour operator negotiations, keep Wednesday for the Convention (400+ speakers) and Thursday for targeted prospecting
• Prepare your meetings via the official ITB Berlin matchmaking tool beforehand (B2B introductions and integrated messaging)
• For international delegations: get in touch with the interpreting services and the national pavilions (2027 partner country Maldives, Germany, Atout France for the French delegation)
• Allow all 3 full days to cover the halls by geographic destination and by vertical segment (Adventure, Business, LGBTQ+, Luxury, Medical, Travel Technology)
• Book accommodation 4 to 6 months in advance (high hotel pressure on Berlin during ITB)

How the trade show has evolved

Trajectory analysis

ITB Berlin emerges from its 2026 60th anniversary reinforced as the world's leading travel trade show: 97,000 trade visitors, 5,601 exhibitors, 166 countries and 47 billion euros in transactions generated over three days, 96% visitor satisfaction. Three structural indicators validate the trajectory: unrivalled geographic coverage (166 countries, ITB retains its lead over WTM London and FITUR Madrid), B2B switch confirmed since 2023 (the end of the general public has strengthened visitor qualification), ITB Berlin Convention consolidated as the world's leading B2B tourism congress with 400+ speakers. The trajectory of partner countries (Albania 2025, Angola 2026, Maldives 2027) confirms the opening to emerging destinations. The 2027 edition plays a post-anniversary consolidation role: Maldives as a luxury-sustainability-marine conservation showcase, a strengthened generative AI and CSRD programme, and CSR commitment to the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge and the Climate Pledge. Over 60 years (1966 to 2026), ITB Berlin has accompanied every disruption in the sector: European aviation liberalisation, the emergence of OTAs, the mobile-first switch in distribution, and the rollout of generative AI.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (itb.com).