The most recent precedent confirms the strength of this trajectory. The 2025 edition already signaled a robust rebound after years of global uncertainty, welcoming more than 5,800 exhibitors and attracting around 100,000 participants, with halls fully booked. These figures not only reflect sustained interest in large-scale, in-person events, but also underline the industry’s continued need for direct commercial interaction: closing deals, establishing relationships, and building strategic alliances through specialized international networking opportunities.
One of the most widely discussed changes for 2026, however, concerns the transformation of the event’s traditional opening ceremony. Historically conceived as a large-format stage production held the night before the fair begins—often featuring cultural performances by the host country and high-level theatrical staging—the organizers have chosen to replace this format with a smaller, invitation-only dinner. The decision aligns with a broader shift seen across major international business events, which are increasingly evolving toward more selective formats focused on high-value professional engagement rather than large-scale institutional spectacle.
This new approach does not signal diminished relevance, but rather a strategic redefinition of what “opening” means in today’s trade-show landscape. By prioritizing high-level meetings and direct interaction among key market leaders, ITB Berlin further consolidates its role as a specialized business platform—one where the quality and impact of professional connections outweigh ceremonial scale. The move reflects structural changes in the global events industry, where personalization, audience segmentation, and the delivery of tangible value for participants have become decisive measures of success.
At the same time, organizers have designed an expanded congress program that will spotlight critical themes such as artificial intelligence applied to tourism, operational sustainability, technological innovation, and the industry’s broader transformation processes. These discussion areas respond directly to the strategic challenges the sector faces today, from digitizing services and improving efficiency to adopting development models that are responsible, resilient, and aligned with evolving economic and social expectations.
The combination of intense international demand, physical expansion of the venue, an evolved opening format, and stronger professional content positions ITB Berlin 2026 as an especially telling barometer of global tourism’s current reality. Beyond its exhibitor profile, the fair continues to function as a space where strategies are set, trends are anticipated, and alliances are forged—often with direct influence on how the global travel market will move forward.
In a context where tourism continues to adapt to technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and shifts in consumer behavior, the scale and reach of this edition confirm that flagship sector events remain an irreplaceable tool for driving growth, cooperation, and innovation at an international level.
