The 10th Edition of the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards. Photo with permission from Messe Berlin GmbH

ITB Berlin 2025 sees a 40% increase in registered exhibitors with sustainable tourism and e-mobility as two trending topics

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The 2025 edition of the ITB Berlin trade show is approaching and will be held 4th to 6th March. This year holds interesting news and a clear momentum to show the industry interes. Tourism has made a powerful comeback in the years leading up to 2025. And it seems that the travel industry is bubbling with innovation and searching for solutions and new perspectives for the leisure travel industry. I wonder how the exhibitor list looks this year and get the chance to speak with Deborah Rothe, the director of ITB Berlin.

“Exhibitor registration for ITB Berlin 2024 is going extremely well. Compared to this time last year, we’ve already seen a 40% increase in confirmations. This is partly because we started with the placement phase earlier, but it also reflects the positive trends in the tourism industry. Travel activity has picked up significantly, with more bookings being made and many segments exceeding pre-COVID levels. Based on current trends, we’re expecting even more booked exhibition space than in 2024.”

Deborah Rotte, director at ITB Berlin.
Deborah Rothe, director at ITB Berlin.

It also turns out that the reach of ITB Berlin is growing in southern Europe with higher demand from Mediterranean countries to reposition their exhibition spaces. The DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) is represented well in this year’s ITB Berlin. One change is that Hamburg makes a comeback this year with its own stand in ITB Berlin 2025, which has not happened since 2019. Technology and travel is a combination that shows demand this year as well, to the point that there is a higher demand than there is available exhibition space. Ms. Rothe comments “The travel technology segment is another highlight, with demand so high that we have a waiting list for exhibition space. This reflects the growing importance of tech innovations in shaping the future of the travel industry.”

Where does the power of transition live?

ITB Berlin provides one answer to this question with the theme “The Power of Transition lives here”. There will be highlighted efforts for transformation within the travel industry. Some 400 speakers and 17 theme tracks will be introduced, with a focus on corporate culture, sustainability, and technology, to name a few. Two goals of this theme are networking and knowledge transfer and networking. In this day and age of Generation Z’s influence on business culture, it is a small surprise that there will be a presentation about workforce changes within the travel industry.

12th Day of Accessible Tourism 2024 Enrico Göbel, Thuringian State Commissioner for People with Disabilities, Speaker for Digital Accessibility
12th Day of Accessible Tourism 2024 Enrico Göbel, Thuringian State Commissioner for People with Disabilities, Speaker for Digital Accessibility. Photo with permission from Messe Berlin GmbH

Sustainable travel is growing in importance

Sustainable travel is naturally still on the agenda after more than two decades after the United Nations declared 2002 as the year of ecotourism. For travel industry market participants, some solutions that will be presented come from Asia. Ms. Rothe comments on this trend “We are seeing a strong demand for sustainable tourism solutions. Pacific island countries like Tonga and Palau are part of our Responsible Tourism segment and use ITB Berlin to highlight the urgent challenges posed by climate change. Many other destinations and organizations are also leveraging ITB Berlin to showcase their commitment to sustainability.”

This year the ITB Sustainability Lounge that is organized by mascontour will serve as a platform for discussions on sustainable tourism practices. On the topic of sustainability there will also be representation by carbon offsetting companies, Ms. Rothe mentions and adds “When it comes to carbon offsetting, organizations such as Atmosfair and Myclimate are back. New exhibitors include the Responsible Tourism Association and the Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas.”

The participation of organizations for ecological and sustainable tourism is making a very clear mark this year.

Stay mobile, match, and meet

The ITB Business Satellite will be featured again this year at ITB Berlin 2025. This year it is a welcome addition again, the concept still being meeting spaces with tables and chairs, and booking handled with the ITB Business Satellite app. The ITB Speed Networking event also returns on 6th March.

One new introduction for this year’s edition of the trade show is the Match & Meet Platform. There exhibitors can connect with buyers and trade visitors during the event, so as to drive targeted business meetings.

E-mobility is still a hot topic with a focus on transport solutions

One thought is how e-mobility is embraced by companies and the travel industry as a whole. Integration and hybrid solutions with fuel efficiency are two mottos of this year. Ms. Rothe elaborates on this exciting topic “The focus has shifted from e-mobility to a broader focus towards sustainable and innovative transport solutions. Several exhibiting car rental companies have embraced this change by integrating more sustainable practices. SnelleViet Touringcars, for example, has invested in clean, quiet, and energy-efficient buses that meet the highest European emission standards. Similarly, the Europcar Mobility Group is working to become a leader in sustainable mobility. EXER CARS SA is gradually updating its fleet with hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles, while Green Motion offers vehicles with minimal environmental impact, partnering with manufacturers at the forefront of environmental technology.”

Just like e-mobility has begun to include a broader topic, so has shared mobility embraced sustainability for cities. Bike and vehicle sharing are still important components in this trend, with the aim to bring down the carbon footprint for travelers as they explore cities.

Paul-Christian Markovski, for EuropeZigZag.com