Europe Travel Trade Shows 2026–2027: Dates, Venues and How to Choose

Cover image: The Palais am Funkturm at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds, home of ITB Berlin (file photo) — photo by Fridolin freudenfett, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This page tracks 43 travel trade shows, consumer travel fairs and industry events across Europe, 41 of them checked against the organisers' own websites, with the tables updated weekly. Around them we explain the season, which shows admit the public, how to choose by source market, hosted-buyer terms, and the visa and VAT rules.

The short answer: for trade-only business, start with ITB Berlin and WTM London, and add IFTM for the French market. Destinations that also want holidaymakers should look at FITUR in Madrid, BIT in Milan and The GetAway by Vakantiebeurs in Utrecht. Meetings and incentive specialists have IMEX Frankfurt and IBTM World in Barcelona, and luxury suppliers have ILTM Cannes. Every region is in our full travel trade shows calendar.

Last updated: 1 November 2026. The tables below are rebuilt weekly from dates checked on organisers' own websites; shows drop off once they have taken place. For every show see our travel trade shows calendar, and the India travel trade shows, Asia-Pacific travel trade shows, Americas travel trade shows, Middle East and Africa travel trade shows.

Jump to: November 2026 · December 2026 · January 2027 · February 2027 · March 2027 · April 2027 · May 2027 · June 2027 · September 2027 · October 2027 · November 2027 · Dates not yet announced

Upcoming travel trade shows in Europe

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

Dates not yet announced

These organisers had not published their next dates when we last checked. The first column shows when the show was last held; we add the new dates once the organiser publishes them.

How the European fair season falls

The first of Europe's two peaks, from January to March, is crowded with consumer and mixed fairs. January brings The GetAway by Vakantiebeurs, Ferien-Messe Wien, CMT in Stuttgart, Matka in Helsinki, FITUR and Destinations in London; February brings EMITT, Alpe-Adria in Ljubljana, Balttour in Riga, BIT, f.re.e in Munich and Ferie for Alle in Herning; March brings ITB Berlin, the Salon Mondial du Tourisme in Paris, Holiday World in Prague and BMT in Naples. ITB moves later than usual in 2027, a one-off change Messe Berlin links to Eid al-Fitr, and FITUR's trade days overlap SATTE in New Delhi, so firms selling to Europe and India may need to split teams.

The second peak is the autumn trade run: IFTM, which moves from September to October in 2027, TTG Travel Experience in Rimini, then WTM London and IBTM World in November and ILTM Cannes at the turn of November and December. Specialist events fill the gaps, from IMEX Frankfurt in May to aviation's own cycle, in which the Paris Air Show takes odd-numbered years and Farnborough even ones, alongside Routes World, next in Barcelona, and Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

Trade-only shows versus fairs that open to the public

ITB Berlin sells only trade-visitor tickets. WTM London admits professional and business visitors only, and no one under 16 without written approval. IFTM is badge-only for tourism professionals; RX France says 45% of its visitors work in travel agencies, and most conferences are in French.

The mixed fairs work differently. FITUR keeps three days for accredited professionals and then opens to the public at the weekend, so commercial meetings belong early in the week. EMITT reserves only its first day for professionals, and Matka in Helsinki runs one professional day before three public days. BIT has no trade-only day: Fiera Milano bills it for "travel makers", but travel enthusiasts can attend any day with a ticket. The GetAway by Vakantiebeurs, as Vakantiebeurs is called from 2027, is a consumer event on all four days, with a trade afternoon, the Vakdag, on the first. A mixed fair reaches agents and holidaymakers from one stand.

Choosing by source market

UK. WTM London is held in London but sells to the world: RX counted 5,500 buyers and 182 countries represented at its 2025 edition. Destinations, a London consumer show, reaches British holidaymakers. DACH. ITB Berlin is the trade fixture; CMT, f.re.e and Ferien-Messe Wien reach German and Austrian consumers. Benelux. The GetAway by Vakantiebeurs publishes no matchmaking system for 2027, so invite Dutch tour operators and agents to your own stand reception on the trade afternoon.

Nordics. Matka covers Finland and Ferie for Alle covers Denmark. In Norway, NOVA Spektrum says there will be no TravelXpo or accompanying conference in 2027. Iberia. FITUR's professional pass costs €30 a day at the regular rate, and its partner has come from the Americas two years running. Spain also hosts IBTM World and Arival 360 in Bilbao.

Italy. BIT is the international fair, TTG Travel Experience in Rimini and BITESP in Venice are B2B events, and BMT in Naples sells workshop places: at its incoming workshop, Italian sellers visit the tables of international buyers selected by ENIT, Italy's national tourism agency. Beyond these markets, IFTM serves France; Holiday World, Balttour and Alpe-Adria serve central Europe and the Baltics; and EMITT's top foreign visitor countries in 2026 were led by Egypt, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Hosted-buyer programmes: who qualifies and what is covered

ITB Berlin's Buyers Circle is free but vetted, admits 1,300 buyers a year with budget or contract responsibility, and lists on-site benefits, not flights or hotels. WTM London gives approved buyers a free ticket and Connect Me meetings, with no travel support described. IMEX Frankfurt covers flights from Europe, or long-haul within a hosted-buyer group, and accommodation for planners who make or influence budget decisions for events outside their home country, in return for six to eight meetings a day. IBTM World charges a non-refundable €100 plus VAT fee; fully hosted buyers get a four- or five-star room and a flight allowance capped by country of residence, commit to at least 30 appointments, and can be charged €100 for each missed appointment they do not reschedule.

ILTM Cannes is invitation only: buyers pay a non-refundable €300 plus VAT to apply, must sell outbound to markets on at least two continents, and only those from Australia or New Zealand get a flight contribution. BIT fills hosted places by invitation through its agent network, while independent buyers apply openly and pay their own way. EMITT's VIP Hosted Tour Operator Program promises pre-arranged meetings but does not say whether travel is covered. As of November 2026, FITUR had published no open hosted-buyer application, IFTM describes none, and Vakantiebeurs has replaced its two-day Travel Trade Days with the Vakdag afternoon.

Visas, VAT and stand costs

Most of these shows are in the 29-country Schengen area, where a short-stay visa covers up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The EU says to apply at the consulate of the country where you will spend longest, at least 15 days and no earlier than six months before travel; the adult fee is €90 and processing normally takes 15 days. You need travel medical insurance and proof of purpose, and organisers help: IFEMA issues visa support letters for FITUR, IMEX lets registered visitors create one, and IBTM issues them only to hosted buyers and exhibitors. Since April 2026, the EU's Entry/Exit System has replaced passport stamps: it registers non-EU short-stay visitors' fingerprints and facial images at the external borders. The UK and Türkiye are outside Schengen: most visa-exempt visitors to the UK need a £20 electronic travel authorisation, and GOV.UK lets business visitors attend trade fairs to promote their business, not to sell.

Check whether a rate card includes VAT. Messe Berlin charges €226 per square metre for an ITB row stand without construction at the regular rate, with a 20 m² minimum. Its VAT form says German VAT normally applies, but it can invoice without it if an EU business gives a VAT number verifiable through VIES or a non-EU business sends a tax residency certificate. IFEMA's FITUR guide prices space-only stands at €197.40 per square metre and requires a €736 exhibitor plan, both plus VAT. It adds 10% Spanish VAT for companies based in Spain outside the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, and says companies based elsewhere pay no Spanish VAT, though EU-based exhibitors are liable for VAT and may reclaim it at home.

Frequently asked questions

Which travel trade shows are coming up in Europe?

The next travel trade shows in Europe in our calendar are WTM London 2026 (3–5 Nov 2026, London); Philoxenia Hotelia 2026 (13–15 Nov 2026, Thessaloniki); IBTM World 2026 (17–19 Nov 2026, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat); Târgul de Turism al României, autumn 2026 (19–22 Nov 2026, Bucharest); BITESP 2026 (9th edition) (25–26 Nov 2026, Venice). Dates were checked on each organiser's website and the list is updated weekly; the tables above have the full schedule.

What are the main travel trade shows in Europe?

For trade-only business, ITB Berlin (2026) and WTM London (2025) each reported more than 160 countries represented, and IFTM in Paris serves the French market. FITUR in Madrid and EMITT in Istanbul add public days to trade days, and BIT in Milan admits ticket-holding travel enthusiasts alongside the trade. IMEX Frankfurt and IBTM World in Barcelona are built for meetings and incentive buyers, ILTM Cannes for luxury travel, and the Paris Air Show and Farnborough for aviation.

Which European travel trade shows are open to the public?

FITUR opens to the public at the weekend after three trade days, and EMITT after one trade-only day. BIT in Milan admits ticket-holding travel enthusiasts on all three days, and The GetAway by Vakantiebeurs in Utrecht is a consumer event on all four days, with a trade afternoon on the first. Matka in Helsinki adds public days after a professional day. ITB Berlin, WTM London and IFTM have no public days.

Do I need a visa to attend a travel trade show in Europe?

It depends on your nationality and the host country. For the 29 Schengen countries, nationals of visa-required countries need a short-stay visa, valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, applied for at the consulate of the main destination at least 15 days before travel. The UK and Türkiye set their own rules, and most visa-exempt visitors to the UK need an electronic travel authorisation.

How do I become a hosted buyer at a European travel trade show?

Apply to each organiser's programme and expect vetting. ITB Berlin's free Buyers Circle admits 1,300 buyers a year with purchasing responsibility but lists no flights or hotels. IMEX Frankfurt covers flights from Europe and accommodation for qualifying event buyers, and IBTM World gives fully hosted buyers a hotel and a flight allowance for at least 30 appointments. ILTM Cannes charges buyers a non-refundable €300 plus VAT fee to apply.

When is the travel trade show season in Europe?

There are two peaks. From January to March, consumer and mixed fairs such as Vakantiebeurs, FITUR, Matka, BIT and EMITT fill the calendar, with ITB Berlin in March. The autumn trade run follows, with IFTM, TTG Travel Experience in Rimini, WTM London, IBTM World and ILTM Cannes. Meetings, technology and aviation events fill the spring and summer, including IMEX Frankfurt and the Paris Air Show.

Sources

• European Commission (DG Migration and Home Affairs): Applying for a Schengen visa
• European Commission (DG Migration and Home Affairs): Entry/Exit System (EES)
• GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, visiting on business (trade fairs)
• GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK
• Messe Berlin: ITB Berlin stand registration and stand rental prices
• Messe Berlin: ITB Berlin exhibitor VAT form (PDF)
• IFEMA MADRID: FITUR 2027 exhibitor guide and specific participation rules, stand rates and VAT (PDF)
• Messukeskus: Matka Nordic Travel Fair, professional day and public days (Finnish)
• BMT Napoli: workshops and buyers (Italian)
• NOVA Spektrum: TravelXpo will not continue in its current form (Norwegian)