ITB Berlin 2027 runs 16-18 March at Messe Berlin — the world's largest travel trade show by exhibitors and attendees, and what that scale actually means.
Cover image: Messe Berlin, the exhibition grounds that host ITB Berlin — photo by Taxiarchos228, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons.
ITB Berlin 2027 runs from 16 to 18 March 2027 at Messe Berlin. It is the largest travel trade show in the world by exhibitors and attendees, and the anchor date in the global trade calendar.
What the scale actually means
ITB's size is genuinely different in kind, not just degree. Almost every country that markets itself to travellers has a presence, spread across a multi-hall complex organised broadly by region. A buyer can move from Latin America to Southeast Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa within an afternoon.
That breadth is the reason to attend and the reason it defeats people who arrive unprepared. Without a booked appointment diary you will spend three days walking.
Buyer profile
ITB skews toward German-speaking Europe — German, Austrian and Swiss tour operators are the core — but the international attendance is genuinely global, and the co-located ITB Convention is among the most substantial conference programmes in the industry.
Germany is one of the world's largest outbound markets by spend, which is what gives the show its commercial gravity.
ITB Berlin or WTM London?
The honest answer is that suppliers with global ambitions do both, at opposite ends of the year. If you must choose: ITB skews German-speaking Europe and carries the larger exhibitor count; WTM London (3–5 November 2026) skews UK, Irish and northern European buyers.
ITB also operates regional editions — ITB Asia in Singapore and ITB India in Mumbai — which are separate shows with their own buyer bases, not satellites of the Berlin event.
Planning notes
- March in Berlin is cold; the halls are vast and involve considerable walking, so plan footwear and transit time between halls seriously.
- Berlin accommodation prices rise sharply during ITB week — book as soon as dates are confirmed.
- Messe Berlin is well served by S-Bahn; staying near a direct line matters more than staying centrally.
- Appointment systems open months ahead and the best buyers fill early.
How the halls are organised
Messe Berlin is arranged broadly by world region, with additional halls for segments such as technology, MICE, cruise and youth travel. Knowing which halls you need before arriving is the single biggest determinant of whether the trip works.
The regional structure also produces a useful side effect: walking a region's hall gives you an unusually direct read on which destinations are investing. Stand size, staffing and build quality track national tourism budgets closely, and year-on-year changes are visible to anyone paying attention.
The convention programme
The ITB Convention runs alongside the exhibition and is among the largest conference programmes in travel, covering destination policy, sustainability, distribution and technology. Sessions draw ministers, chief executives and researchers, and for delegates without a full appointment diary it is often where the trip earns its cost.
Frequently asked questions
When is ITB Berlin 2027?
16-18 March 2027 at Messe Berlin, Germany.
Is ITB Berlin the largest travel trade show?
Yes, by exhibitor and attendee numbers it is the largest in the world. WTM London is the other global flagship.
Is ITB Berlin open to the public?
ITB Berlin operates as a trade event. Access arrangements vary by edition, so check the organiser before planning a visit as a consumer.
Part of our 2026–2027 travel trade show calendar — 124 shows, marts and roadshows worldwide.
