ITB China 2027 runs 25–27 May in Shanghai. Who exhibits, visitor fees, the two hosted buyer programmes, the conference, visas and the metro to the venue.
Cover image: The Pudong skyline in Shanghai, host city of ITB China (November 2017 file photo) — photo by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
ITB China 2027 runs from Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 May 2027 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in Pudong, Shanghai. As of 1 November 2026, the 2027 registration portal was taking exhibitor bookings only: buyer, visitor and media registration had not opened. ITB China is the three-day B2B show in Messe Berlin's ITB family where destinations and suppliers from around the world meet buyers from China's travel industry.
The organiser, Messe Berlin China (legally MB Exhibitions (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.), bills 2027 as the 10th anniversary. The first edition, in May 2017 at the same venue, was co-organised with the Chinese travel-industry news platform TravelDaily, according to the organiser's Chinese-language FAQ.
Who exhibits and who attends ITB China?
The 2026 edition, held from 26 to 28 May 2026, drew more than 23,500 attendees, more than 900 exhibitors from 85 countries and regions, 1,700 hosted buyers and more than 44,000 business meetings, according to the organiser. Net exhibition space grew 20%.
By the organiser's count, DMCs made up 33% of exhibitors, hotels 21%, tourism boards and destination organisations 16%, attractions 10%, airlines, cruise lines and other transport 9%, and travel technology 8%. Asia and Oceania supplied 27% of exhibitors, Europe 20%, the Middle East and North Africa 14%, China 12%, the Americas 11% and Africa 5%. Georgia was the 2026 Official Partner Destination, and the organiser singled out the stands of Georgia, Malaysia, Türkiye, Morocco, Abu Dhabi and Italy; destination bodies from 29 European countries took part. Chinese provinces exhibit too, selling China inbound: Hainan is the Official Partner Province for China Inbound Travel in 2027.
Chinese hosted buyers came from all 31 provincial-level regions of mainland China plus Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Of all 1,700, the organiser says 34% focused on customised, themed and high-end travel and 25% on MICE and business travel; overseas buyers, from 27 countries and regions, were 10% of the total. Its Travel Trends Report 2026/27 puts China's outbound market at 167.92 million trips in 2025.
How to attend ITB China: visitors, hosted buyers and exhibitors
Trade visitors register online and are vetted. In 2026, travel-industry visitors who registered by 24 May and were approved entered free for all three days. Others paid US$50 for three days, or on site US$30 for one day and US$50 for three. Journalists with an editorial role get free media passes on proof of status. The organiser lists no student category.
Is it open to the public? Not in the consumer-fair sense. ITB China describes itself as a B2B-exclusive show and has no public days. Its 2026 terms did not bar non-trade visitors, but they had to buy a pass.
The hosted buyer programme has two tracks. Overseas buyers who sell China as a destination apply in English; they must be in charge of buying leisure, MICE or corporate travel or travel technology, and the organiser weighs their record of buying China inbound product and attending trade shows. The 2026 packages:
| Package (2026) | Meetings to attend | What is covered | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully hosted | 21 | Economy flight refunded up to US$750 (Asia-based) or US$1,500 (elsewhere), airport transfer, up to four hotel nights, shuttle | US$200 |
| Partially hosted | 15 | Hotel and shuttle; no flights | US$100 |
| Trade buyer | None | Admission, lunches, buyers' lounge | None |
In 2026, travel costs were reimbursed only to buyers who attended all their pre-scheduled meetings, places were first come, first served, and fully and partially hosted buyers had the chance of a post-show fam trip. Chinese outbound buyers apply through a separate Chinese-language programme. The 2027 buyer terms were not yet published as of 1 November 2026.
As of 1 November 2026, exhibitors pay from US$4,570 per 9 sqm for 2027 raw space (minimum 18 sqm) or from US$4,810 per 9 sqm for a shell-scheme package, plus 6% tax. Each 9 sqm includes one set of pre-scheduled buyer appointments, a catalogue listing and two badges.
Networking at ITB China: appointments, conference and events
Appointments are the core of the show: hosted buyers book meetings with exhibitors in advance through the ITB China matchmaking system and must keep their quota. The ITB China Conference runs alongside, with more than 180 speakers and 70-plus topics in 2026 across eight segments, from the Sino-EU Tourism Dialogue and China outbound and inbound to luxury, MICE and travel tech.
Open events in 2026 included the opening ceremony and the Aftershow Sundowner, held with the Moroccan National Tourist Office from 16:00 to 17:30 on the first two days. The Opening Dinner, the closed-door C-Talks for senior executives and destination nights were by invitation. Between shows, the organiser runs the ITB China Buyers Circle for Chinese buyers and Buyer Meetups in Chinese cities; the Hong Kong meetup on 2 December 2025 was the first for the 2026 edition.
Getting to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center
The venue stands on the World Expo site in Pudong, next to the China Art Museum. The organiser's address, 850 Bocheng Road, is the north visitor entrance; the south entrance is at 1099 Guozhan Road, according to the venue.
The nearest metro station is China Art Museum on Line 8, about five minutes' walk. From Hongqiao Airport the organiser suggests Line 2, changing to Line 8 at People's Square (about an hour); from Pudong Airport the same route takes about 90 minutes. The venue suggests a quicker Pudong option: the Maglev to Longyang Road, then Line 7 to Yaohua Road, about 40 minutes. The organiser estimates a taxi at about RMB 140 from Pudong and RMB 100 from Hongqiao, with night rates from 23:00.
As of 1 November 2026 the organiser lists no hotels; the venue says Metro Lines 7, 8 and 13 reach it directly. Exhibitors who need a visa get an invitation letter once their stand is confirmed. China's National Immigration Administration lists 50 countries whose ordinary-passport holders may enter visa-free for up to 30 days, including for business. For 48 of them the policy runs to 31 December 2026, before ITB China 2027, according to a December 2025 notice from China's London visa centre; the NIA had announced no extension as of 1 November 2026. Check our China visa-free countries guide.
How does ITB China compare with ITB Berlin and ITB Asia?
All three are B2B shows in the ITB family. ITB Berlin runs from 16 to 18 March 2027 and reported 5,601 exhibitors from 166 countries in 2026, according to Messe Berlin. ITB Asia, covering the Asia-Pacific market, runs in Singapore from 20 to 22 October 2027 and reported more than 1,500 buyers in 2025. ITB China is built around buyers from Greater China. More shows are in our Asia-Pacific travel trade shows guide and the travel trade show calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is ITB China 2027?
ITB China 2027 runs from Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 May 2027 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, 850 Bocheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai. The organiser bills it as the show's 10th anniversary. Opening hours for 2027 are not yet published; in 2026 the show opened from 9:30 to 17:00.
Is ITB China open to the public?
There are no public or consumer days: ITB China calls itself a B2B-exclusive show. Under its 2026 terms, travel-industry visitors who registered online in advance and were approved entered free, while non-trade visitors and anyone not approved had to buy a pass.
How much does it cost to attend ITB China?
In 2026, approved travel-trade visitors who registered online by 24 May entered free. Others paid US$50 for three days, or on site US$30 for one day. Hosted buyers paid a non-refundable US$200 (fully hosted) or US$100 (partially hosted). As of 1 November 2026, 2027 prices were not yet published.
How do I become a hosted buyer at ITB China?
Apply through the organiser's buyer registration, which for 2027 had not opened as of 1 November 2026. You must be responsible for buying leisure, MICE or corporate travel or travel technology. Places are limited and allocated first come, first served.
Where is ITB China held?
At the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in Pudong, on the World Expo site beside the Huangpu River. The nearest metro station is China Art Museum on Line 8, about five minutes' walk. The organiser estimates about an hour by metro from Hongqiao Airport and 90 minutes from Pudong.
Sources
- ITB China, Homepage: ITB China 2027 dates and venue
- ITB China, 2026 closing release (28 May 2026)
- ITB China, 2026 opening release (26 May 2026)
- ITB China, Visitor registration
- ITB China, Hosted buyer program
- ITB China, 2026 events
- ITB China, Venue and travel info
- Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, Getting there
More upcoming Asia-Pacific travel trade shows
- 18–22 January 2027ASEAN Tourism Forum 2027Singapore, Singapore
- 15–17 February 2027AIME 2027Melbourne, Australia
- 2–4 April 2027MATTA Fair April 2027Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 11–13 May 2027TRENZ 2027Christchurch, New Zealand
- 16–20 May 2027ATE27 (Australian Tourism Exchange 2027)Sydney, Australia
- 9–11 June 2027BBTF 2027Nusa Dua, Indonesia
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