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ITB History
When, in 1966, ITB was first launched on the fairgrounds in Berlin, nine exhibitors from five countries presented their products and services, namely: Egypt, Brazil, the Federal Republic of Germany, Guinea, and Iraq. In 2019 it was around 10.00 exhibitors from 181 countries showcasing their products and services to around 160.000 visitors of which 113.500 were trade visitors. Wow - what a ride it has been!
With the expert knowledge of the trade fair team, long years of experience, and a keen understanding of trends and developments in the international travel industry, ITB Berlin established itself as the World's Leading Travel Trade Show®. Over the years ITB has not only grown in size, exhibitor numbers, and attendance, it has also become a comprehensive industry marketplace, showcasing travel products and services from around the world and growth-intensive niche markets.
Developments in politics, the business world, and society have, at all times, also been reflected in the travel industry. Neil Armstrong's moon landing in 1969 nurtured dreams of space travel, which today no longer seems so far away – as we were able to hear from the world's longest-serving astronaut at the ITB Convention 2007. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 made it possible for East Germans to finally realize their dream – to be able to travel – and they gained inspiration for this newly found freedom at ITB Berlin.
In 1992, ITB Berlin recognized that many tourists were influenced in their travel choice by environmental considerations and human rights issues, at a time when the show was already focusing on these topics. In 2000, travel technology and the mobile internet received display areas of their own at the show – long before smartphones became part of our daily lives.
2004: The launch of ITB Berlin Convention makes it the the largest industry event of its kind. Also in 2004, the arrival of Facebook and other social networks led to accounts of personal holiday experiences becoming the most popular stories on the web – and since 2011 the ITB eTravel World has been examining and discussing the latest social media trends.
In 2008 ITB Asia was born in Singapore and developed rapidly to become what it is today: the leading B2B show for the Asian travel market.
By introducing an LGBTQ+ travel section in 2010, ITB Berlin took an important stand regarding equal rights for tourists from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
2014: Key topics at the ITB Berlin Convention: big data, data protection, and luxury travel. Opening of the CityCube with new possibilities for hosting events, expanding the fairground halls for even more exhibitors.
A big celebration in 2016: it's the 50th edition of ITB Berlin!
In 2017 the first-ever ITB China marked its premiere and proved its importance as China's new marketplace for the travel trade industry. In 2021 ITB India joined the ITB brand family.
With the Corona pandemic hitting the entire world hard, ITB had to step back from being able to host the world LIVE on the fairgrounds. Following the cancellation of ITB Berlin in 2020 the show was held digitally. Finally, in 2023 we are back as a LIVE event!