Tourexpi
Countdown to the world’s leading industry think
tank: In the first week of March, the Berlin exhibition grounds will once again
become the most important meeting place for the travel industry. From March 5
to 7, the ITB Berlin Convention 2024 will bring together numerous international
experts under the motto „Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism.
Together“ on four live stages as part of 17 themed tracks during ITB Berlin,
providing an exciting exchange of ideas. The challenges of advancing digitalization
and the increasing application possibilities of artificial intelligence are
just two of the many topics that can be expected to generate intensive debates
at the convention. Convention participation is included in the trade visitor,
exhibitor and press ticket for ITB Berlin.
Representatives of leading international companies
promise top news at first hand: Current challenges facing the airline and
cruise industry are the topic of the Carrier & Cruise Track, during which
leading industry experts will take a look at global market trends as well as
technological and legal challenges on March 5. Top speakers such as Nadia Azale
(NDC Change Management Director, AirFrance-KLM Group), Michele Francioni (Chief
Energy Transition Officer, MSC Cruises S.A.) and Chris Ramm (Vice President Global
Enterprise Airline Partners, Travelport) will discuss industry-relevant
developments and present best cases.
Glenn Fogel (CEO, Booking Holdings) will speak
about future prospects and technology in tourism under the title “Leadership,
Innovation and the Future of Travel” as part of the Future Track. Another
highlight will be “Engineering the Future: How GenAI and Microsoft Copilot
bring a new Intelligence to Travel” with Karim Bagga (Engineering Group
Manager, Travel & AI Microsoft), who will discuss the opportunities offered
by artificial intelligence. Stefan Ebener (Head of Customer Engineering,
Google) will also take a look at the mega topic of artificial intelligence in
his presentation “How GenAI is changing the Digital World - From Future Tech to
Daily Business”. Under the title “How Airbnb is unlocking new Opportunities for
Growth”, Dave Stephenson (Chief Business Officer, Airbnb) will explain the
booking platform’s current plans.
The responsibility of tourism for biodiversity and
climate justice will be the focus of the Responsible Tourism Track on March 7,
which will use current practical examples to demonstrate sustainable solutions.
The top speakers include Bruno Oberle (President World Resources Forum
Association and Former Director General International Union for Conservation of
Nature), Külli Kraner (Head of Tourism, Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs
and Communications) and Ingo Burmester (CEO, DER Touristik), who will present
“Pioneering the Transition towards Net Zero: Climate Footprints Unveiled”
initiatives for more climate justice.
Sponsors of the ITB Berlin Convention 2024
The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is
co-host of the ITB Convention 2024. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is track
sponsor of the Tour Operator & Travel Sales Track on the Blue Stage. The
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is a partner of
the Responsible Tourism Track on the Orange Stage). Global Travel Tech is track
sponsor of the eTravel Track on the eTravel Stage. Google is Track Sponsor of
the Marketing & Distribution Track on the Orange Stage. Lonely Planet is
track sponsor of the Future Track on the Orange Stage. Studiosus Reisen München
is session sponsor of the Responsible Tourism Track on the Orange Stage. TikTok
is Session Sponsor of the Marketing &Distribution Track on the Orange
Stage.
ITB 360°: Year-round content and insights into the
tourism industry
ITB Berlin offers the global tourism community
valuable thematic content all year round in the form of newsroom articles,
podcast episodes and other innovative formats. With ITB 360°, each month is
dedicated to a different hot topic. More insights at:itb.com/360
Image
Credit: © Messe Berlin GmbH
The most interesting news
Read the News

Qatar Airways expands winter network to more than 170 destinations
Canberra and Zanzibar return to the network as the airline adds frequencies across Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and the Middle East
Read the News

Istanbul Airport targets luxury aviation with new private terminal
Around 3,600 VVIP passengers have used the JETEX-IGA facility since May, with particularly strong demand from Russia, Central Asia and the Middle East
Read the News

Nicaragua strengthens tourism promotion in Canada
The Nicaraguan Tourism Institute presented the destination to travel industry professionals in Toronto and Montreal as part of the Canada Roadshow 2026
Read the News

Türkiye ranks among top non-EU destinations for European travellers
Eurostat data shows Türkiye was one of the three most popular destinations outside the European Union for EU residents in 2024
Read the News

Hilton ranks as Asia’s best workplace for second consecutive year
The hotel group marks a decade as the region’s highest-ranked hospitality employer while its Asia-Pacific workforce grows to more than 99,000
Read the News

ALTA aviation conference focuses on regulation and competitiveness
More than 170 airline executives, lawyers and industry experts discussed legal and aeropolitical challenges facing aviation across Latin America and the Caribbean
Read the News

Emirates signs 11 partnerships at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai
New agreements span tourism promotion, airline cooperation, travel distribution and specialised customer segments across Europe, Asia and the Middle East
Read the News

Peru releases previously blocked Machu Picchu booking capacity
Unconfirmed and unpaid reservations had reduced actual availability, with the affected spaces returning to the official booking system from 16 September
Read the News

LATAM invests $25 million in satellite Wi-Fi for 60 new aircraft
Airbus A320neo and A321XLR aircraft as well as Embraer E195-E2 jets will receive multi-orbit satellite connectivity as LATAM expands its connected fleet
Read the News

Germany’s inbound tourism gains momentum during summer season
International overnight stays rose 3.2 percent in July, while travel industry sentiment points to further growth in the months ahead
Read the News

Eurowings expands winter network from Germany and the Czech Republic
New routes and extended services connect Berlin with Bologna, Dusseldorf with Milan and Tallinn, and Prague with Finnish Lapland
Read the News

Türkiye: Civil aviation fleet expands to 2,300 aircraft including balloons
Airlines, air taxi operators and general aviation all increased their fleets in the first half of 2026, while hot air balloons continued to play a significant role in tourism
Read the News

Thailand: Bangkok Art Biennale turns the capital into a citywide art route
The fifth edition runs from 29 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, bringing contemporary art to temples, museums, landmarks and public spaces across Bangkok
Read the News

Germany: Condor adds American Airlines as new North American partner
New interline agreement opens additional connections across the US and Canada with single-ticket journeys and through-checked baggage
Read the News

Agoda matches Asian hidden gems with the twelve zodiac signs
From Niseko’s ski slopes to Ninh Binh’s limestone landscapes, Agoda turns astrology into inspiration for exploring lesser-known destinations across Asia
Read the News

Oceania Cruises opens 12 segments of 2028 world voyage for booking
The inaugural 180-day voyage of Oceania Aurelia can now be booked in shorter sections of 10 to 19 days, covering destinations across six continents
Read the News

Thailand: TAT promotes wellness and MICE tourism at Gastech 2026
Thailand is using the global energy conference in Bangkok to showcase wellness, culture and responsible travel to more than 50,000 international professionals
Read the News

Peninsula Hotels earn three places in The 50 Best Hotels 2026
Properties in Istanbul and Hong Kong enter the global Top 50, while The Peninsula Shanghai debuts at No. 99
Read the News

Malta: WTTC adds José María Aznar and Nick Adams to Global Summit
More than 1,000 delegates from over 100 countries are expected in Valletta for the WTTC Global Summit from 7 to 9 October 2026
Read the News

Thailand: Pattaya Bikini Beach Race celebrates 10th anniversary
The Pattaya International Bikini Beach Race returns on 31 October with a 5K night run combining beach sports, entertainment and Halloween celebrations
Read the News

Silversea introduces four suite categories across its fleet
Seventeen suite types are reorganised into Oceanview, Veranda, Residence and Villa, with additional benefits for higher categories from January 2027