Organizers of ITB Berlin announced that the attendance part of the event will not take place as planned in March 2022. Initially, ITB Berlin 2022 was scheduled 9 to 13 March 2022 as an in-person event, where visitors could meet face-to-face in the usual way.
The announcement from the organizers are as follows:
“It is with great regret that we regret to inform you today that the ITB Berlin 2022 with its attendance part cannot take place as planned.
Due to the latest developments and accompanying regulations in the course of the corona pandemic, we cannot offer you the planning security you need to hold the ITB Berlin attendance days at the beginning of March. The current pandemic situation and the increased travel restrictions associated with it, as well as the limitation of participants at major events, moved us to take this step.
As the organizer, we have done everything we can to make a physical ITB Berlin possible again. In these times in particular, the tourism industry needs orientation, exchange and inspiration. With digital offers such as congress streaming and the Digital Business Day as well as our new regional travel events in the course of the year, we will offer the industry a high level of technically exciting content and new business opportunities in 2022.
In March 2023, ITB Berlin will return as a physical event. The ITB Berlin 2023 will begin on March 8 and then finds such by all market participants requested at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
From March 8, 2023, ITB Berlin will once again bring together tourism experts and key players in the global travel industry in Berlin.
Take part virtually in our ITB Berlin Congress and the ITB Digital Business Day in March 2022!
You will find out details at the beginning of 2022.”
“Naturally, we examined the possibility of postponing ITB Berlin until summer. However, after consulting with our partners we decided to retain the dates in early March. These are important for the travel industry, as the summer months are the main period for travel and tourism operations. The annual dates of ITB Berlin are deliberately chosen, as our customers mostly do business now or around March. For this reason, we are strengthening the digital elements of ITB Berlin at the ITB Berlin Convention and Digital Business Day. We are doing everything to support a travel industry hard-hit by the pandemic and in 2022 are planning a series of additional services and events in virtual and in-person formats“, commented Martin Ecknig, CEO of Messe Berlin.
“We deeply regret this situation“, added David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin.
“As the organisers, we made every effort to make it possible to hold ITB Berlin as an in-person event again in the German capital. Particularly in these times, the industry needs orientation, inspiration and dialogue. However, after taking the situation surrounding the pandemic and the tightening of rules into account, it leaves us with no option but to further adjust the concept for 2022 and offer our exhibitors and visitors a clear picture and the necessary planning certainty before the Christmas break. With the livestreamed convention and Digital Business Day as well as our new regional travel events during the year, we are offering the industry a wide range of fascinating content and new business opportunities in 2022.”
As usual, the ITB Berlin Convention will provide important and up-to-date industry content. The international travel industry’s largest thinktank will be livestreamed in the period originally scheduled for ITB in March 2022 via itb.com from the on-site studio in Hall 5.3. The dynamic situation and change the industry and ITB are both facing is reflected in the key themes at this year’s event. Along with the pressing global challenges of digitisation and sustainability, ITB Berlin is also placing the spotlight on resilience, an important topic. Against the backdrop of more frequent crises resilience is becoming indispensable for industry actors, which is why next year’s ITB Berlin Convention is devoting time to this topic.
With its Digital Business Day on Thursday, 17 March, ITB Berlin will give tourism service providers around the world the opportunity to exchange views virtually, even without a physical stand, on itb.com and to come together for business, enabling them to generate maximum trade from any place in the world. As a virtual industry marketplace, even in these times of the pandemic and travel restrictions this event brings providers and buyers together at Speed Networking sessions from all over the world. The Digital Business Day is a further addition to the ITB brand family with the purpose of expanding an existing customer base to reach new audiences. The key themes will be networking and business and on-demand programme content. The event platform will already be available for matchmaking and scheduling appointments before the Digital Business Day on 17 March, including on mobile end devices.
The World’s Leading Tourism Trade Show goes on the road
The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show is planning to go on the road during the year with in-person satellite events at individual European destinations. Taking place as a roadshow, these will be one-day B2B events at various locations in Europe, where providers and buyers can get together. With these events, ITB Berlin is continuing the success story of the established Travel Meet Asia and ITB China Travel MeetUp events organised by the international ITB brands ITB Asia and ITB China in their respective Asian and Chinese markets.
Return to an in-person format in March 2023
ITB Berlin will be back again with an in-person event. The dates for the show’s next edition in Berlin have already been set. ITB Berlin 2023 will open on 8 March and in accordance with the wishes of all market players will take place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
