"ITB is and remains the industry's family reunion"
Interview with ITB Director Deborah Rothe
Since 2023, Deborah Rothe has been at the helm of ITB Berlin - the world's largest trade fair for tourism and travel. CC VIP met the trade fair director at this year's ITB Berlin in the "Home of Luxury" for an interview. In the interview, she reveals which topics are currently moving the industry, which trends are emerging - and how ITB is developing as a B2B platform for personal exchange, sustainable concepts and digital innovations.
What are your personal highlights of ITB Berlin 2025? What are your priorities this year?
The focus of this year's ITB Berlin was of course the guest country Albania with the motto "All Senses" - and this was impressively staged, for example at the opening press conference and the gala on the first evening. Albania was also strongly represented in terms of content, particularly with a focus on sustainability. Together with the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation), for example, an exciting project is being implemented to promote rural regions in terms of sustainable tourism. The ITB also offers a wide-ranging program. The focus is on "The Power of Transition" - the aim is to learn from the past, pick up on new trends and put them into practice. High-caliber speakers, including from Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia, will be taking part.
What innovations will ITB 2025 bring?
We have introduced exciting new formats, such as the ITB Guided Tours - for the luxury and hospitality sectors, among others. Trade visitors were able to get to know selected exhibitors. We had a very promising first attempt. The Transition Labs were also new this year. In recent months, we have conducted quarterly surveys within the community on the topics of digitalization and sustainability. The results were processed in 90-minute workshops and summarized in 20 practical hands-on recommendations for action - especially for the hotel industry, DMOs and destinations.
What developments and trends do you currently see in the industry? Are there certain destinations that are particularly strong this year?
Generally speaking, the tourism industry has recovered strongly worldwide and is back on course for growth. We are now back to pre-corona figures, and the MICE industry has also optimized significantly. When it comes to travel destinations, Spain is the trend destination of the year, followed by the USA, Germany and France - in other words, the classic favorites. At the same time, untouched destinations are also gaining in importance, such as Albania. The country offers around 30 percent better value for money than the European average. Many new projects are being planned here, including in the luxury hotel sector; it is a market with great potential. Another trend is "coolcation", i.e. vacations in cooler destinations such as Finland, Denmark or the Baltic States. Canada and Alaska are also very popular. This trend is becoming stronger, particularly in view of the increasingly hot summer months in southern Europe. And, of course, we continue to see a strong push towards technology and automation in the industry. Currently, 66 percent of all bookings are processed digitally - and the trend is rising. In the next two years, we expect over 70 percent worldwide.
You have been ITB Director since 2023. How do you see ITB developing? What are the future goals?
What is always important to me is the personal encounter. I am really an ambassador for this, because it is the essence of successful business. This is also my focus when it comes to continuing to lead and expand ITB as a platform for the tourism industry. We also recently announced ITB Americas - a completely new step for us. In addition to ITB Asia in Singapore, ITB China in Shanghai and ITB India in Mumbai, where we have had a strong presence for many years, next year we will be going to the Americas for the first time. We will be in Mexico from 10 to 12 November 2026. We deliberately chose this location because it is geographically the center of the Americas. We want to be the first event there to cover the entire continent - from Canada to Patagonia. In addition, my first official act at ITB 2023 was the clear orientation towards a pure B2B focus. I fully support this decision and we will continue to pursue this course consistently. It has become clear that this clear focus on the target group of trade visitors is extremely successful for everyone involved - partners, exhibitors and sponsors.
Are there any other unique selling points that set ITB apart from comparable industry events?
It is this clear vertical orientation that distinguishes ITB Berlin. We represent the entire value chain of the tourism industry here, and I would like to continue to do so in the future. You won't find this at any other tourism event in the world. At the same time, we are also the largest event of its kind. ITB Berlin has a very clear profile, it is and remains the industry's family get-together. It has been firmly anchored in the calendar of the international tourism world for years, and that is precisely one of our greatest assets. This is where trade visitors, exhibitors and also members of the ITB Buyers Circle come together - the latter with a high, often even final decision-making authority and a considerable purchasing volume. And that is precisely why business is really done here on site.
What place does the luxury sector have at ITB? Is ITB the right event for this sector?
Yes, absolutely. ITB is definitely also a place for high-end luxury. Of course, we are still developing in this area, we don't see ourselves as a pure luxury event, but as a generalist tourism trade fair that offers every segment of the industry a home. And that is exactly what makes us special: Here you can meet the entire tourism industry and do business - this is also of great importance for the luxury industry. In addition, there are numerous side events around the ITB that specifically serve the luxury market. I think this is a wonderful addition to our wide-ranging overall offer.
A look into the future: What will definitely remain at ITB in the coming years? Is there anything that could be added or changed in the future?
What will definitely remain is the versatility of ITB. Our approach is and will remain to cover the entire value chain of the tourism industry. What will continue to develop or intensify in the future, however, are two central themes: Sustainability and digitalization. Sustainability is already a much-discussed topic in the industry, but there is still a noticeable gap between what is communicated and what is actually implemented. A lot of research is being carried out: Lufthansa, for example, has been working on sustainable aviation fuel for almost ten years, and a lot is also happening in the United Arab Emirates. The second important area is digitalization. What once began at ITB with just a few exhibitors now covers six full halls. Companies such as Airbnb as a supplement to the traditional hotel industry or Booking.com as a digital tour operator have long been established players. I am convinced that these two areas - sustainability and digitalization - will be considered and shaped much more holistically in the future.
