I’m at ITB Berlin 2025!

I’m at ITB Berlin 2025 right now, and as always, the scale of it is almost overwhelming. You don’t just “walk” ITB—you navigate it. Hours go by moving from one hall to another, from continent to continent, and you still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface. Each pavilion is a world of its own, and seeing them all in a single day is simply impossible.

The attendance this year is, as expected, massive. The corridors are busy, meetings are back-to-back, and the global tourism industry is very much present. From major tourism boards to niche operators, everyone is here. It’s a reminder of just how vast and interconnected this industry really is—how many moving parts come together to shape global travel.

But despite the scale and strong turnout, there’s a noticeable shift in the atmosphere this year. It feels a little more subdued, a little less enthusiastic than usual. The energy is still there, but it’s quieter—more measured. Conversations seem more focused, more cautious. There’s less of the usual buzz, less of that effortless excitement that typically fills the halls.

Maybe it’s a reflection of the times. The industry has faced constant change in recent years, and that uncertainty lingers. People are still here, still doing business, still building partnerships—but with a slightly different mindset. More strategic, more thoughtful, perhaps even a bit more selective.

And yet, that doesn’t take away from the importance of being here. If anything, it reinforces it. ITB remains one of the few places where the entire world of tourism gathers under one roof. Deals are still being made, ideas are still being exchanged, and connections are still being built—just with a bit more intention behind them.

Walking through the vast halls, I’m reminded that tourism isn’t only about growth and expansion. It’s also about resilience. It adapts, it recalibrates, and it moves forward, even when the mood shifts.

So yes, ITB 2025 feels a little different. But it’s still essential. Still global. Still a place where the industry comes together—just perhaps with a quieter, more grounded kind of energy this time.