The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Kerala, Goa, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, and Madhya Pradesh Tourism departments from India are taking part in ITB Asia 2026, which opened in Singapore on October 21, 2026. The Kerala Tourism pavilion at ITB Asia, Singapore, showcasing Kerala’s tourism offerings at Asia’s largest B2B travel trade show, was jointly inaugurated by Ms. Sakina Masood Itoo, Hon’ble Minister of Jammu and Kashmir; H.E. Dr. Shilpak Ambule, High Commissioner of India to Singapore; and Mr. P. C. Vishnunadh, Minister for Tourism., Government of Kerala, officially opened the Kerala Pavilion. Present were Mr. Sumit Kumar Thakur, IAS, Additional Director (General), Kerala Tourism, who is also Managing Director of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), and Mr. Ravi Varma R., Director, Marketing, Tourism India.
Organised by Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, the 19th edition of ITB Asia runs until 23 October at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. It is held alongside MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia and describes itself as Asia-Pacific’s largest 3-in-1 travel trade show. Organisers expect more than 18,000 participants, over 1,000 exhibiting brands and more than 1,500 qualified buyers, and aim to facilitate 60,000 targeted business appointments.
The exhibitor base spans destinations, hospitality groups, tour operators, attractions, transport providers and technology companies, with over 80 per cent of exhibitors from international markets across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East. Participating brands include EVA Airways, Mandai Wildlife Group, PROMPERU, Radisson Hotel Group, Resorts World Sentosa, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Agoda, Turespaña, Trip.com Group and Uganda Convention Bureau. Tourism organisations present include the Bangladesh Tourism Board, German National Tourist Board, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hokkaido Tourism Organization, Malta Tourism Authority, Sarawak Tourism Board, Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Fiji, Visit Finland and Visit Norway.
Held under the theme “Experiences in Motion: Human-Centred Design in Travel & Tourism”, this year’s edition introduces the Experience Zone, which brings together companies offering travel experiences, activities and attractions and houses the Experience Pavilion by Tripadvisor. For the first time, ITB Asia offers complimentary curated Guided Tours of the exhibition, supported by Woopa Group, the Official Guided Tour Partner. A new invitation-only Association Executive Networking Session lets association executives exchange views on shared challenges across the travel and MICE industries. Cultural showcases from Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan and China, along with Apsara dance and acrobatic performances, are supported by Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, the Official Cultural Heritage Partner. Other official partners include Resorts World Sentosa (Integrated Resort Partner), Maya Mobile (Connectivity Partner) and Trip.com Group (Delegate Bag and Lanyard Sponsor).
MICE Show Asia marks a milestone, with its exhibition space expanded by 184 per cent over 2025. More than 200 confirmed MICE buyers are attending, including American Express Global Business Travel, ConferenceDirect, FCM Meetings & Events and HelmsBriscoe, along with representatives of associations such as SKAL International, the World Psychiatric Association and the European Society for Medical Oncology. Exhibitors include Firenze Fiera, Sapporo Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, South African Tourism and Hotel Tentrem. Travel Tech Asia features Airbnb, DerbySoft, Exely, Sunrate, China Mobile International, Dragonpass and Juniper Travel Technology, with a focus on artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation.
The conference programme offers 4,500 minutes of content from 160 speakers in more than 100 sessions across three theatres: the Knowledge Theatre, the MICE Show Asia Theatre and the Travel Tech Asia Theatre. Topics include human-centred and experience-led travel, changing traveller behaviour, MICE and corporate travel, destination competitiveness, sustainable tourism, emerging markets and the adoption of AI. Speakers come from Airbnb, Access Hospitality, Disney Cruise Line, Jack Morton, Sabre and Trip.Biz, among others. The programme is supported by organisations including the Adventure Travel Trade Association, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Tourism Economics and the World Tourism Cities Federation.
The opening keynotes set the tone. Mr. Lovrenc Kessler, Senior Partner at Simon-Kucher, examined shifting global travel demand and Asia-Pacific’s role in driving growth. Mr. Brett Henry, President APAC at WebBeds, discussed how competition will change when everyone has access to AI. Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony was Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Energy, Trade and Industry, Singapore.
Mr. Darren Seah, Executive Director of Messe Berlin APAC, said the event reflects an industry that is evolving fast but remains firmly centred on human needs, and that ITB Asia’s role is to create the connections that help the industry move forward.