People with Passion
Deborah Rothe, Director, ITB Berlin
All good trade shows come in threes: this year, Deborah Rothe will be taking the reins for the third time when ITB Berlin invites visitors to the world's largest travel trade show. Here she reveals why she is relocating the Home of Luxury, why the travel industry can still thrive despite geopolitical tensions, and why ITB is still indispensable!
People with Passion
Deborah Rothe Director, ITB Berlin
All good trade shows come in threes: this year, Deborah Rothe will be taking the reins for the third time when ITB Berlin invites visitors to the world's largest travel trade show in Germany. Here she reveals why she is relocating the Home of Luxury, why the travel industry can still thrive despite geopolitical tensions, and why ITB is still indispensable!
On the Status of the Halls
"The comprehensive refurbishment of Halls 12 to 17 is still ongoing. These halls are interconnected by their heating and energy systems, so we can't put individual halls back into operation – we can only do that when all those halls are finished. And that will definitely not be the case this year for ITB."
On the Participants "Exhibitor registrations for ITB Berlin 2025 are going very well. At the beginning of the year we had already received 40 percent more confirmations from our exhibitors than at the same time last year, which clearly reflects the positive trend in the tourism industry. We currently expect to rent out more exhibition space than at ITB Berlin 2024, with over 90 percent of the space already booked. In terms of trade visitor numbers, we broke the 100,000 mark last year. These are mainly buyers, and here we can clearly see that there has been a consolidation in the market and therefore fewer people are coming than before. But the purchasing power remains the same."
On the Home of Luxury
"The Home of Luxury is moving to the 'Palais am Funkturm'. A decisive advantage of the new location is its direct proximity to the ITB Buyers Circle Lounge, the central meeting point for the 1,000 top buyers in the international tourism industry. This will increase the visibility of our exhibitors and facilitate the exchange with important decision makers. In addition, the special atmosphere of the Palais offers an exclusive setting and offers a strategically favorable location at the North Entrance with direct access to trade show action. The concept for the Home of Luxury remains unchanged: An area with exclusive access for trade visitors with an appointment or clear affiliation to the luxury segment."
On the Demand from Luxury Exhibitors "Demand for the Home of Luxury at ITB Berlin 2025 is already encouragingly good. Half of the available tables have already been booked, including by suppliers such as Abercrombie & Kent, Hi DMC, Koh Jum Beach Villas, Grupo Vidanta, and Lobster Experience. Luxury suppliers can still register for the Home of Luxury until February 21st."
On the Appeal of the Trade Show "We are responding to the changed market structure by expanding the offer for our 'Business Satellites.' These are areas in Halls 3.1, 10.2, and 23 with individual tables for meetings that can be booked by the hour. This way we are also addressing exhibitors who do not have their own stand at the show. What's new this year is that you can also book Food & Beverage packages."
On the Target Groups
"When it comes to exhibitors, the destinations are of course of particular interest to us. After all, we want to offer a trip around the world. Geographically, Europe is still very strong. Another major focus is on tour operators from all over the world. However, we are currently seeing the greatest momentum among travel tech providers, where we even have waiting lists for exhibitors. The cruise sector is also extremely strong: Hall 25 is bursting at the seams."
On Current Challenges "Above all, it is the evolving geopolitical situation that is affecting us. And of course global inflation, because we still have to cover our costs. Nevertheless, we have only moderately adjusted our prices for this year. In general, the economic situation is not easy, and Germany is on the cusp of an election. However, the big plus for the tourism industry is the unbroken desire to travel, and the truly unique resilience that we have cultivated."
On Future Viability "ITB is needed because it reflects the entire world of the tourism industry. I think it's great that there are separate trade shows for the niche segments – we can't go into such depth thematically. But we have consistently developed ten segments, offering anything from adventure vacations to luxury travel. ITB remains the industry's family reunion, where people return every year to see old and new faces. At the Buyers Circle alone, we welcomed 50 percent new participants last year, especially from the international market."
On the Status of the Halls
"The comprehensive refurbishment of Halls 12 to 17 is still ongoing. These halls are interconnected by their heating and energy systems, so we can't put individual halls back into operation – we can only do that when all the halls are finished. And that will definitely not be the case this year for ITB."
On the Participants
"Exhibitor registrations for ITB Berlin 2025 are going very well. At the beginning of the year we had already received 40 percent more confirmations from our exhibitors than at the same time last year, which clearly reflects the positive trend in the tourism industry. We currently expect to rent out more exhibition space than at ITB Berlin 2024, with over 90 percent of the space already booked. In terms of trade visitor numbers, we broke the 100,000 mark last year. These are mainly buyers, and here we can clearly see that there has been a consolidation in the market and therefore fewer people are coming than before. But the purchasing power remains the same."
On the Demand from Luxury Exhibitors
"Demand for the Home of Luxury at ITB Berlin 2025 is already encouragingly good. Half of the available tables have already been booked, including by suppliers such as Abercrombie & Kent, Hi DMC, Koh Jum Beach Villas, Grupo Vidanta, and Lobster Experience. Luxury suppliers can still register for the Home of Luxury until February 21st."
On the Home of Luxury
"The Home of Luxury is moving to the Palais. A decisive advantage of the new location is its direct proximity to the ITB Buyers Circle Lounge, the central meeting point for the 1,000 top buyers in the international tourism industry. This will increase the visibility of our exhibitors and facilitate the exchange with important decision makers. In addition, the special atmosphere of the Palais offers an exclusive setting and offers a strategically favorable location at the North Entrance with direct access to trade show action. The concept for the Home of Luxury remains unchanged: An area with exclusive access for trade visitors with an appointment or clear affiliation to the luxury segment."
On the Appeal of the Trade Show
"We are responding to the changed market structure by expanding the offer for our 'Business Satellites.' These are areas in Halls 3.1, 10.2, and 23 with individual tables for meetings that can be booked by the hour. This way we are also addressing exhibitors who do not have their own stand at the show. What's new this year is that you can also book drinks and snack packages."
On the Target Groups
"When it comes to exhibitors, the destinations are of course of particular interest to us. After all, we want to offer a trip around the world. Geographically, Europe is still very strong. Another major focus is on tour operators from all over the world. However, we are currently seeing the greatest momentum among travel tech providers, where we even have waiting lists for exhibitors. The cruise sector is also extremely strong: Hall 25 is bursting at the seams."
On Current Challenges
"Above all, it is the evolving geopolitical situation that is affecting us. And of course global inflation, because we still have to cover our costs. Nevertheless, we have only moderately adjusted our prices for this year. In general, the economic situation is not easy, and Germany is on the cusp of an election. However, the big plus for the tourism industry is the unbroken desire to travel, and the truly unique resilience that we have cultivated."
On Future Viability
"ITB is needed because it reflects the entire world of the tourism industry. I think it's great that there are separate trade shows for the niche segments – we can't go into such depth thematically. But we have consistently developed ten segments, offering anything from adventure vacations to luxury travel. ITB remains the industry's family reunion, where people return every year to see old and new faces. At the Buyers Circle alone, we welcomed 50 percent new participants last year, especially from the international market."