ORGANISERS of ITB Asia 2026 have set their sights on big numbers as the three-day event in which three shows run simultaneously draws to a close today in Singapore.
Messe Berlin Asia Pacific announced that they were expecting overall totals of more than 18,000 participants, 1,000-plus exhibiting brands, over 1,500 qualified buyers and some 60,000 targeted business appointments over the three-day event.
Gan Siow Huang, Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Energy, Trade and Industry, officially opened the event at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands.
The minister’s presence was described by officials as reflecting the importance Singapore placed on ensuring the city remained a top travel and business events hub.
Running alongside the 19th edition of ITB Asia were MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia, with the meetings sector taking a bigger share of the floor this year, a spokesperson for Messe Berlin APAC said. Exhibition space for MICE Show Asia 2026 had expanded by 184 per cent compared with 2025.
More than 200 confirmed MICE buyers have been attending, including representatives from American Express Global Business Travel, ConferenceDirect, FCM Meetings & Events, HelmsBriscoe, Medical Meetings and TMA Australia.
Apart from Israel, there was the noticeable absence of the usually large Middle East pavilions from the likes of Oman and Dubai this year amid tensions in the region. Uganda was one of the debut destinations with a pavilion-style stand with the African country’s convention bureau chief participating in one of the conference panels.
Association buyers included representatives from the Asian Pacific Digestive Week Federation, European Society for Medical Oncology, Informing Science Institute, SKAL International, World Aquaculture Society and World Psychiatric Association.
Messe Berlin said the larger MICE showcase brought destinations, hotels, venues and service providers together with international event planners, corporate travel buyers and procurement decision-makers. Exhibitors included Evintra Pavilion, Hotel Tentrem, South African Tourism and Sun PhuQuoc Airways, while Firenze Fiera, Sapporo Convention Bureau and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau were among those featured at MICE Show Asia.
Across the three co-located shows, organisers said 4,500 minutes of conference content was scheduled involving 160 speakers and more than 100 sessions. Topics ranged from changing travel demand and human-centred experiences to the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
New for 2026 was an Experience Zone, including the Experience Pavilion by Tripadvisor and a showcase of travel experiences. Travel Tech Asia, meanwhile, featured companies including Airbnb, DerbySoft, Exely and Sunrate.
“Travel is ultimately about people: the experiences they seek, the connections they make and the places that stay with them. At ITB Asia, we bring the global travel industry together to turn that understanding into business opportunities,” said Darren Seah, Executive Director, Messe Berlin APAC.
“With Experience Zones and Guided Tours, a significantly expanded MICE Show Asia and a strong focus on technology, this year’s event reflects an industry that is evolving fast but remains firmly centred on human needs. Our role is to create the connections that help the industry move forward.”
More than 80 per cent of exhibitors represented international markets, spanning Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, according to Messe Berlin.
Tourism organisations included Bangladesh Tourism Board, German National Tourist Board, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hokkaido Tourism Organisation, Malta Tourism Authority, Sarawak Tourism Board, Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Fiji, Visit Finland and Visit Norway.
Other participating organisations included Gyeongju Hwabaek CVB, Korea Tourism Startup Centre and Visit Almaty, alongside BWH Hotels, Mandai Wildlife Group, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Resorts World Sentosa and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Main picture… Singapore minister Gan Siow Huang (centre) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony with (from left) Darren Seah and Katrina Leung, of Messe Berlin APAC; Melissa Ow and Chi Chuan Poh, of Singapore Tourism Board
