If you’ve just arrived in Singapore, welcome! If you’ve been here before, welcome back. Either way, the next three days promise plenty of familiar faces, new connections, and opportunities worth exploring. The exhibition halls open at 9:30am, and we have a busy three days ahead.
This is the 19th edition of ITB Asia and our busiest yet with more than 1,000 exhibiting brands, over 1,500 quality buyers, 160 speakers and some 18,000 of us under one roof at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention, with MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia sharing the floor and the badge. Last year, we set a record of over 60,000 business appointments. I have a feeling we can too beat it this year.
Our theme for 2026 is Experiences in Motion: human-centred tourism. Travel is increasingly being shaped by the experiences people seek, not simply the destinations they visit. Through our partnership with Tripadvisor, the Experience Pavilion at ITB Asia 2026 brings these experiences directly into the B2B travel marketplace, giving experience providers greater visibility while enabling buyers and industry partners to discover distinctive products that can strengthen and diversify their travel offerings. Don’t miss our interview with Scott Wegener from Tripadvisor on page 9 for more details.
There are at least two things you won’t want to miss this morning in the Knowledge Theatre: Lovrenc Kessler of Simon-Kucher on what comes next for Asia-Pacific, and Brett Henry of WebBeds on connected travel.
Whether you are here to strengthen existing partnerships, discover new opportunities or gain fresh perspectives on where our industry is heading, I hope ITB Asia 2026 proves to be a productive and rewarding three days. And remember, not every great business opportunity starts with a scheduled meeting. Sometimes, all it takes is a conversation in the aisle. See you on the show floor!
By Darren Seah, Executive Director, Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, organiser of ITB Asia
Click HERE for the full up-to-date programme
