ITB Asia Shifts From Quantity to Quality With New Experiences and Targeted Travel Connections

Written By: Swagata Dey

Swagata Dey

SEO Content Writer with a focus on travel, tourism, and global destination marketing. With 5+ years of experience crafting compelling, SEO-optimized content for leading travel platforms, Swagata bring a deep understanding of travel trends, audience engagement, and destination promotion. Having contributed extensively to Travel and Tour World, Swagata is known for delivering high-quality, search-engine-friendly articles that resonate with both readers and search engines. Specializing in creating narratives that capture the essence of global destinations while maximizing visibility, Swagata blends storytelling with strategic SEO techniques to drive traffic and elevate brand presence in the competitive travel industry.

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September 11, 2026 02:23 GMT+5:30

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Image Credit: itb-india.com

ITB Asia Shifts From Quantity to Quality With New Experiences and Targeted Travel Connections as the travel trade event adopts a more focused approach to creating meaningful engagement among industry professionals. The reason behind this shift from Quantity to Quality is the growing demand for stronger business conversations, carefully selected participants and more immersive event experiences. According to Jingles Koh, Marketing Manager of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, ITB India has always focused on the “right mix of buyers, exhibitors and partners”, while ITB Asia is introducing New Experiences through gastronomy, wellness and adventure tourism pavilions, along with guided tours. These Targeted Travel Connections aim to help exhibitors and attendees build more valuable partnerships while exploring emerging travel trends. The strategy reflects how modern travel events are moving beyond large attendance numbers towards deeper collaboration, innovation and industry-focused networking.

Why Is ITB Asia 2026 Moving Towards Experience-Led Travel?

ITB Asia 2026 is introducing new experience-focused formats to reflect changing expectations within the travel industry. Instead of focusing only on business meetings and exhibition displays, the event is creating opportunities for attendees to explore specialised tourism segments through dedicated pavilions and interactive experiences.

In an exclusive interview with Travel And Tour World, Jingles Koh, Marketing Manager of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, explained that ITB Asia is developing new initiatives to improve attendee engagement.

“For ITB Asia we are actually introducing like a different mix of many exciting new things that are happening this year,” Koh said.

The new approach focuses on three important travel categories:

The initiative reflects the growing demand for personalised travel experiences where visitors seek deeper connections with destinations.

How Will Gastronomy, Wellness and Adventure Tourism Shape ITB Asia 2026?

ITB Asia 2026 will highlight gastronomy, wellness and adventure tourism through dedicated pavilion experiences designed to showcase different areas of the travel market.

Koh explained that these segments will become an important part of the visitor experience.

“We are actually covering the gastronomy, the wellness and the adventure tourism at our pavilions,” she said.

These tourism categories have become increasingly important as travellers move beyond traditional sightseeing and look for meaningful experiences.

Gastronomy tourism connects visitors with local food cultures, while wellness tourism focuses on health, relaxation and lifestyle experiences. Adventure tourism attracts travellers interested in exploration, nature and active experiences.

By bringing these segments together, ITB Asia aims to provide attendees with a broader understanding of emerging travel trends.

What New Guided Tour Experience Will ITB Asia Introduce for Visitors?

One of the major changes highlighted by Koh is the introduction of guided tours around the exhibition floor.

The initiative is designed to help attendees navigate the event more efficiently and discover relevant exhibitors and experiences.

“And one more thing, it will be our guided tour,” Koh explained.

The guided tours will be organised in collaboration with BPA Group, allowing visitors to pre-register their interest before attending.

Koh said:

“For the first time ever, we’re actually bringing like our attendees on a guided tour around the show floor.”

The initiative aims to create a more structured visitor journey by helping attendees:

• explore exhibitor areas,
• discover tourism segments,
• identify relevant business opportunities,
• improve networking efficiency.

The move reflects how travel exhibitions are adapting to provide more personalised experiences for professional visitors.

How Does ITB India’s Strategy Differ From ITB Asia’s Approach?

While ITB Asia is introducing new engagement formats, ITB India follows a different marketing approach focused on selecting the right participants.

Koh explained that each event has a different focus depending on its market requirements.

“The focus for ITB India, ITB Asia is very different,” she said.

For ITB India, the priority is building a strong combination of buyers, exhibitors and partners rather than simply increasing visitor numbers.

“For India actually we are focused on the right mix of buyers, exhibitors, partners,” Koh explained.

She highlighted that ITB India follows a quality-focused strategy.

“Over here we have always been about quality over quantity,” she said.

This approach aims to ensure that participants are genuinely interested in business discussions, partnerships and industry collaboration.

Why Does ITB India Focus on Quality Over Quantity?

According to Koh, ITB India aims to create a targeted environment where industry professionals can have meaningful conversations.

The event uses multiple marketing channels to reach relevant audiences, including:

Koh explained that the objective is not simply attracting large numbers of visitors but creating valuable connections.

“We have over 400 quality buyers,” she said.

She added that the focus is on bringing together people who are interested in genuine industry discussions.

“They really want to engage in the conversation and this will bring benefits to the exhibitors as well,” Koh explained.

How Does Targeted Marketing Improve Travel Industry Networking?

ITB India’s targeted marketing strategy focuses on attracting participants who can create meaningful business opportunities.

Koh explained that the event clearly identifies the audience it wants to attract.

“It has always been clear about who we actually want in this,” she said.

By combining different marketing channels, the event aims to reach suitable buyers, exhibitors and partners before they arrive.

This targeted approach benefits:

• exhibitors seeking business opportunities,
• buyers searching for new partnerships,
• tourism organisations building connections.

Instead of focusing only on attendance numbers, the strategy prioritises the quality of interactions taking place during the event.

What Does ITB Asia’s New Approach Reveal About the Future of Travel Events?

The changes introduced at ITB Asia 2026 reflect a wider transformation in how travel exhibitions operate.

Modern travel events are increasingly moving beyond traditional trade show formats and creating more immersive experiences.

Koh’s comments highlight several future priorities:

The focus on gastronomy, wellness and adventure tourism shows how exhibitions are adapting to changing traveller interests.

Future travel events are expected to combine business networking with interactive experiences that help professionals understand evolving consumer demand.

How Will These Initiatives Benefit Exhibitors and Attendees?

The new experience-led approach is designed to create stronger value for both exhibitors and visitors.

For exhibitors, the initiatives can provide:

• greater visibility,
• better visitor engagement,
• stronger business conversations.

For attendees, the benefits include:

• easier exploration,
• discovery of new travel segments,
• improved networking opportunities.

By introducing guided tours and specialised experience zones, ITB Asia aims to create a more connected environment where participants can find relevant opportunities more efficiently.

Conclusion

ITB Asia Shifts From Quantity to Quality With New Experiences and Targeted Travel Connections as the event redefines how global travel professionals engage, network and discover new opportunities. The reason behind this transformation is the need to create more valuable interactions rather than focusing only on visitor numbers. By introducing New Experiences including gastronomy, wellness and adventure tourism pavilions, along with guided tours, ITB Asia is creating a more immersive platform for attendees. At the same time, the focus on Targeted Travel Connections and the move from Quantity to Quality allows exhibitors, buyers and partners to develop stronger business relationships. As travel exhibitions continue evolving, ITB Asia’s approach highlights the importance of meaningful engagement, specialised experiences and carefully selected industry participation in shaping the future of global travel networking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who shared the insights about ITB Asia 2026?

The information comes from an exclusive interview with Jingles Koh, Marketing Manager of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific.

What new tourism segments will ITB Asia highlight?

ITB Asia will focus on gastronomy tourism, wellness tourism and adventure tourism through dedicated pavilion experiences.

What is new at ITB Asia 2026?

The event will introduce guided tours around the show floor to improve visitor engagement.

How is ITB India different from ITB Asia?

According to Koh, ITB India focuses on attracting the right mix of buyers, exhibitors and partners, while ITB Asia introduces new engagement initiatives.

What marketing channels does ITB India use?

ITB India uses email marketing, digital marketing, press campaigns and social media to reach targeted audiences.