V.l.n.r.: Vicente Salas Hesselbach (Managing Director, ITB Americas), Gustavo Staufert (Generaldirektor, Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau), Michelle Fridman Hirsch (Generalsekretärin des Bundesstaates Jalisco), Dr. Mario Tobias (Geschäftsführer der Messe Berlin), Virginia Messina (Senior Vice President für Advocacy und Kommunikation, WTTC), Francisco José (Botschafter Mexikos), David Ruetz (Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin)
This year during ITB, Berlin, Messe Berlin (the organisers of ITB shows worldwide) announced a new show ITB Americas to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico from 10 to 12 November 2026. The venue for the new event – Mexico’s second largest city Guadalajara in the State of Jalisco – offers excellent conITB Expands to the Americas: A Game-Changer for the Global Travel Industrynectivity and the country’s most state-of-the-art exhibition and convention centre.
A B2B tourism trade show, ITB Americas will be the only travel trade show that covers North, Central and South America and the Caribbean as well as all segments of the travel industry, from Adventure & Responsible Tourism to Business Travel and Travel Technology. The planned distribution of exhibitors is 80 per cent from the Americas and 20 per cent from the rest of the world, with participants ranging from startups to global market leaders.
“The launch of ITB Americas represents a continuation of our successful international strategy,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin. He further added, “Having previously focused on Asia, for us it is now ‘ITB goes West’. Whether for hiking in the Rocky Mountains, cruises in the Caribbean, exploring the Atacama Desert in South America or the Mayan culture in Central America, the Americas are not only among the most diverse regions for travel, but also an important source market, with countries such as the USA, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.”
Mexico’s s Secretary of Tourism, Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, emphasized that ITB Americas presents a key opportunity to strengthen the American market, build high-quality business connections, and showcase Mexico’s rich cultural and economic potential to the global tourism industry.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was singned between Messe Berlin and the Mexican ambassador in Berlin and representatives of the State of Jalisco.
The latest data from IPK International’s World Travel Monitor shows that North and Latin America play an important role in international travel. The increasing demand for travel to these regions is reflected both in the number of trips abroad and the growing popularity of destinations in North America and especially Latin America. A survey of travel intentions in 2025 confirms this and points to dynamic growth in travel for 2025.
With a strong focus on regional and international market potential, ITB Americas features a curated Hosted Buyer program and a high-level conference showcasing thought leaders and industry experts.
For almost 60 years ITB has been a trendsetter for the travel fraternity and remains the world’s leading B2B trade show for the travel industry, taking place in Berlin, China, Singapore and India. And now the inaugural ITB Americas will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 10 to 12 November 2025, covering the American market.
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