I had the privilege of attending ITB India 2025 in Mumbai from 2 – 4 September, and this year’s edition was truly dynamic, insightful, and inspiring. It showcased the evolution of India’s tourism industry and its global positioning, offering great networking opportunities, knowledge sharing, and future-focused discussions revolving around what current travellers are seeking.

This was the third in-person edition of ITB India, the growth was palpable, and the energy infectious. Co-located with MICE Show India and Travel Tech India, the event was attended by more than 600 travel trade buyers and facilitated close to 4,000 confirmed 1-on-1 meetings between buyers and exhibitors. The exhibition floor featured strong global participation with more than 50% international exhibitors. The theme of experience-driven travel resonated across every corner of the show floor, with wellness, culture, cinematic storytelling, and adventure tourism emerging as key trends shaping the future.

Darren Seah, Executive Director of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, expressed, “ITB India 2025 has demonstrated the remarkable growth and resilience of the travel and tourism sector, bringing together global exhibitors, quality buyers, and industry leaders in one dynamic marketplace. With engaging content, high-value business appointments, and strong partnerships across MICE, corporate, leisure, and technology-driven travel, this year’s edition reinforces India’s role as a gateway to the AsiaPacific region. We are excited to build on this momentum and look forward to an even stronger ITB India 2026.”

The Scale of the Show

The exhibition itself was a kaleidoscope of beautiful destinations, technology providers, and iconic hospitality brands, each eager to showcase what makes them stand out in today’s competitive travel landscape.  

Some of the notable names that stood out on the show floor included Wonderful Indonesia, Visit Northern Finland, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism Oman, Ha Noi Tourism Information and Promotion Centre, Destination 2 Italia, Prince Hotels & Resorts, Pearl Mara, and VEGA Hotel and Convention Center. Each pavilion offered something unique, but collectively, they painted a picture of how global tourism boards and companies are tailoring their strategies for Indian travellers.

I had the opportunity to hear from Dylan Redas Noel, Director of Marketing at Sarawak Tourism Board, who was ecstatic to be a part of ITB India and share what Sarawak has to offer. He passionately spoke about Sarawak’s lush rainforests, rich indigenous culture, and immersive eco-tourism experiences. It reminded me that “authentic adventure” is no longer just a buzzword, it’s what most travellers are seeking now-a-days.

Jitesh Patil from VietJet also highlighted the low-cost carrier’s growing presence in India and Southeast Asia and good connectivity, making it easy for Indian travellers to explore more.

This year, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh took centre stage as the Official Partner States. Their presence shone a spotlight on the cultural depth, natural beauty, and experiential richness that define these regions. Together, they highlighted the diversity of India’s tourism landscape while reinforcing the event’s commitment to showcasing the country’s vast potential on a global platform.

Each exhibitor I interacted with seemed deeply aware of the Indian traveller’s evolving preferences. The networking opportunities were endless, opening doors for future collaborations.

ITB India Conference Highlights – Knowledge, Ideas, and Inspiration

Parallel to the exhibition was the ITB India Conference 2025, which delivered an extraordinary lineup of sessions spread across two stages and four curated tracks: Knowledge Theatre, MICE & Corporate, Travel Tech, and Experiential Travel. With more than 40 sessions led by global industry leaders, there was never a dull moment. Anchored in the unifying theme “The Business of Experience: Curated Travel for Targeted Growth”, the programme brought together over 80 industry leaders and innovators, who shared expertise and discussed critical issues shaping the future of MICE, corporate travel, leisure tourism, and travel technology.

The sessions featured senior representatives from leading organisations, including FCM Meetings & Events, Google, Indian Hotels Company Limited, MakeMyTrip, Meetingselect, SOTC Travel Limited, and Thomas Cook India. The debut of the Experiential Travel track stood out as particularly relevant.

Cruise tourism emerged as a recurring theme throughout the discussions. I had a chance to connect with a few notable speakers. Isha Goyal, CEO of STIC Travel Group, emphasised how cruises are rapidly evolving into a key pillar of India’s outbound and luxury travel market. Similarly, Naresh Rawal, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, StarDream Cruises, tackled common misconceptions about cruise travel and highlighted how the segment is poised for mainstream adoption.

Other distinguished panelists in this session included Kiran Bhandari, Director, Polarverse; Nikhil Jeet, Director, Buzz Travel Marketing; Jurgen Bailom, CEO, Cordelia Cruises; Romil Pant, Executive Vice President & Business Head – Holidays, Thomas Cook India; Gurleen Kaur, Head – Tourism & Allied Infrastructure, iDeCK; and Vandana Vijay, Founder & CEO, Offbeat Tracks. Together, they provided a 360-degree perspective on the opportunities, challenges, and innovations redefining cruise tourism and experiential travel in India.

What made me hopeful and inspired was seeing the collective energy of the global travel community focused on shaping travel into something more meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable.

ITB India returns from 2–4 September 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, bringing together global and regional travel leaders once again. Will we see you there?