Global tourism stakeholders gather in Berlin ahead of ITB 2026: messages of resilience and climate education
On the eve of the opening of the jubilee, 60th edition of the ITB Berlin trade fair, the World Tourism Network and eTurboNews brought together in Berlin representatives of the tourism sector from several world regions. At the heart of the evening were destination resilience, climate policies, and the need for industry cooperation in a time of intensified crises.ITB Berlin, one of the most important global B2B meetings of the tourism industry, takes place in 2026 from March 3 to 5 at the Messe Berlin complex, and the jubilee edition has further increased the interest of the public and private sectors in talks about the future of travel. On the day before the start of the fair, March 2, 2026, a networking dinner was held in Berlin organized by the World Tourism Network (WTN) and the eTurboNews portal (eTN), with participation of international tourism officials, representatives of destination organizations, consultants, and media partners.
According to the organizers, the dinner was sold out and conceived as a gathering without a classic ceremonial protocol, with an emphasis on conversation and the exchange of experiences on how tourism is adapting to climate and geopolitical pressures, rising costs, and changes in demand. The hosts said the goal was to create a space in which actors from different systems can “sit at the same table” – from ministries and national tourism organizations to private companies and civil society.
ITB Berlin 2026: 60 years of the fair and three days of intensive negotiations
The official ITB program traditionally brings together exhibitors, tour operators, airlines, hotel chains, technology suppliers, and destination representatives, while the ITB Berlin Convention in parallel offers discussions on trends, including digitization and artificial intelligence, sustainability, travel safety, and crisis management. The fair organizer, Messe Berlin, emphasized in its announcements that 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of ITB, which further highlighted the symbolism of gathering in a year when the sector is simultaneously trying to recover and restructure.
In that context, events such as the WTN dinner gain weight: it is precisely in informal meetings that questions are often opened which in official panels remain “under the trends section”, although in practice they decide on investments, strategic partnerships, and the reputation of destinations.
“Resilience” as the common denominator: messages from Jamaica’s minister
One of the prominent speakers was Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. According to event reports, Bartlett stressed that the concept of resilience in tourism can no longer be reduced to a quick return to the “old normal” after a shock, but to the ability for systems to prepare in advance, adapt, and – as he has often formulated in international appearances – “bounce forward”, not just “recover”. In Berlin, according to available information, he recalled the impacts of extreme weather events and the growing climate risks affecting island and coastal destinations, as well as major outbound markets.
Bartlett also highlighted initiatives that link climate policy and education, with the idea of more systematically preparing future workers in tourism – but also communities that live from tourism – for adaptation, risk measurement, and the application of more sustainable practices. According to statements from his address, climate education should not remain an “add-on” to the curriculum or a campaign limited to periods after a disaster, but should become a permanent element of tourism development and destination planning.
Dinner as a platform: conversation instead of protocol
The organizers emphasized that the format was deliberately “conversational”, so that participants could, without formal frameworks, compare approaches to risk management, sustainability, and market changes. According to their statements, the evening was held at the Alpha restaurant in Berlin, and the gathering was presented as a kind of turning point for WTN in terms of strengthening its presence on the European market, after eTurboNews moved part of its operations from the USA to Germany.
In practice, such meetings also serve as a test of the industry’s maturity: how ready are the public and private sectors to share data, align standards, and speak jointly about topics such as emissions, transport, overtourism, or “security shocks” that overnight change travel flows.
Wider context: tourism in the shadow of crises and security issues
ITB Berlin 2026 takes place in a period when travel decisions are increasingly made under the influence of security assessments and changing geopolitical circumstances. Part of the international media ahead of the fair reported on cancellations and adjustments of participation by certain countries due to regional tensions, which further highlights the vulnerability of an industry that depends on the stability of air corridors, open borders, and predictable business conditions.
In such an atmosphere, messages of “unity” and “solidarity” – as the dinner organizers described them – gain a very concrete dimension. Tourism is, moreover, a sector that on the ground relies on a large number of small entrepreneurs and workers in service activities, so every major crisis quickly spills over to local incomes, seasonal employment, and community budgets.
From sustainability to a “measurable” transition
One of the topics that has stood out at ITB in recent years as key is sustainability, but with ever stronger pressure to demonstrate it through numbers, targets, and deadlines, and not only through marketing messages. Participants of the WTN dinner, according to reports, discussed how destinations can align demand growth with the limitations of infrastructure and natural resources, and how to shape policies that withstand political cycles.
In that part of the discussions, initiatives connecting education, local communities, and sector resilience are especially relevant. Climate education, which Bartlett spoke about, fits into a broader trend of professionalizing sustainability management: from tracking the carbon footprint to plans for reducing emissions in hospitality, circular models in supply chains, and investment in resilient infrastructure.
Jamaica and the “resilience agenda” on the international stage
In recent years Jamaica has positioned itself as a vocal advocate of the concept of tourism resilience, especially in the context of Caribbean destinations exposed to hurricanes and climate extremes. Ahead of and during ITB 2026, according to reports, Minister Bartlett also held bilateral meetings with leaders of international tourism institutions, with topics including recovery after weather disasters, sustainability, workforce development, and strengthening international cooperation.
In Berlin, according to available information, he emphasized that resilience cannot be built exclusively at the level of one country or one destination, because value chains in tourism are globally interconnected: disruptions in air transport, insurance models, or energy policy quickly create consequences across the entire system.
What such gatherings mean for Europe and the region
For European stakeholders, including destinations from Southeast Europe, ITB Berlin remains a key place for arranging sales and promotion, but also for “reading” the direction in which markets such as Germany, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom are moving. An added value of informal events, such as the WTN dinner, is that sensitive topics are often easier to articulate there: from labor shortages and rising prices to the question of how to communicate sustainability without greenwashing.
For destinations that rely on seasonality and mass travel, discussions on climate adaptation and resilience are increasingly moving from expert circles into operational plans. This includes educational programs – both for tourism workers and for local administrations – and empowering communities that need to withstand the pressure of tourist peaks, but also drops in demand when extraordinary situations occur.
Key messages of the evening in Berlin
- Resilience is increasingly viewed as a planned system of risk management, not just a reaction after a crisis.
- Climate education is increasingly linked with tourism, through workforce training and strengthening the capacities of local communities.
- Cooperation between the public sector, industry, and international organizations becomes more important due to the interdependence of global travel chains.
- ITB Berlin in the jubilee year further emphasizes the role of the fair as a place of negotiations, but also of redefining sustainability standards and crisis management.
Although the messages from the dinner were focused on togetherness and long-term planning, the very fact that the meeting was held on the eve of the world’s largest tourism trade fair also highlights the pragmatic side of the industry: in Berlin, alongside ideas and values, concrete deals are also concluded, and the reputation of destinations is built as much through the ability to attract guests as through the ability to lead tourism responsibly in a period of climate and security uncertainties.
Sources:- ITB Berlin (official website) – dates and basic information about ITB Berlin 2026 (link)- eTurboNews – report on the WTN/eTN dinner ahead of ITB Berlin 2026 and messages about resilience and climate education (link)- World Tourism Network – announcement and context of WTN networking in Berlin on March 2, 2026 (link)- Breaking Travel News – overview of ITB Berlin 2026 (60th anniversary, general fair information) (link)- Breaking Travel News – report on recognitions for Edmund Bartlett in the field of tourism resilience (Nairobi, February 2026) (link)- Jamaica Observer – report on Bartlett receiving a resilience award (Nairobi, February 2026) (link)
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