The ninth edition of mega travel trade event ITB China formally opened today, 26th May, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre in Pudong, Shanghai, China.

The event kicked off with a traditional renjishi (lion dance) for its success with Messe Berlin senior vice-president David Ruetz and Irakli Nadareishvili, deputy minister of economy and sustainable development for this year’s official partner destination Georgia, in attendance.

For its 2026 run, ITB China is bigger and better as it adds 20 percent to its total floor area, welcoming more than 900 exhibitors from 85 nations, as well as 1,700 top travel buyers from around the globe.

Four segments in the spotlight

According to Messe Berlin (China) managing director David Axiotis, the event will focus on four major developmental segments: luxury travel, cruise travel, outdoor and sports tourism, and educational travel.

Axiotis said: “[We are] presenting richer premium resources and new opportunities across specialised travel markets.”

Likewise, the Travel Innovation Hub for this year is set to drive more efficient exchange and collaboration between developers and the greater travel industry via five core modules: a technology showcase, travel tech forum, innovators’ pitching session, high-level meetings, and comprehensive trend reports.