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ITB Berlin
Convention
Speakers
Preview Convention Speaker 2025
At ITB Berlin 2025, we bring together top speakers and leading experts from the global travel industry.
The complete list of speakers will be available in mid-January.
Here is a sneak peak of the speakers for you:
Orange Stage
Future Track
Charuta Fadnis
Senior Vice President, Research and Product Strategy, Phocuswright
Jeremy Sampson
CEO, The Travel Foundation
Glenn Fogel
CEO, Booking Holdings
Responsible Tourism Track
Külli Kraner
Head of Tourism, Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
Dr. Bruno Oberle
President, World Resources Forum Association and Former Director General International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Laura Meyer
CEO, Hotelplan Group
eTravel Stage
TTA Track
Alex Bainbridge
CEO, Autoura
Douglas Quinby
CEO, Arival
Hotel Tech Track
Steffen Schmickler
COO, Customer Alliance
James Lever
CTO, Weeva
Kevin King
COO, Shiji Group
eTravel Track
Nina Lind
Partner, McKinsey
Emmanuel Mounier
General Secretary, Global Travel Tech
Vivian Zhou
Vice President, JinJiang Group
Xinxin Liu
President, H World
Digital Destination Track
Reinhard Lanner
Founder, WorkersOnTheField
Alexa Brandau
Director Media Management, Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus
Dr. Michael Braun
Executive Board, Tourismus-Verband Ostbayern
AI Track
Dr. Patrick Andrae
CEO, Hometogo
Leila Summa
Founder, PromptyfAI
Markus Stumpe
CEO, Cruisewatch
Blue Stage
Destination Track
Alastair Crosley
Global Head of Travel, AXA Partners
Susanne Kraus-Winkler
State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, Austria
Günther Tschabuschnig
President, Data Intelligence Offensive Austria
Hospitality Track
Prof. Dr. Vanessa Borkmann
Head of Team Smart Urban Environments, Fraunhofer IAO
Research Lead, FutureHotel Innovation Network
Dr. Valentina Clergue
Ass. Professor of Marketing, EHL Hospitality Business School
Dr. Ko Koens
Professor of New Urban Tourism, Inholland University of Applied Sciences
Chair ENSUT European Network of Sustainable Urban Tourism
Green Stage
Future Work Track
Dr. Corne Dejkmans
Research Director Academy for Tourism, Breda University of Applied Science
Bonita Grupp
Managing Partner, Trigema
Diversity & Inclusion Track
Stuart W. Greif
Chief Strategy, Innovation & Operating Officer, Forbes Travel Guide
Future Track
ITB Future Track is the path to future success of tourism.
With the challenging 2023 in mind, ITB Future Track takes a deep dive into political and economic developments as well as sustainable digital trends. While tourism always has been highly resilient, diverse and dynamic, the recipes for future success become increasingly different.
At ITB Future Track leading brains in economy, politics and science are united for mastering the transformation of travel economy.
Marketing & Distribution Track
Influential industry leaders share their insights and knowledge in various engaging formats.
Expect inspiring keynotes, exclusive interviews and thought-provoking panel discussions - offering a global, multifaceted, concise update on the latest trends and developments any commercial leader in the travel industry needs to be up to date with to remain competitive and secure sustainable business transformation and growth.
Responsible Tourism Track
Climate and biodiversity justice is inherently linked to equity and social justice issues central to tourism development
So how does the industry deliver on environmental promises while also transforming itself to be a fairer, more just and more equitable sector? Supported by best practices, debates, scientific input and critical stakeholder discussions and public interaction, the ITB 2023 Responsible Tourism Track is about mastering the Now, Next and New Normal in tourism.
Tour Operator & Travel Sales Track
Following far-reaching crisis years for the industry, business logics are currently being rethought and value creation models revised.
The ITB Tour Operator & Travel Sales Track points out how the current transformation process is keeping tour operators and travel sales on their toes and changing the market environment sustainably. The track will examine how business models of traditional tour operators and wide-ranging sales platforms are increasingly overlapping, how corporations, medium-sized businesses and start-ups are driving transformation in the tourism industry and which approaches and solutions promise the greatest success.
Carrier & Cruise Track
The ITB Carrier & Cruise Track examines the transformation from the perspective of the service providers. Thus, the airline industry is operating in a rapidly changing market environment between decarbonization and cost pressures on the one hand and partly dramatic changes in booking and travel behavior on the other.
The cruise industry is affected by no less significant challenges which have their roots in both the energy crisis and the armed conflict on Europe's borders. As a result, supply bottlenecks as well as energy and resource shortages are negatively impacting service supply while demand has not yet returned to pre-crisis levels.
The industry's leading experts will provide insights into best practices and discuss how to overcome the current challenges.
Future Work Track
ITB Future Work Track is discussing new narratives for the attractiveness of work in travel today and tomorrow.
Human capital, creativity and hospitality are the fundament for future success. But the rules of future work are changing dramatically. The Future Work Track provides orientation against skills shortage and drain of competence and describes new types and formats of workflows and workspaces. We define the needs and behavior of young talents as well as of travel professionals in changing times.
Destination Track
DMO are on the base of a trade-off between marketing and management, Overtourism and Undertourism, private and public sectors, analogue business models and digital innovations.
The new challenges in climate protection and innovation management are as clear as the specifications and orders are indifferent. The ITB Destination Track is the top destination for new ideas and straight guidelines.
Hospitality Track
The hospitality Industry is in constant transformation.
Today’s challenges require short time hands on solutions; at the same time changing patterns of demand, balancing interests within destinations, managing CX and EX, sustainability and digitization ask for agility and transformation at a constant pace.
How do hospitality leaders tackle these developments? How do they connect incremental improvements with long term change? Be inspired by and learn from the stories of resilient leaders and connect to your business challenges.
Sustainable Destination Track
Climate action is urgent: Destinations and business owners need to invest in intelligent sustainable development, putting emphasis on the well-being of local communities, their subsectors and supply-chains.
The protection of biodiversity, a responsible approach to mobility and energy supply are key. Destination development of the future must focus on resilience, on macro- but also micro level. Champions in this area will showcase their vision, implementation practices and applied sciences.
Diversity & Inclusion Track
The ITB Diversity track is a discussion platform to create awareness about the necessity to transform tourism and hospitality to make tourism more inclusive, fair and equal.
How to provoke structural change regarding gender inequality, racism and all kinds of discrimination? How to ensure human rights are respected in the tourism industry, what are best practices? This track gives the opportunity to learn more about the diverse starting points of engagement and new developments. Experts from various backgrounds will share their authentic views.
Business Travel Track
ITB Business Travel Day
Mastering Transformation - the business travel industry is in a constant state of change. The big challenge is to deal with it and still achieve corporate goals.
The impact of the Corona pandemic is still clearly felt. New areas of tension were added last year by the war in Ukraine. Besides emotional challenges, companies have to master bottlenecks and transform ad hoc without much time of preparation to deal with rising prices and lack of availability around a trip.
Get inspired at the ITB Business Travel Day on how the industry is moving forward positively, despite negative influences. The key lies in the good interaction between corporates and suppliers, who send the focus topics sustainability, sharing economy and workation on a good journey through their customized and innovative products.
Youth, Adventure & Outdoor Track
Adventure and Outdoor tourism grows in popularity…
Youth and Student Travel still holds a large market share in Tourism worldwide. But what has changed, how to prepare for the future and how to overcome obstacles for a profitable business? Seeking new and different experiences. Guarantee safety and still open up or maintain new destinations. Sustainability aspects are increasingly the focus of these segments.
ATTAs AdventureConnect is back at ITB and will include inspirational content, followed by a dynamic interactive networking session.
MICE Track
Transformation takes place on many levels. Business models are changing or disappearing completely and making way for others. Processes are being optimised and standardized. Work is generally becoming faster and more flexible. And the human being at the center is the consumer, designer, idea and impulse generator. Learn how transformation can succeed in all these areas.
Medical, Wellness & Health Track
The Health & Medical Tourism segment is booming and becoming ever more important, especially also after Covid: Preventing- and regenerating health became a main concern, a rising number of clinics, hotels and destinations benefit from this development and record new demand.
Medically-motivated travel is a billion-dollar industry, traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment for availability-, quality-, or price-orientated reasons is a new normal. There are synergies between Health- and Sports Tourism as also with the SPA industry. Additionally, it is more important than ever to invest in environmental-friendly solutions and not to neglect social issues. At ITB, Medical Tourism-, Health and SPA experts will inform about latest trends and developments.
eTravel Track
ITB eTravel World is the think-tank for technology-driven innovation and digital transformation in tourism and hospitality.
How to master transformation with technology? How to manage the structural changes in the tourism industry due to digitalization? What are leading best practices? Travel tech experts share their views on the latest trends and developments in travel technology adoption and practical use cases in various engaging formats.
eTravel Track – Hospitality Forum
How can hotels and hospitality operators master digital transformation successfully and benefit from technology?
Relevant technology trends and developments, inspiring best practices, and engaging panels - That’s what the ITB Hospitality Technology Forum offers. Hear and learn from thought leaders and hospitality tech experts. What to look out for? What are the use cases? Connect with fellow hospitality professionals and ask your questions.
eTravel Track – Data Talks
ITB Data Talks is building bridges between technical innovation and practical implementation. With best cases and presentation made for travel professionals, tech experts give valuable insights for digital change and the implementation of future technology in travel.
eTRAVEL TRACK – TTA FORUM
The TTA Forum (Technology, Tours and Activities Forum) is back live at ITB Berlin, showcasing latest research and insights from the world of tours and activities highlighting where and how technology and digital transformation is driving the sector forward.
Tours and activities experts future gaze and share views on consumer changing behaviours, sustainability, partnerships with added benefits and how to embrace new technology to offer travellers what they are looking for. Who’s leading the way? Who’s innovative? Who serves the travellers best? Come join us for an insightful afternoon of case studies, interviews, keynotes and research.