Curtains come down today on an extensive event programme, networking opportunities and business-driven discussions at ITB Asia 2021. For the first time, ITB Asia spanned an entire week, and covered both current and forward-looking leisure, MICE, corporate travel and travel technology topics.

Around 42,100 business meetings and exchanges occurred throughout the week, representing an increase of 31 pc from 2020. The event hosted over 900 buyers and 400 sponsors & exhibitors from around the world who participated in the show’s vibrant agenda of conferences and networking sessions, supported by leading global companies and destinations.

The show featured more than 3,200 exhibitor showcases, creating a favourable marketplace for buyers and sellers to engage in meaningful business meetings and discussions. The event was hosted virtually on the online platform, ITB Community in Asia (ITB Community).

“We are proud that with this year’s virtual ITB Asia, we were once again able to provide a unique meeting platform for the travel industry in surely one of the most challenging times. I am very pleased with the outcome of the show. Building on our experience with the virtual edition last year, we were able to further expand the event format and give our clients more opportunities for interactive engagements with the travel community. We look forward to welcoming the industry back in-person in Singapore from October 19 – 21, 2022, bringing back human connections through face-to-face business meetings and networking sessions. I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank this year’s Elite Partners, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and the Saudi Tourism Authority, for their support and cooperation over the past months,” says Katrina Leung, managing director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia.

Recovery and growth of travel represented the 2021 conference theme

Under the theme of The Decade Ahead: Braving New Realities in Travel, this year’s conference programme delivered insights on how to lead the industry towards recovery and growth, setting the tone for the changes that the industry is likely to see in the next months. Over 150 key industry experts delivered fascinating insights at the keynote sessions, as well as focused topics for the MICE and Corporate segment, Leisure Travel, the Travel Tech space and Tours, Activities & Attractions amongst others.

With the virtual format of the trade show, over 250 sessions have been made available on-demand for all registered delegates to view and watch again till November 28, 2021.