ITB China opens with Malaysia tourism as its destination partner

ITB China officially opened last evening withTravTalk ME as media partner and Malaysia tourism as the destination partner. Speaking at the opening dinner last evening, David Ruetz, Senior Vice President Messe Berlin shared that they anticipate over 700 exhibitors from around 90 countries and regions, while the number of buyers is set to increase by 30%, reflecting the growing global interest in the event. The Honourable Dato Sri Tiong King Sing – Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia shared the importance of ITB China as they become destination partner promoting 2026 as Visit Malaysia year. Ruetz addressing the audience reiterated, ” We are truly honored to be celebrating this evening with over 700 esteemed representatives from across the travel industry – all united under one roof. The global travel industry is on an exciting trajectory, full of dynamism and renewed energy. The momentum is especially felt and vibrant here in China. We are witnessing not just a mere recovery, but a reimagining of the sector. Chinese travelers are maturing, seeking deeper, more meaningful journeys. And destinations respond by offering more immersive and personalized experiences. Travel is evolving, and China is at the forefront of these new and exciting trends. The 6th edition of ITB China is a clear reflection of that momentum. We are thrilled to announce that ITB China has expanded by an impressive 30% compared to last year, underscoring the growing relevance and confidence in this market. Over the next three days, we will bring together more than 700 exhibitors from 85 countries, and 1,400 hosted buyers from every province in China and across the globe. This is a powerful signal of trust in the market, in the value of human connection, and confidence in ITB China as one of the industry’s leading platforms for exchange and collaboration. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate David Axiotis, Vice President China of Messe Berlin and Lydia Li, Director of ITB China, and their entire team for their outstanding efforts – your dedication and hard work have made this remarkable event possible. Our sincere gratitude goes out to all our longstanding partners – destinations from across the world and key industry players – for their unwavering support throughout this journey. Your dedication has played a significant role in the show’s ongoing success. It is also a pleasure to welcome a number of new destinations exhibiting with us for the first time: Let me warmly welcome: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Colombia, Cyprus, Diriyah, Hokkaido, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico City, Oman, Sarajevo, and South Africa. And from China – Guangxi, Hong Kong, Hubei, and Shanghai. We are also grateful for the commitment of renowned global organizations such as UN Tourism, SITE China, the World Travel & Tourism Council, Tourism Economics and the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Their expertise and insights will be at the heart of this year’s ITB China Conference – our most ambitious yet, featuring 150 speakers and 60 relevant industry topics. Among the highlights of this year’s event is the Travel Innovation Hub that will spotlight cutting-edge technology set to shape the future of tourism, and the newly launched MICE Meeting Point China, a purely MICE-focused event debuting from 11-12 September in Beijing. In closing, we wish you a wonderful evening and a successful time at ITB China 2025. Let us raise our glasses – to new beginnings, shared success, and a bright future ahead.”