The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, participated at ITB Berlin 2026, held from 3rd – 5th March at Messe Berlin, Germany. As the world’s leading travel trade show, ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin) is a key meeting point for the global tourism industry, providing an important platform for networking and exchange for the Indian travel stakeholders.

India participated with a significant delegation of Destination Management Companies (DMCs), hoteliers, State Governments / Union Territories and tour operators from across the country. The exhibition was inaugurated by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture in the presence of the Indian Ambassador to India, Shri Ajit Gupte.

Further, in order to strengthen people to people ties, Union Minister of Tourism held productive bilateral meetings with H.E. Ms Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Minister of Tourism of Indonesia and Dr Christoph Ploß, Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism, Germany. The discussions focused on enhancing tourism flows, boosting sustainable travel, expanding air connectivity, and deepening people-to-people ties between the nations. Union Minister also engaged with Ms Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary General, UNWTO and discussed about different ways to enhance sustainable tourism development and regenerative tourism.

Union Minister of Tourism, while addressing the Press Conference stated that Germany remains one of India’s most important tourism partners. Germany ranks as the 8th largest tourist generating source market for India with 260,000 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)** from Germany in 2025.

At ITB Berlin, Union Minister of Tourism launched two short films curated by Netflix for the Ministry, one celebrating India’s vibrant culture, living traditions, festivals and timeless heritage while the other celebrates the rich flavours and diversity of Indian cuisine. The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with Netflix to showcase Indian destinations to global audiences. Under this partnership, Incredible India and Netflix will curate ten short promotional videos over the year. Inspired by Netflix films and series, each video highlights a unique facet of India from its flavours and festivals to adventure, wildlife, and natural beauty reflecting the country’s depth and diversity as seen on screen.

The India Pavilion at ITB 2026 showcased the country`s rich kaleidoscope of cultures, languages and traditions, its diverse tourism landscape as well as the gamut of niche tourism experiences such as spiritual & wellness, wedding, adventure and ecotourism and gourmet. The theme of the Pavilion revolved around the Unique and diverse Tourism Experiences of India.

State Governments of Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Union Territories (UTs) of Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands along with IRCTC participated at ITB to promote their latest destinations and offerings to the international market. 42 stakeholders from the Indian travel industry and State Governments co-exhibited at the India Pavilion to showcase India’s vibrant cultural diversity and the vast range of tourism products and immersive experiences. The stakeholders had fruitful business meetings and established new contacts with their international counterparts. The strong presence highlighted India’s strategic goal of further boosting inbound tourism and establishing the country as a premier 365 days global travel destination.

ITB Berlin provided an important platform for strengthening existing partnerships, establishing new business relationships and promoting innovative travel routes and experiences. The diversity of the cultural and craft heritage was also showcased to the visitors at the India Pavilion through mehendi and other DIY activities such as block printing and calligraphy