More than 4,000 professional attendees, over 300 exhibiting companies from 61 countries, around 10,000 pre-scheduled business meetings and qualified buyers from over 40 countries came together at Expo Guadalajara, underscoring the strong demand for a dedicated B2B marketplace connecting the travel markets of the Americas. The inaugural event combined high-quality business encounters, international networking and forward-looking industry discussions. ITB Americas will return to Guadalajara from 16–18 November 2027.
ITB Americas has successfully concluded its inaugural edition in Guadalajara, Mexico, bringing together the international travel industry for three days of business, networking and knowledge exchange. The strong international participation and high level of business activity demonstrated the demand for a dedicated marketplace connecting the travel markets of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
A key measure of the inaugural edition’s success was the quality and relevance of business interactions between exhibitors and buyers. Around 10,000 pre-scheduled business meetings took place over the three days, fostering productive discussions and creating opportunities for new commercial relationships, international partnerships and market expansion. The high level of participant satisfaction further underscored the strong business potential and value of ITB Americas as a new B2B marketplace for the global travel industry.
The ITB Americas Conference program also attracted strong interest, welcoming more than 2,400 conference attendees. International industry leaders and experts from organizations including the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Netflix, Expedia Group and Amadeus shared their insights, bringing global perspectives to the stage while addressing the specific opportunities and challenges facing the Americas. Key topics included artificial intelligence, digital transformation and changing traveler expectations, highlighting the trends and innovations shaping the future of the travel industry.
ITB Americas also attracted significant political and media attention. The event welcomed a distinguished delegation of high-ranking political representatives, including government ministers and senior public officials, reflecting the importance of tourism as a driver of economic development and international cooperation across the region. Around 100 media outlets attended the inaugural event, ensuring broad coverage of the show and its key developments.
As the first trade show under the ITB brand dedicated to the entire Americas region, the event established a new platform connecting North, Central and South America and the Caribbean with international travel markets. The strong international participation and high level of business engagement underline the industry’s demand for closer regional cooperation, new commercial opportunities and stronger global partnerships.
“The successful premiere of ITB Americas has shown exactly why we launched this event. The Americas are one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic travel regions, yet until now there has been no dedicated international marketplace bringing the entire region together. ITB Americas fills that gap. The strong international participation, the quality of the business meetings and the positive feedback from our industry partners confirm that the industry was ready for this platform. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to building on this success together with our partners and the global travel community,” said Vicente Salas Hesselbach, Vice President & Managing Director Americas, Messe Berlin.
The Hosted Buyer Program brought together qualified travel professionals from more than 40 countries. More than 95% of participating buyers held decision-making positions, underlining the strong business orientation of the event and the potential for meaningful commercial relationships.
The international buyer network reflected both the Pan-American focus and global reach of ITB Americas: 80% of participating buyers came from the Americas, while 20% represented international markets outside the region. Their expertise covered leisure travel, MICE and corporate travel, bringing together relevant decision-makers from across the travel value chain.
ITB Americas also demonstrated its ability to attract a broad international audience of travel professionals. The combination of qualified buyers, international exhibitors and industry decision-makers created an environment for establishing new contacts, strengthening existing relationships and exploring business opportunities across regional and international markets.
Bringing the Americas Together: A Truly International Marketplace
The inaugural edition reflected the diversity and international appeal of the Americas as a travel region. Exhibitors from across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean were joined by international destinations and companies from Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
The strong Pan-American presence included destinations such as Mexico, Brazil, Peru, the United States, and the Dominican Republic. International participation extended to destinations and tourism representatives from Norway, Egypt, South Africa and Thailand.
Leading international players from across the travel industry further highlighted the exhibition’s strong business relevance. Airlines and transportation providers such as United Airlines, Air Canada and LATAM Airlines were among the participants. Major hospitality groups, including Accor, Wyndham, Hilton and RIU, were also represented, alongside travel companies such as PriceTravel, Miki Travel and Mega Travel.
By connecting established global brands, regional market leaders and emerging destinations, ITB Americas offered trade visitors access to a broad range of travel products, services and potential business partners under one roof.
Mexico Takes Center Stage as Official Partner Country
As the Official Partner Country of the inaugural ITB Americas, Mexico played a central role in the launch of the new Pan-American travel marketplace. The partnership highlighted the country’s importance as an international tourism destination and its role in connecting travel markets across the Americas and beyond. From cultural heritage and nature-based experiences to luxury travel, adventure tourism and business events, Mexico showcased the diversity of its tourism offering to international travel professionals.
As host city, Guadalajara provided an international setting for the premiere, welcoming industry leaders, buyers, exhibitors and media representatives from across the Americas and beyond. The event also highlighted the city’s role as one of Mexico’s major business and cultural centers.
ITB Americas Conference: Industry Leaders Explore What’s Next for Travel
Alongside the exhibition, the ITB Americas Conference provided a platform for strategic discussions, knowledge exchange and forward-looking industry insights. More than 100 speakers contributed to over 40 sessions under the theme “Travel Forward: Navigate What’s Next”, addressing the trends and developments shaping the future of travel.
Discussions focused on key topics including artificial intelligence, changing travel distribution models, destination marketing, sustainability and evolving traveler expectations.
Key Takeaways: The Trends Shaping Travel Across the Americas
The discussions at ITB Americas Conference highlighted several developments shaping the region’s travel industry:
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation: AI is transforming travel distribution, business operations and customer experiences, creating new opportunities for companies to improve efficiency and respond to changing traveler expectations.
Connectivity and Market Growth: Evolving air connectivity and growing travel demand are strengthening the importance of the Americas as an increasingly interconnected international tourism market.
Destination Marketing and Traveler Expectations: Digital platforms, streaming content and changing consumer behavior are creating new opportunities for destinations to reach international audiences and develop distinctive travel experiences.
Sustainability and Emerging Travel Experiences: Sustainable tourism, nature-based experiences and adventure travel are gaining importance, offering destinations and businesses new opportunities for long-term development.
Together, these discussions underscored the importance of innovation, collaboration and forward-looking strategies for the continued development of the travel industry across the Americas.
Building on Success: Save the Date: ITB Americas 2027
Following its successful premiere, ITB Americas will return to Guadalajara from 16-18 November 2027 at Expo Guadalajara, Mexico.
Exhibitors are invited to secure their participation early and benefit from a 10% Early Bird discount for ITB Americas 2027. The offer is valid until the opening day of ITB Berlin, 16 March 2027. For further information and bookings, please contact [email protected].
Further information on exhibiting, participation opportunities and the upcoming edition is available at www.itb-americas.com.