ITB (Internationale Tourismus-Börse) is an important B2B event, which attracted around 100,000 visitors last year – including leading tour operators, travel agents, airlines, travel media and content creators, not just from Germany but from all over the world. Germany is the third-largest market for tourism to Ireland and the largest market from Mainland Europe. The island of Ireland welcomed more than 480,000 German tourists in 2024, who spent over €464 million (source: CSO, NISRA).
Tourism Ireland is hosting 21 tourism companies from Ireland on its stand – from premium hotels and whiskey distilleries to outdoor adventure providers and an artisan chocolate experience. The three-day event provides a valuable opportunity for the tourism companies from Ireland to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business with the international tour operators and travel agents in attendance. Over the coming days, hundreds of commercial meetings will be conducted on the Ireland stand, which will, in turn, deliver overseas tourism business for Ireland worth millions in 2026 and beyond.
Speaking at ITB Berlin, Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets & Partnerships, said: “We are delighted to be at ITB Berlin this week, one of the world’s leading travel trade fairs, joined by 21 tourism businesses from across Ireland. ITB provides an invaluable platform to showcase what Ireland has to offer and to strengthen relationships with influential international tour operators and travel agents.
“Germany is our largest tourism market in Mainland Europe – with German visitors contributing over €464 million in 2024 – and ITB plays a vital role in growing our share of this important market for tourism. This week we will be showcasing ease of access and great places to stay, as well as the rich culture, history and outdoor experiences that make our destination so appealing to German visitors.”
As a result of the Government’s new Action Plan on Market Diversification, Tourism Ireland has increased resources for 2026 in Mainland Europe, which will enable the organisation to run year-round promotional campaigns in the key markets of Germany and France, seeking to elevate perceptions of Ireland, in line with the organisation’s new Mainland European Strategy. The strategy aims to grow spend from Mainland European visitors from €2 billion to €3 billion by 2031.
Tourism Ireland has also consolidated its activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland under a unified DACH approach, to manage these high-potential markets in a strategic and cohesive way. Aligning investment and in-market activities across DACH allows the organisation to create greater impact and capitalise on growth opportunities in these markets.
