ITB India 2026 is set to take place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai from September 1 to 3. The event will convene decision-makers and experts from MICE, corporate travel, hospitality, and travel technology sectors for business dialogue and knowledge exchange focused on travel trends and evolving traveler expectations.
Conference Structure and Key Sessions
The ITB India Conference 2026 will be organized across two stages: the Knowledge & MICE Theatre and the Tech & Experience Theatre. The programme encompasses four main tracks — Knowledge, MICE & Corporate, Travel Technology, and Experiential Travel. Sessions will cover topics such as artificial intelligence, distribution, corporate travel
in disruptive times, and evolving traveler values.
Highlighted sessions include “The Next Battlegrounds in Travel: A Fireside Chat with MakeMyTrip,” addressing AI and market expansion, and “Corporate Travel in the Age of Disruption: What’s Next?”, focusing on geopolitical and economic impacts on corporate travel. Other panels will explore how purpose influences travel decisions and the competitive edge gained through digital transformation.
Industry Experts and Speakers
Speakers for the conference are drawn from leading travel and hospitality organizations. Raj Rishi Singh of MakeMyTrip and Coney Dongre from Phocuswright will discuss AI and partnerships. Participants in the corporate travel session include Shenaz Kanorwalla of Cipla, Devendra
Saraiya from Deloitte India, and Rakesh Negi of FCM Travel India, with Deepesh Jethwani of Tripjack moderating.
Other speakers are Daniel Dsouza of DreamSetGo, Capt. M Chouhan from SkyWaltz, Scott Wegener of Tripadvisor, Sandeep Dwivedi from Amadeus, and Nithyashree Sathyanarayanan of The ePlane Company. Representatives from BCD Meetings & Events, Creative Travel, Expedia Group, Taj Hotels, Escalent, QuadLabs, and Spotnana will also contribute to the programme.
Launch of ITB India Leadership Roundtable
The 2026 event will debut the ITB India Leadership Roundtable in partnership with global strategy consultancy Simon-Kucher. This invitation-only forum will assemble senior leaders from tourism, travel, hospitality, technology, and destination development sectors to
explore India’s expanding role as a tourism destination and source market.
The roundtable aims to facilitate strategic discussions on India’s tourism growth and emerging opportunities, complementing the conference and exhibition interactions during the event.
Industry Perspectives on ITB India 2026
Darren Seah, Executive Director at Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, emphasized that understanding market trends and forces is essential for success in today’s travel industry. He characterized the ITB India Conference as a platform enabling experts to share insights and challenge ideas shaping travel’s future in India and South Asia.
Lovrenc Kessler, Senior Partner at Simon-Kucher, noted India’s evolving tourism landscape with rising significance as both a
destination and source market. He welcomed the partnership with ITB India on the inaugural Leadership Roundtable, which will contribute global perspectives to the industry dialogue.
Coverage of Diverse Travel Sectors and Market Growth
The ITB India 2026 programme will span hospitality, wellness, cruise, corporate travel, meetings and incentives, and travel technology sectors. Sessions will explore emerging MICE formats such as MICE cruising in India, reflecting the broad scope of industry segments present at the event.
India’s growing importance in global tourism underpins the conference content, addressing themes like AI adoption, shifting traveler motivations, economic pressures, and new corporate travel dynamics. This comprehensive agenda reflects the country’s increasing influence
as a major travel market in South Asia.
