ITB 2026 Recap: Regenerative by design – Stories from Practitioners
Panel explores how tourism businesses can shift from growth-focused to ecosystem-health focused models, with community-led stewardship replacing reactive destination management.
Photo by ITB Berlin
The opening panel asked the question: What does regeneration actually demand ? Now comes the harder part: what does that actually look like in practice? The answer isn't "best practices" you can copy to your destination. In this session two practitioners bring different lenses to the same challenge. We examine regeneration through the business ecosystem: how tourism businesses shift from asking "How does my business grow?" to "How does the ecosystem I depend on stay healthy?" and we approach it through place: how stewardship replaces reactivity, and how communities, not developers or tourism boards, lead the design of their own futures. Together, they show why mindset, and design must come before action. Supported by a short film that shows what this looks like when people work with a place rather than imposing solutions upon it.
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Willy Legrand, Professor, IU International University of Applied Sciences
Panel:
- Ásta Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir, CEO, Iceland Tourism
- Elke Dens, Founder, Place Generation
- Rob Holmes, Founder & Chief Strategist, GLP Films
About ITB Global Brand Family
For more than 50 years the name ITB has stood worldwide for the travel industry knowledge 365 days a year, networking and trendsetting events - in a virtual, in-person, or hybrid format alike. As the travel industry resurges, the ITB brand family is among the first to come back to offering on-site in-person events. ITB Asia will be held in Singapore from 15 to 17 October 2025, covering the broader regional market. ITB China, the premier marketplace for China's travel industry, is scheduled for 27 to 29 May 2025, in Shanghai. ITB India will take place in Mumbai from September 2 to 4, 2025. ITB Berlin, the world's leading B2B trade show for the travel industry, will take place in Berlin from March 3 to 5, 2026. The inaugural ITB Americas will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 10 to 12 November 2026, covering the American market.