New Delhi: Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat held tourism meetings with Germany and Indonesia during ITB Berlin 2026 to strengthen international travel cooperation.
The Ministry of Tourism represented India at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade exhibition. The event took place from March 3 to March 5 at Messe Berlin in Germany.
The minister inaugurated the India Pavilion during the exhibition. Indian Ambassador Ajit Gupte attended the event along with tourism stakeholders.
India participated with a large delegation that included destination management companies, tour operators, hoteliers and representatives from state governments and Union Territories.
During the event, Shekhawat held bilateral discussions with Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism Christoph Ploß.
Discussions focus on tourism growth and sustainability
The leaders discussed ways to increase visitor flows and improve air connectivity. In addition, they explored opportunities to promote sustainable travel between the countries.
Shekhawat also met Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. They discussed initiatives to strengthen sustainable and regenerative tourism development.
During a press conference, the minister said Germany remains one of India’s key tourism partners. Germany ranked as the eighth-largest source of foreign tourists to India in 2025 with around 260,000 arrivals.
At the exhibition, the minister launched two promotional films produced by Netflix for the Tourism Ministry. One film highlighted India’s culture, festivals and heritage, while the other focused on the diversity of Indian cuisine.
Under this partnership, Incredible India and Netflix will create ten promotional videos throughout the year. Each video will showcase destinations, traditions, adventure activities and wildlife experiences.
The India Pavilion also highlighted the country’s wide tourism offerings. Displays featured spiritual tourism, wellness travel, adventure tourism, ecotourism and wedding destinations.
Several states and Union Territories participated in the pavilion. These included Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Officials said the exhibition strengthened international partnerships and supported India’s global tourism outreach. These tourism meetings also highlighted India’s efforts to attract visitors throughout the year.
