Every March, the global travel industry gathers in Berlin. In 2025, Windows DMC was part of that gathering at ITB Berlin, held from 4 to 6 March at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. For a Vietnam-based destination management company, a trade show like this offers something video calls and email threads rarely can: the chance to sit across from a European tour operator and show them, in person, what Vietnam actually feels like.
This post looks at why we attended, what we brought to the exhibition floor, and how the experience shapes the way we want to work with travel partners across Europe.
What is ITB Berlin?
ITB Berlin has run since 1966 and is widely regarded as the world’s leading travel trade show. It’s a B2B event, meaning the people walking the halls are travel professionals rather than holidaymakers: tour operators, travel agencies, hotel groups, and destination boards. Deals get discussed, partnerships get started, and relationships that outlast a single season begin here.
The 2025 edition ran under the trade fair’s theme, “The World of Travel Lives Here.” Running in parallel, the ITB Berlin Convention carried its own motto for the year, “The Power of Transition Lives Here,” with sessions covering how the travel industry is adapting to sustainability pressures, changing traveler expectations, and new technology.
Vietnam had a strong showing in the fair’s Asia Hall, where several Southeast Asian countries expanded their exhibition space compared to previous years — a reflection of how much international interest the region, and Vietnam specifically, continues to attract.
Why a trade show still matters for Vietnam inbound travel
For a destination management company like Windows DMC, the most valuable thing we can offer a partner is trust. A European tour operator deciding whether to send clients to Vietnam wants to know, concretely, who will be looking after those travelers once they land. A trade show shortens that process considerably. Instead of a slow back-and-forth over email, both sides can sit down, ask direct questions, and get a real sense of whether the partnership will work.
Berlin also brings buyers from across Europe into a single place over three days. For a destination that many European travelers still picture through a handful of familiar images, that concentration of attention is a genuinely useful opportunity to widen the conversation.
The Vietnam we brought to Berlin
Rather than simply listing attractions, our exhibition was built around telling Vietnam’s story through three distinct places.
Ha Long Bay: jade waters and limestone karsts. For many people, Ha Long Bay is the first image that comes to mind when they think of northern Vietnam, and for good reason. Nearly 2,000 limestone islands rise out of emerald water, and a cruise through the bay remains one of the most memorable experiences the country offers. It’s a natural anchor for any northern itinerary, and it photographed beautifully on our stand.
Sa Pa: rice terraces and highland culture. In Vietnam’s northern mountains, Sa Pa tells a very different story. Layered rice terraces climb the hillsides, and trekking routes wind through villages where ethnic minority communities maintain traditions passed down over generations. The terraces turn gold around September and October, which is why autumn draws so many trekkers and photographers to the region.
Ha Noi’s Old Quarter: everyday energy. Narrow streets, street food stalls, small family workshops, and constant motion give the Old Quarter an atmosphere visitors often describe as overwhelming and unforgettable at the same time. It offered European buyers a first taste of Vietnam’s urban culture, distinct from the bay’s stillness and the highlands’ quiet.
Together, these three places made the case for Vietnam’s range — coastline, mountains, and a capital city, all reachable within a single well-planned trip.
A cultural showcase, not just a brochure
Beyond destinations, we wanted visitors to our stand to feel something of Vietnam’s cultural depth, not just see a photograph of it. Our presentation featured traditional dress, music, and stories drawn from Vietnam’s diverse ethnic groups — the country recognizes 54 distinct ethnic communities, each with its own customs, clothing, and craft traditions, and that diversity is one of the strongest reasons to spend real time here rather than rushing through.
Just as important was conveying the welcome travelers actually experience once they arrive. Hospitality is central to what makes a trip to Vietnam memorable, and no single photograph captures it fully. Presenting it through music, costume, and direct conversation with the people staffing our stand gave visitors a better sense of what their own clients would encounter on the ground.
“The Power of Transition”: where we see ourselves in it
The ITB Berlin Convention’s 2025 motto, “The Power of Transition Lives Here,” speaks to an industry working through real change. Travelers increasingly think about their environmental footprint. Destination communities want a genuine share in the benefits tourism brings. Companies are being asked to respond to global challenges while still protecting what makes their destinations worth visiting in the first place.
That theme fits a shift we’re already living through at Windows DMC. We see Vietnamese tourism moving from a purely transactional model of traditional hospitality toward something more deliberately sustainable and community-focused — one built to protect cultural heritage and natural beauty well beyond a single season of bookings.
Sustainability as practice, not just talk
It’s easy to talk about sustainability at a trade show. It’s harder to point to something concrete. Windows DMC’s commitment here includes a plastic recycling initiative built into our operations — a small, practical step, but one that matters, particularly in a place like Ha Long Bay, where the natural environment is the entire reason travelers come.
At ITB Berlin, we found that European trade partners increasingly want to talk about exactly this. The question isn’t only what’s in an itinerary anymore — it’s how that itinerary is delivered, and who genuinely benefits from it.
Building partnerships with European operators
The most important outcome of any trade show is the relationships it starts. During ITB Berlin 2025, we worked on building connections with European operators who share our interest in sustainable, immersive travel — experiences designed to benefit visitors and local communities in equal measure.
A strong partnership tends to rest on a few straightforward things: clear communication, reliable service once clients are on the ground, and shared values about the kind of tourism both sides actually want to support. A trade show gives both sides the chance to test all three in person, rather than guessing from a distance.
What this means for travel professionals
If you work with European clients and are weighing Vietnam as a destination, here’s how a destination management company fits into that picture:
- Local knowledge: guidance on routes, seasonal timing, and destination combinations that genuinely work well together, rather than a generic checklist.
- On-the-ground reliability: a single accountable team responsible for service quality once your clients arrive, not a patchwork of subcontractors.
- Cultural depth: access to experiences that go beyond standard sightseeing, grounded in real relationships with the communities involved.
- A sustainability focus: a partner who treats environmental and community impact as part of the product, not an afterthought.
If you spoke with us in Berlin, thank you for the conversation. If we didn’t manage to connect, we’d still be glad to hear from you — reach out through the Windows DMC website to start a conversation about building itineraries for your clients.
FAQ
What is ITB Berlin? ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show, held annually in Berlin since 1966. It’s a B2B event built for travel industry professionals rather than the general public.
When did ITB Berlin 2025 take place? From 4 to 6 March 2025, at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Germany.
What is Windows DMC? Windows DMC is a B2B destination management company that organizes travel services in Vietnam for international tour operators and travel agencies.
What did Windows DMC present at ITB Berlin 2025? We presented Vietnam through Ha Long Bay, Sa Pa, and Ha Noi’s Old Quarter, alongside the country’s cultural diversity and our commitment to sustainable, community-focused tourism.
Why does sustainability matter for Vietnam tourism specifically? Vietnam’s biggest draws — limestone bays, mountain terraces, living cultural traditions — depend on healthy natural environments and communities that continue to thrive. Protecting both is what keeps the destination worth visiting.
How can travel operators start working with Windows DMC? Reach out through the Windows DMC website to discuss itineraries, group services, and partnership opportunities.
Looking ahead
ITB Berlin 2025 was a reminder that face-to-face conversations still matter in an industry that runs increasingly on screens. We left Berlin with new contacts, new ideas, and a clearer sense of how European partners are thinking about travel to Vietnam. As the industry continues its shift toward more sustainable, community-minded tourism, we’re looking forward to helping our partners build journeys that travelers remember — and that Vietnam can be genuinely proud of.
