Leading Tourism into Balance: The Wrap-Up
Summary
This 10-minute closing wrap-up session from Day 1 of the ITB Berlin Convention 2026 brings together moderator Katie Gallus, Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner, and Dirk Rogl to distil the day's key conversations under the Convention's central theme: 'Leading Tourism into Balance.' The session is deliberately concise — a summary of summaries — designed to orient attendees toward the themes that will carry through Days 2 and 3.
Dirk Rogl identified three keyword takeaways from Day 1. The first two — Artificial Intelligence and Balance — were expected, reflecting the dominant threads of the day's panels. But the third keyword was characterised as a surprise: Trust. Rogl emphasised that trust is foundational to everything else discussed: 'AI only works with trust. And poly crisis is easy to handle with trust and impossible to handle without trust.' He framed ITB itself as a trust-building event — a place where relationships are formed and reinforced face-to-face.
Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner drew a contrast with the 2025 ITB Convention, noting that last year's discussions centred heavily on destinations suffering from overtourism. In 2026, he observed a meaningful shift: the conversation has moved closer to solutions and the political frameworks required to achieve balance. He identified multiple simultaneous dimensions of change in tourism: spatial and geographic shifts (high season vs. low season dynamics), structural and economic transitions, and notably, intergenerational shifts. He specifically called out the rising role of Generation Z in reshaping AI acceptance, tourism flows, and industry structure.
Pechlaner also highlighted the appearance of senior political figure Joschka Fischer (former German Foreign Minister), who spoke to the emergence of a 'new world order' and its implications for tourism leadership. Pechlaner extended this into a call for anticipation over mere futures-thinking: 'It's not only about futures but it's about anticipation. It's about connect with the political leadership.' He argued that tourism leaders must develop the capacity to read geopolitical signals — understanding when meetings between political leaders constitute risks or threats to travel — because 'resilience comes from preparation, not from talking, not from nostalgia.'
Rogl closed by framing the AI challenge in straightforward terms: the industry must work harder, accelerate technology development, reduce complexity, and simultaneously preserve humanity. 'We have to stay human. That's the other side of the story.' The session ended with a preview of Days 2 and 3: Day 2 will focus on marketing and distribution, while Day 3 will return to trust and responsibility as its central themes.
Key Takeaways
- •Trust emerged as the surprise keyword of Day 1. Dirk Rogl stated: 'AI only works with trust. And poly crisis is easy to handle with trust and impossible to handle without trust.' While AI and Balance were anticipated themes, Trust cut across every panel and was identified as the connective tissue binding all other discussions together.
- •The 2026 convention marks a measurable shift in the industry's maturity. Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner noted that in 2025, ITB discussions focused heavily on destinations affected by overtourism. In 2026, the conversation has advanced to solutions and the political mechanisms needed to achieve balance — a sign that the industry is moving from diagnosis to action.
- •Geopolitical literacy is becoming a required competency for tourism leaders. Rogl and Gallus both emphasised that resilience must come from preparation rather than reactive crisis management. Katie Gallus specifically noted that when senior political figures meet, tourism industry leaders need to assess whether such meetings signal risks or threats to travel flows.
- •Joschka Fischer, a senior political figure referenced in the session, contributed the framing of a 'new world order' to the day's discussions. Pechlaner extended this into a call for tourism leadership that can anticipate geopolitical developments: 'It's not only about futures but it's about anticipation. It's about connect with the political leadership.'
- •Generation Z is reshaping the tourism landscape in ways that intersect with AI adoption and destination flows. Pechlaner highlighted intergenerational shifts as one of multiple simultaneous dimensions of transformation, including spatial (geographic and seasonal), structural, and economic changes — all of which must be navigated in parallel.
- •The AI imperative in tourism requires both speed and humanity. Dirk Rogl summarised: 'We have to work harder. We have to bring our technology into order. We have to be faster. We have to reduce complexity. And otherwise, we have to stay human.' This duality — accelerating technology while preserving human connection — was framed as the central challenge for the industry.
- Breaking down silos is essential for achieving balance. Gallus emphasised combining silos rather than staying within them, linking this directly to AI adoption, resilience during polycrisis, and the broader goal of a balanced tourism model. Trust is the mechanism that enables cross-silo collaboration.
Transcript
Thank you very much for wrapping it up. Thank you very much. And I'm not by myself, but I also have the with me because we going to finish this day on a very high note. How are we doing, gentlemen? >> Yes, it's a busy day today. Um, I'd like to, of course, we don't do a wrap-up of the wrap-up of the wrap-up, but um, as a little appetite, we'd like to, you know, get a little bit in in your head, what has been the highlight? What has been a strong buzzword that is really driving forward the indust...
