Industry guides
Lifestyle and tourism events in Germany in 2026–27: the trade fairs that matter
Germany's 2026–27 tourism, hospitality and lifestyle trade fairs: ITB Berlin, IMEX, Ambiente and more, with dates, tickets and who each suits.
By the atndr teamPublished 6 min read
The short answer
Germany's main lifestyle and tourism events in 2026–27 are ITB Berlin (16–18 March 2027) for the travel trade, IMEX Frankfurt (11–13 May 2027) for meetings and incentives, and Ambiente in Frankfurt (29 January–2 February 2027) for consumer goods, with INTERNORGA, ProWein and FIBO close behind. Nearly all are trade-only fairs, busiest from late January to April, held in Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Hamburg.
Key takeaways
- ITB Berlin and IMEX Frankfurt are the two fixed dates for the travel and meetings industry.
- Late January to mid-March is peak season, with consumer goods, toys, jewellery, wine and hospitality fairs back to back.
- Nearly every fair is trade-only and asks for proof of profession; many sell tickets online only.
- Day tickets usually cost €10 to €60, IMEX is free, and Messe Frankfurt and Koelnmesse tickets include local public transport.
- Several fairs share a ticket: Ambiente with Christmasworld and Creativeworld, Aircraft Interiors Expo with WTCE, FSB with aquanale.
On this page
- What does Germany's lifestyle and tourism calendar look like?
- Which tourism and travel trade events in Germany matter most?
- Which lifestyle, hospitality and consumer goods fairs should you know?
- What do tickets cost, and can the public attend?
- How do you plan a trip to a German trade fair?
- Frequently asked questions
What does Germany's lifestyle and tourism calendar look like?
Germany's lifestyle and tourism events are trade fairs, held at the big exhibition centres in Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg and Nuremberg. They are where brands take orders from retailers and where destinations, hotels and airlines meet the buyers who fill them.
The calendar is front-loaded. Late January to mid-March is the peak: consumer goods, toys, jewellery, wine, hospitality and the travel trade all meet in an eight-week run. April to June brings fitness, beauty, meetings and garden fairs. September and October close the year with baby products, cruise and leisure facilities. December and August are quiet.
| Months | Notable events on atndr | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Routes World, BEAUTY FORUM Festival | Air routes, beauty |
| Jan 2027 | HOGA, imm cologne, Ambiente, Christmasworld | Hospitality, furniture, consumer goods |
| Feb 2027 | Spielwarenmesse, INHORGENTA, TrendSet Winter, ILM Offenbach | Toys, jewellery, interiors, leather goods |
| Mar 2027 | ProWein, INTERNORGA, ITB Berlin | Wine, foodservice, travel trade |
| Apr 2027 | Aircraft Interiors Expo, FIBO, BEAUTY DÜSSELDORF, RDA Group Travel Expo | Cabin interiors, fitness, beauty, group travel |
| May–Jul 2027 | IMEX Frankfurt, spoga+gafa, EUROBIKE, TrendSet Summer | Meetings and incentives, garden, cycling |
| Sep–Oct 2027 | Kind + Jugend, Seatrade Europe, FSB, aquanale | Baby products, cruise, leisure facilities, pools |
Which tourism and travel trade events in Germany matter most?
For the travel industry, ITB Berlin and IMEX Frankfurt are the two fixed points of the German year, joined by specialist forums for airlines, coach operators and cruise lines.
| Event | Dates | City | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITB Berlin 2027 | 16–18 March 2027 | Berlin | Destinations, tour operators, hotel groups, travel tech |
| IMEX Frankfurt 2027 | 11–13 May 2027 | Frankfurt | Meeting and incentive planners, venues, convention bureaus |
| Routes World 2026 | 21–23 October 2026 | Frankfurt | Airline network planners, airports, tourism authorities |
| RDA Group Travel Expo 2027 | 20–21 April 2027 | Cologne | Coach operators and group tour organisers |
| Aircraft Interiors Expo 2027 + WTCE | 6–8 April 2027 | Hamburg | Airline cabin, catering and onboard buyers |
| Seatrade Europe 2027 | 15–17 September 2027 | Hamburg | Cruise lines, ports, destinations |
ITB Berlin has been the travel industry's meeting place since 1966 and runs as a three-day trade event at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, with the ITB Berlin Convention alongside. Trade visitor tickets are sold online only, in advance.
IMEX Frankfurt is the meetings, events and incentive travel show at Messe Frankfurt, with a day of specialist education on 10 May 2027 before the show. It is free for registered attendees, and qualified buyers can apply to its hosted buyer programme, which covers travel and accommodation in return for scheduled meetings.
Seatrade Europe is held every two years; registration for 2027 had not opened when this guide was written.
Which lifestyle, hospitality and consumer goods fairs should you know?
Germany's lifestyle fairs are order fairs: retailers, wholesalers and hospitality buyers come to see new ranges and place orders for the coming season.
Home, gifts and interiors
Ambiente 2027 (29 January–2 February 2027, Frankfurt) is Messe Frankfurt's consumer goods fair for dining, living and giving; its ticket also covers Christmasworld and Creativeworld. imm cologne 2027 (19–22 January 2027) is the furniture and interiors fair, and TrendSet in Munich runs twice a year for specialist retailers.
Hospitality and foodservice
INTERNORGA 2027 (12–16 March 2027, Hamburg) reaches its 100th edition and covers kitchen technology, food and drink and interiors for restaurants, hotels and caterers. HOGA 2027 (17–19 January 2027, Nuremberg) is a smaller hotel and catering fair. ProWein 2027 (7–9 March 2027, Düsseldorf) is the wine and spirits trade fair, for registered trade visitors only.
Beauty, fitness and wellness
FIBO 2027 (8–11 April 2027, Cologne) covers fitness, wellness and health. BEAUTY DÜSSELDORF 2027 (9–11 April 2027) runs in parallel with hair Düsseldorf, and the BEAUTY FORUM Festival (24–25 October 2026, Munich) is for beauty professionals only. aquanale (26–29 October 2027, Cologne) covers pools, saunas and spas.
Toys, jewellery and leisure
Spielwarenmesse 2027 (2–6 February 2027, Nuremberg) is the toy industry's fair, with tickets sold only to registered trade professionals. INHORGENTA MUNICH 2027 (19–22 February 2027) covers jewellery, watches and gemstones. spoga+gafa 2027 (15–17 June 2027, Cologne) is the garden and barbecue fair, and EUROBIKE 2027 (30 June–2 July 2027, Frankfurt) the cycling trade show.
What do tickets cost, and can the public attend?
Almost none of these fairs are open to the public. Most ask for proof that you work in the trade, and many sell tickets online only or charge more at the door.
| Event | Ticket price published by the organiser |
|---|---|
| IMEX Frankfurt, PERFORMANCE DAYS | Free for registered attendees |
| ILM Offenbach | €10 one day, €15 three days |
| TrendSet | €25 one day, €32 three days |
| Ambiente | €29 one day online with Info Service (€43 without) |
| BEAUTY FORUM Festival | €34 day ticket online, €44 at the box office |
| ProWein | €50 day ticket online in presale, €60 on site |
Two practical points save money. First, tickets for Messe Frankfurt fairs such as Ambiente include free travel on RMV public transport, and Koelnmesse tickets for spoga+gafa and spoga horse include a free VRS network ticket. Second, exhibitors often hand out voucher codes for free tickets, as TrendSet allows.
How do you plan a trip to a German trade fair?
Book hotels first, especially when fairs overlap. Koelnmesse notes that ISM runs in Cologne at the same time as spoga horse and advises visitors to book hotels early.
- Check the visa rules. Germany's Federal Foreign Office lists which nationalities need a Schengen visa. Visa-free visitors may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period but may not take up gainful employment. Aircraft Interiors Expo notes that a German trade fair visa no longer needs an official invitation letter from the organiser.
- Register as a trade visitor early. Spielwarenmesse sells only online and opens its 2027 ticket shop in November 2026; INHORGENTA opens on 5 December 2026; ITB Berlin tickets are online only.
- Bundle fairs that share a week. Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld share one ticket in Frankfurt; Aircraft Interiors Expo and WTCE share a badge in Hamburg; FSB and aquanale share one in Cologne.
- Use the hosted buyer programmes. IMEX and WTCE run programmes for qualified buyers with travel and VIP benefits in exchange for meetings.
- Mind the rules on site. IWA OutdoorClassics bans knives of every kind under German law, and InterTabac admits only verified trade visitors aged 18 and over.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest tourism trade fair in Germany?
- ITB Berlin, held since 1966, is Germany's main travel trade show; the 2027 edition runs 16–18 March at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. For meetings and incentive travel, the main event is IMEX Frankfurt, 11–13 May 2027.
- Is ITB Berlin open to the public?
- ITB Berlin 2027 is a three-day trade event, and its tickets are sold to trade visitors online in advance; there are no box offices on site.
- When are the big consumer goods fairs in Germany?
- Mostly from late January to February: imm cologne (19–22 January 2027), Ambiente (29 January–2 February 2027), Spielwarenmesse (2–6 February 2027) and INHORGENTA (19–22 February 2027).
- Do I need a visa to visit a trade fair in Germany?
- It depends on your nationality. Germany's Federal Foreign Office publishes the list; visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and others apply for a Schengen visa at a German mission.
- Which German fairs are free to attend?
- IMEX Frankfurt is free for registered attendees, and PERFORMANCE DAYS in Munich has free registration. Most other lifestyle fairs charge between €10 and €60 for a day ticket.
Sources
Written and fact-checked by the atndr team. Dates, venues and organizers are checked against each event’s official website; the figures in “At a glance” come live from the atndr calendar. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
