Visa-free policy fuels German optimism as China takes center stage at ITB Berlin 2026

China's dynamic tourism market dominated ITB Berlin 2026, the world's leading travel trade show, which concluded its three-day run on Thursday as visa-free policies boosted German confidence.

Marking its 60th anniversary, the milestone edition highlighted ITB Berlin's global stature, drawing thousands of exhibitors and visitors from around the world.

The event brought together about 5,800 exhibitors from more than 160 countries and regions, staging over 450 industry events across three days and drawing nearly 100,000 trade visitors and attendees.

This year's exhibition featured a Chinese delegation of more than 100 participants. The "Nihao! China" pavilion drew steady crowds and strong interest, serving as a focal point for destination showcases, tourism product negotiations, and cultural exchanges.

German tourism officials voiced optimism about travel to China, pointing to the extension of visa-free measures as a key driver of demand.

Beyond their traditional interest in cultural landmarks, more German travelers are now turning their attention to China's fast-developing modern metropolises.

"The extension of the visa-free policy has significantly boosted Germans' interest in traveling to China. We expect the number of German travelers to China this year to significantly exceed last year's figures. We are very optimistic about this. German travelers have always had a strong interest in China's culture and history, and I am confident this will continue," said Volker Adams, head of Political Affairs and Tourism at the German Travel Association (DRV).

"Many people are also very interested in the modern side of China. I believe it is precisely this combination of millennia-old cultural history and a brand-new, modern China, particularly its forward-looking approach in technological fields like electric vehicles and communication technologies, that makes China so attractive. I think many people enjoy exploring these two very different facets," said Nikolaos Swoch, Director of International Business Development at ITB China.

Visa-free policy fuels German optimism as China takes center stage at ITB Berlin 2026

Smart, terrain-adaptive harvesters are helping farmers in Bijie City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, make the most of the fine weather to bring in crops in its summer wheat harvest.

At a wheat farming base in Pingzhai Town of Zhijin County, several combine harvesters are busy working in the golden fields.

"We used to get in crops manually. It often rains in the wheat harvesting season, which would leave wheat rotten in the field, mildewed and sprouting. With mechanized harvesting, we've become more efficient. After it is harvested, the wheat can be quickly dried, guaranteeing the wheat quality," said Wang Jun, head of the wheat farming base.

This year, Bijie has widely introduced agricultural machinery services across all stages of summer grain production, from plowing, planting, managing to harvesting. To tackle the mountainous terrains, local operators have fine-tuned their equipment mix and promote small to medium-sized harvesters, which effectively improved the harvest efficiency.

"We're using tracked combine harvesters, which are advantageous in flexibility, as they turn easily in our hilly areas in Guizhou. With three machines, we can harvest about 10 hectares of wheat a day," said Peng Jian, head of an agricultural machinery service cooperative in Bijie's county-level city of Qianxi.

Bijie is set to harvest over 16,600 hectares of wheat this summer. Local authorities have implemented various subsidy policies for agricultural machinery while streamlining service links of equipment dispatch, maintenance, and technical support. The goal is to wrap up the summer wheat harvest by the end of May.

High-tech farming boosts summer harvest in Guizhou