Holiday in a tree house or kung fu on the beach: 5 travel trends from ITB 2025
The latest travel trends are presented at the International Tourism Exchange in Berlin. You can find everything here – from luxury and package holidays to solo trips.
04.03.2025 19:54
A coffee in Cuba, homemade ice cream in Italy and finally a bite of caviar in Finland – in under an hour. At the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in the Berlin exhibition halls, visitors can travel the whole world in a very short time. At least in their minds. For almost 60 years, tour operators from all over the world have been making the pilgrimage to Berlin. This year, 5,600 exhibitors from 190 countries are vying for the attention of the approximately 100,000 trade visitors expected.
Cooperations are negotiated between real plants, wooden huts and replica aircraft corpora. At one stand, visitors to the trade fair can inspect the Seychelles using VR glasses and swim in the turquoise sea. Nobody gets wet – but you don’t feel relaxed either. Hall after hall, the desire to travel and the wish to turn your back on sunny but cool Berlin increases. We have taken a look at the overview and put together five travel highlights .
1. River cruises on the Rhine, Danube, Seine or Rhône
Sailing across the water with a cocktail in hand, stopping off in Ghent and ending the evening with oysters on deck – it’s hard to imagine more relaxation and luxury. When you think of cruises , you picture huge ships with thousands of guests frolicking around a kilometer-long buffet. On the sun deck, people fight over the last lounger every day. And they sleep in bunk beds. But this image has long since ceased to correspond to reality.
The cruise has changed, has become more sustainable and, above all, luxurious. The provider Amadeus River Cruises advertises fine dining, a panoramic bar, velvet armchairs and rooms with a private balcony. If you want to change your perspective and prefer to explore a city from the water, a luxury cruise is the best option.
2. Family vacation in a houseboat or treehouse
Family holidays in nature have also changed drastically in recent years. While you used to have to share a shower on a campsite with dozens of other guests, you can now book an entire house in the middle of the forest. The Center Parks in Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands promise absolute relaxation and “up to 90 percent forest and water”.
In addition to exclusive holiday homes with their own sauna, whirlpool and rain shower, the travel provider has very special accommodations in its portfolio – houseboats and tree houses. Modernly furnished holiday homes in the middle of forests and lakes.
3. Switch off and relax in the Maldives
If you find the European neighbouring countries too boring, you can once again fall back on an absolute travel classic this year: the Maldives. Chalk-white beaches, crystal-clear water and meter-high palm trees – anyone who accepts a long journey will be rewarded with pure nature.
The private boat takes you directly to the resort and then off to your private villa. Neither inexpensive nor climate-neutral, but certainly an experience you will never forget.
4. Yoga, Kung-Fu and Qigong in Albania
If the classic beach holiday is too boring for you, you can benefit from the hype surrounding sports holidays and yoga retreats. Whether on Sylt, Upper Bavaria or the Uckermark – holidaymakers can combine sport and relaxation all over Germany. But new travel companies are also springing up abroad, luring tourists with hiking tours and kung fu on the beach.
This year’s partner country of the ITB, Albania, is also one of them. The newly founded organizer Retreats Albania offers individual, group and team-building retreats. You can bathe in hot springs, in airy caves or under a waterfall. Anyone who longs for nature and avoids busy tourist destinations should give Albania a chance.
5. Princely Hiking Tours in Liechtenstein
Skiing in Malbun, a bike tour along the Rhine or crossing a country on foot in five days; in Liechtenstein, sports fans can really let off steam! 2000-meter-high mountains can be climbed. And if you don’t want to walk down, you can book a parachute jump.
Surrounded by mountains, lakes and castles, children can explore nature and parents can relax. In terms of price, Liechtenstein is close to Switzerland, so your travel budget should be a little more generous.