What I Learned from Attending ITB Berlin as an Independent Guide
ITB Berlin 2025 Messe building
In March 2025, I traveled to Berlin to attend ITB Berlin, one of the world's largest travel trade shows.
I wasn't exhibiting at a booth. Instead, I purchased a visitor pass and spent three days meeting travel advisors, tour operators, and cruise companies that either send travelers to Japan or are considering doing so in the future.
Over the course of the event, I met representatives from approximately 30 to 40 companies.
Many conversations were brief. A few developed into ongoing relationships. Some eventually resulted in tour bookings that I continue to operate today.
Looking back, I realized how much my previous career helped me.
Before becoming a guide, I spent more than twenty years working in international B2B sales. Experience presenting products, attending trade shows, and explaining complex ideas in a short amount of time proved surprisingly useful.
Even something as simple as being comfortable walking long distances turned out to be an advantage. Trade show halls are enormous, and covering them efficiently for three consecutive days felt surprisingly similar to guiding guests around Hiroshima and Miyajima.
After the exhibition, I continued my trip through Europe.
I visited Paris and Spain, watched football matches, explored local neighborhoods, and spent several evenings enjoying the famous pintxo bars of San Sebastián.
Whenever I travel, I try to join local walking tours.
This time I participated in tours in Berlin, Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona. Some were traditional guided tours, while others were free walking tours, a format that is still relatively uncommon in Japan.
As a guide, these tours are always educational.
I pay attention to how guides manage groups, how they tell stories, when they use humor, how they answer questions, and how they keep people engaged.
As a traveler, I am reminded of something equally important.
A good guide helps visitors see more in less time.
A guide helps travelers notice places they might otherwise walk past. A guide provides context, local knowledge, and the confidence to ask questions freely.
Experiencing guided tours from the guest's perspective is one of the best forms of professional development I know.
I'm already looking forward to attending more travel trade events in Japan and abroad in the future.
Every trip teaches me something new—not only about destinations, but also about how to create better experiences for the travelers I welcome to Hiroshima.
FIFA Champions league Atletico vs ReaL Madrid
