ITB Berlin 2026 will open with Angola at center stage, using culture, symbolism and political visibility to mark both the trade show’s 60th anniversary and the country’s most ambitious tourism push in decades.
From 3 to 5 March 2026, the global travel industry will gather in Berlin for the anniversary edition of ITB Berlin, widely regarded as the world’s leading travel trade show. The official opening gala takes place on 2 March, where Angola, this year’s Host Country, will present a curated performance under the theme “The Rhythm of Life”.
This is not a ceremonial footnote. It is a calculated introduction.
A Milestone Edition with Strategic Weight
Sixty years after its founding, ITB Berlin remains one of the few global tourism platforms where diplomacy, branding and commercial ambition intersect in real time. Host Country status is not decorative. It is a declaration.
Angola is stepping into that spotlight at a pivotal moment. The country is repositioning itself internationally, expanding tourism infrastructure, refining its global image and signaling that it is ready to compete beyond oil and natural resources.
Around 700 to 800 invited guests are expected at the opening ceremony, including senior political figures and global tourism leaders. Among them:
- Kai Wegner
- Christopher Ploß
- Gloria Guevara of the World Travel & Tourism Council
- Shaikha Nasser Alnuwais
- Mario Tobias
Representing Angola will be H.E. Márcio Daniel, Minister of Tourism, and H.E. José de Lima Massano, Minister of State.
In diplomatic terms, this lineup signals endorsement. In tourism terms, it signals opportunity.
Cultural Diplomacy on a Global Stage
From Dikanza to Contemporary Composition
The gala production, titled “Travessia – From Traditional to Modern”, has been composed specifically for this event. The structure is deliberate.
It begins with the dikanza, a traditional scraped idiophone that carries rhythmic memory across generations. Performed by Dr. Raul Tolingas, the instrument anchors the narrative in Angola’s musical lineage. The rhythm expands through percussion, congas and guitars before passing symbolically to a younger musician, reinforcing continuity rather than nostalgia.
Guitarist Dr. Teddy Nsingui adds distinctive solo passages before piano and violin transition the performance toward contemporary interpretation. Traditional Angolan genres such as semba, rebita and rumba are reimagined with modern arrangements.
The choreography follows the same arc. Folk movement gradually evolves into contemporary expression. LED installations project iconic national landscapes, including the Kalandula Falls, the Namib Desert and the Atlantic coastline. The effect is not decorative. It frames Angola as both rooted and forward looking.
This is cultural diplomacy in its most refined form.
Cuisine as Narrative, Not Catering
Gastronomy will reinforce the message. Michelin-starred Angolan chef Helt Araujo is tasked with interpreting traditional ingredients through a contemporary lens.
Food at such events often functions as hospitality protocol. Here, it serves as storytelling. Ingredients, textures and presentation become extensions of the broader narrative: Angola is not presenting itself as an untouched curiosity, but as a country capable of translating heritage into modern sophistication.
Angola’s Tourism Ambition in Context
The Sixth Largest Country in Africa, Still Largely Undiscovered
Angola occupies a vast territory in southwestern Africa, yet it remains one of the continent’s least saturated tourism markets. That paradox underpins its appeal.
The country spans rainforests, savannahs, desert expanses and dramatic waterfalls. The Namib Desert stretches across its southern flank. The Kalandula Falls rank among Africa’s most powerful cascades. The Atlantic coastline offers long, undeveloped beaches. Inland, rock formations and remote ecosystems remain largely uncommercialized.
Historically shaped by the Kingdom of Congo and Portuguese colonial influence, Angola’s cultural identity reflects layered histories rather than a singular narrative. Its capital, Luanda, operates as a coastal hub where African, Portuguese and indigenous influences coexist in architecture, music and daily life.
For the global travel industry, this combination translates into three core propositions:
- Scale
- Authenticity
- Low market saturation
That combination is increasingly rare.
The Meaning Behind “Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life”
Angola’s new tourism identity, “Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life”, is more than a slogan. It functions as positioning language.
“Rhythm” operates on several levels:
- Musical heritage
- Social vitality
- Economic momentum
- Intergenerational continuity
At ITB Berlin 2026, that phrase becomes performance, cuisine and visual staging. It is not printed branding. It is embodied.
The effectiveness of this strategy will depend on what follows. Trade show visibility creates attention. Converting that attention into investment, airline connectivity, product development and long term visitor growth requires structural alignment.
Angola appears to understand that distinction.
The visibility provided by ITB Berlin 2026 offers Angola access to global tour operators, investors, aviation partners and media networks in one concentrated setting. For emerging destinations, that density of decision makers can accelerate timelines that might otherwise take years.
If executed with follow through, this Host Country appearance could mark the moment Angola transitions from an insider recommendation to a structured tourism contender.
The gala is symbolic. The implications are practical.
Angola’s presentation at ITB Berlin 2026 is ambitious, but not flamboyant. It leans on authenticity, musical lineage, landscape and cultural continuity rather than spectacle alone.
In an industry increasingly shaped by overexposure and destination fatigue, Angola is positioning itself as a country that has not yet been overdefined.
The 60th anniversary of ITB Berlin provides the backdrop. Angola provides the rhythm.
What matters now is consistency.
