60 Years of ITB – Namibia Right in the Middle

ITB Berlin is widely regarded as the world’s leading travel trade show. Every year, the global tourism industry gathers here: tour operators, hotels, airlines, destinations and media representatives from more than 180 countries present new trends, travel experiences and partnerships. 2026 marks a special milestone as ITB celebrates its 60th anniversary. 

Amid the international buzz of the exhibition halls, the stand of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) could be found in Hall 20, organised together with numerous partners from across the country. On around 200 square metres, 23 exhibitors presented one of Africa’s most fascinating travel destinations. A central meeting point for us was Gondwana Collection Namibia, whose lodges, conservation areas and self-drive offers play an important role in Namibia’s tourism landscape.

Namibia – A Perfect Self-Drive Destination

For us at Urlaubsengel, Namibia has always been a very special destination. Few countries combine spectacular landscapes, vast open spaces, remarkable wildlife and warm hospitality in such an impressive way. From Africa’s largest canyon to the towering dunes of the Namib Desert and the fascinating wildlife of Etosha National Park, Namibia offers an extraordinary variety of intense travel experiences. It is therefore no surprise that the country has been one of the most popular destinations among our travellers for many years.

Nam Flava at ITB 2026

Early on the first morning of our visit to the trade show, we had the opportunity to meet EES, who has been travelling the world for many years as an ambassador for Namibia. The musician, entertainer and entrepreneur actively promotes his home country internationally and works to present Namibia as a modern and diverse travel destination. 

During a short exchange we also spoke about his project “Nam Flava”, which aims to give travellers authentic insights into Namibia’s culture, music and everyday life. Our paths had actually crossed once before, indirectly: during a previous stay at Okonjima Nature Reserve we learned that a well-known Namibian artist was staying at the lodge. Together with other musicians he used one of the villas there to work on a new album in a peaceful environment.

It was therefore especially nice to meet him in person many years later at ITB and to talk about his current projects and his commitment to promoting Namibia as a travel destination. 

Conversations with Exhibitors and Tourism Partners

The Namibia stand offered many opportunities for conversations with partners from the tourism industry.

One of the most interesting exchanges we had was with Emile Hart and Tara-Lee Halgreen from Gondwana Collection Namibia. They shared insights into current developments and introduced the company’s growing luxury portfolio.

Under the name Secret Collection, Gondwana is developing increasingly exclusive hideaways offering maximum privacy – including the Reverie Kalahari Pod in the red dunes of the Kalahari and The Ekipa near Etosha National Park. In Windhoek, Gondwana has also created urban luxury concepts with The Weinberg Urban Pods, while in Swakopmund The Pearls offer stylish seaside accommodation. With our stay at Desert Whisper, we had already experienced this special high-end concept ourselves a few years ago.

As their next major project, Gondwana announced the Luna Namib Collection , scheduled to open south of Sesriem in July 2026. With only three freestanding luxury units, personal concierge service and a comprehensive all-inclusive concept, this new desert retreat clearly targets the high-end segment.

We also had the opportunity to speak with Namibia2Go, Gondwana’s car rental company. We travelled with Namibia2Go during our extensive Namibia–South Africa–Botswana trip in 2023 – covering more than 12,000 kilometres through southern Africa without a single flat tyre. That speaks for quality and reliable vehicles, and we were happy to share this feedback in person.

At the stand of the Gondwana Travel Centre, Naomi and Michaela explained the various services offered by the Travel Centre – from travel planning and transfers to tailor-made itineraries.

Further interesting conversations took place with Wiebke Priilaid and Jockel Grüttemeyer from Namibia Tracks & Trails, with Margo Bishop from The Portfolio, and with Ally Karaerua from Natural Selection, who informed us about current developments and offerings. With Ally we also spoke about his role as Chairman of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations as well as topics such as sustainable tourism and community-based projects, which are becoming increasingly important for the future of Namibia as a travel destination.

For us, conversations like these at ITB are particularly valuable, as they allow us to learn about new developments and projects directly from our partners – knowledge that we then incorporate into our travel advice. This ensures that our recommendations for our clients are always up to date.

After Work – Namibia Networking

After the exhibition halls closed, the stand of the Namibia Tourism Board became lively once again. At a small after-work gathering many exhibitors, partners and industry colleagues came together to end the day. Guests enjoyed typical Namibian delicacies such as Windhoek Lager, good wines and of course biltong and droëwors – the famous Namibian dried sausage. In this relaxed atmosphere many interesting conversations took place. Encounters like these are exactly what make the special character of ITB.

Namibia – One of Africa's Most Fascinating Destinations

The stand of the Namibia Tourism Board at ITB demonstrated impressively how closely and passionately tourism partners work together to position the country internationally as a sustainable and high-quality travel destination. One thing is certain for us: Namibia remains
one of Africa’s most exciting destinations – and we are already looking forward to our next tour, which we are planning for the end of 2026.

Author: Stephan Fath, Urlaubsengel

Stephan Fath is a German photographer, travel journalist, and founder of the travel agency Urlaubsengel. Together with his wife, he spends several months each year exploring the world, reviewing exceptional hotels and remarkable travel experiences. His work focuses on authentic journeys and meaningful moments far from mass tourism.