The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has unveiled the complete program for its 26th Global Summit taking place in Valletta, Malta, from October 7-9, 2026.
The influential gathering in the Mediterranean will focus on the theme of FUTU[RE]SET and feature more than 100 global speakers, including tourism CEOs, prominent Heads of State and political leaders.
The 2026 Global Summit will open with senior leaders in Malta setting out the country's vision for the future of travel and tourism. Later, the exclusive Global Leaders Dialogue will bring together Ministers, policymakers and global business leaders for insightful discussions on the future competitiveness of the industry.
Highlights will include a pair of highly interactive panel conversations featuring eight Ministers and four global CEOs.
The Summit will also see the launch of the WTTC Youth Movement, inviting around 90 students and 10 professors from 16 partner institutions for important discussions and networking opportunities.
Additionally, WTTC will use the platform to accelerate its Together in Travel initiative aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent around 85% of the global travel and tourism community.
2026 Global Summit Discussions
- Digital Identity: Resetting the Border Experience
- AI Unlocked: The New Era of Travel
- Unlocking the Power of Travel & Tourism SMEs
- Building Resilience in an Age of Disruption
- Destination Stewardship: The Right Kind of Growth
- Connecting the World: The Future of Mobility
- Tourism for All
- Public and Private Leadership: The Next Trillion Dollar Investment
This year's program was developed around WTTC's eight strategic priorities:
- Enabling safe and seamless travel
- Strengthening destination stewardship
- Advancing sustainability
- Harnessing emerging technologies and AI
- Improving crisis preparedness
- Expanding connectivity
- Developing the workforce of the future
- Unlocking investment and economic growth opportunities
"The WTTC Global Summit brings together an extraordinary range of voices at a moment when Travel & Tourism is being reshaped by AI, technology, changing traveller expectations, geopolitics and new patterns of investment and growth," WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said in a statement.
"Our eight strategic priorities provide a clear framework for action, but it is through conversations like these—bringing governments and business leaders together—that we can turn opportunities into progress. Malta provides an exceptional setting to challenge thinking, share solutions and build the partnerships needed to shape the next decade of our sector," added Guevara.
Click here to view a complete list of confirmed speakers for the 26th WTTC Global Summit.
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