WTTC’s 26th Global Summit in Valletta convenes 100+ global speakers around FUTU[RE]SET agenda

# What this Summit is and who's attending

# Why the programme matters

The programme mixes sector voices — airlines, airports, hotels, cruise operators, technology companies, investors, destinations and tourism authorities — to provide cross-sector perspectives on shared challenges like technology disruption, shifting traveller expectations, geopolitics and investment patterns.

# Notable sessions and initiatives

• Global Leaders Dialogue: Two moderator-led panels combining eight ministers and four global CEOs each for candid exchanges about competitiveness and policy. The format prioritises conversation over formal statements.

• Opening national leadership presence: Senior Maltese officials, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Tourism, will present Malta's vision for the sector at the Summit opening alongside WTTC leadership.

• Together in Travel for SMEs: WTTC will advance this initiative at the Summit, promoting support for small and medium-sized enterprises, which comprise an estimated 85% of the global travel and tourism community. The stated ambition is to build a one million-strong community of Travel & Tourism SMEs offering tools, insights and a collective voice in policy discussions.

# How the Summit is structured to produce outcomes

The Summit mixes high-level plenaries and interactive dialogues to move beyond speeches toward practical exchange. WTTC highlights the diversity of perspectives as a design element: putting government decision-makers and private-sector leaders in the same sessions to identify collaboration opportunities and share operational experience.

The combination of the Global Leaders Dialogue, sector-specific sessions and youth and SME initiatives is intended to connect strategy-level policy debates with talent pipelines and business-level support mechanisms.

# Immediate implications for stakeholders

• Governments and policymakers: a concentrated forum to debate travel competitiveness and regulatory approaches with industry leaders.

• Industry leaders: a chance to surface operational challenges, investment priorities and technology adoption plans in a cross-sector setting.

• SMEs and workforce entrants: platforms to gain visibility, access tools and join a community intended to amplify smaller operators' needs.

# Bottom line

WTTC's Valletta Summit is positioned as a two-day convening that maps an industry-wide agenda around eight strategic priorities, while launching initiatives aimed at the sector's future workforce and SME resilience. The mix of ministers, CEOs, international organisations, and targeted programmes is designed to turn discussion into coordinated action across policy, investment and talent initiatives.