Against the historic backdrop of Valletta’s Saluting Battery, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) convened its 26th Global Summit, assembling over 200 global chief executives, 60 government leaders, and 1,000 delegates.
Often dubbed the “Davos of Tourism,” the high-level gathering signals a pivotal moment for global travel leadership as the industry charts its next phase of sustainable growth.
To foster future industry capability, this year’s summit likewise introduced a dedicated youth initiative, welcoming 100 emerging leaders from across the globe.
As delegates gather in Valletta, the summit’s outcomes are set to shape international policy, investment flows, and destination stewardship strategies for years to come.
Guevara: Growth despite conflict
Opening the summit press conference, WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara unveiled encouraging economic indicators, projecting global travel growth of 2.5 percent this year.
Europe, in particular, demonstrates robust momentum, with travel forecast growth revised upwards to 3.2 percent, outperforming initial estimates.
According to Guevara: “Travel and tourism remains an essential pillar of global economic health, contributing US$11.62 trillion to global GDP and supporting 366 million jobs worldwide.
Furthermore, the WTTC president added that international visitor spending is expected to surge by 5.8 percent.
Malta in the scheme of things
Malta itself stands out as the continent’s premier performer: industry data reveals the archipelago achieved a remarkable 16.8% sector growth, significantly outpacing the broader European average.
Tourism currently accounts for 16.6 percent of Malta’s national GDP, with one in five local jobs linked to the sector.
WTTC chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio noted that the decision to select Malta from 21 candidate nations stemmed from its strategic positioning between Europe and Africa, rich heritage, and strong government partnership.
Reflecting the organisation’s expanding footprint, Lefebvre d’Ovidio confirmed WTTC’s corporate membership has expanded by 40 percent over the past year, now representing 210 organic enterprises.
Addressing global delegates, Malta’s minister for tourism, Jo Etienne Abella, emphasised the strategic imperative of hosting the summit.
Abella declared, whilst stressing the need to balance economic expansion with community well-being in island economies: “For the next three days, Valletta is the global capital of tourism."
Adding to the strategic framework, Carlo Micallef, CEOof the Malta Tourism Authority, outlined a long-term vision focused on high-value, year-round, and community-positive tourism.
Micallef highlighted five key priorities for the destination: shifting from volume to value, spreading visitor capacity geographically and seasonally, accelerating digital transformation, expanding talent development, and embedding tourism directly within national climate and infrastructure policies.
Concurrently, Charles Mangion, chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority, reinforced the summit’s central theme Future Reset; calling for decisive international collaboration to navigate pressing headwinds, including workforce shortages, climate resilience, and evolving consumer preferences.
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