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Europe’s travel industry will take centre stage as political leaders and industry experts gather for the Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit.
Live on Tuesday 29 September from the Albert Hall in Brussels, the one-day summit will examine how the industry is changing amid shifting traveller expectations, economic pressures and a complex geopolitical landscape.
It comes after an eventful year for global tourism. Conflict in the Middle East has disrupted air routes, pushed up fuel costs and influenced where people travel, while extreme weather, overtourism and the rollout of new border controls have presented further challenges for the industry.
Despite the disruption, demand has proved resilient. Europe recorded its busiest-ever summer for air traffic in 2026, averaging 35,959 flights a day across July and August. Those developments will provide an important backdrop to the summit.
Live on Euronews.com, the Euronews app and on YouTube, doors open at 9am, with sessions running throughout the day.
Programmes and speakers
Bringing together policymakers and senior figures from the tourism, aviation and hospitality sectors, discussions will range from managing overtourism and creating more sustainable destinations to improving connectivity between Europe and Asia.
Two of Euronews’ flagship programmes – The Ring and The Big Question – will also be part of the agenda, bringing their popular formats to some of the industry’s biggest debates.
Among the headline speakers is Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who will sit down with Maria Tadeo for a one-on-one interview. Albania has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing travel destinations, with international arrivals reaching 11.9 million in 2025 – up 93.6% compared with 2019, according to UN Tourism. Improved air connectivity, affordable prices and growing interest in the Albanian Riviera, Tirana and the country’s mountains have all helped fuel the tourism boom.
Other confirmed guests include Bill White, the US Ambassador to Belgium; Eduardo Santander, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the European Travel Commission (ETC); and Florian Sengstschmid, the Chief Executive Officer of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB).
What are the big topics on the agenda?
One of the opening conversations at the summit will look back at the European summer travel season, with Santander examining the trends, challenges and successes that have defined 2026, before looking ahead to the industry’s prospects.
Sustainability will be another major theme with panellists discussing how Europe can reduce tourism’s environmental impact without compromising accessibility, affordability and mobility.
Overtourism will also be high on the agenda and the summit will explore how popular destinations can cope with growing visitor numbers, including the potential of “second cities” and strategies to encourage travellers towards less-visited neighbourhoods and regions.
Meanwhile, The Big Question will turn its attention to the blue economy. MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato will discuss whether Europe’s cruise industry can chart a greener course, looking at cleaner fuels, next-generation ships, smarter ports and emerging “blue corridors”.
Later in the day, The Ring, hosted by Euronews’ Méabh Mc Mahon, will bring its head-to-head political debate format to the summit.
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