Tourism ministers and industry leaders from around the world have discussed the impact of geopolitical conflicts, climate change, sustainable development and the distribution of tourism wealth at the 20th anniversary WTM Ministers' Summit, held during World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026.

Held in association with UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the annual summit brought together 50 tourism ministers under the theme ‘Strengthening Tourism for a Resilient and Regenerative Future’.

Discussions focused on how destinations can strengthen their resilience against external shocks, address environmental challenges, distribute tourism benefits more widely and improve the sector's contribution to national economies.

Geopolitical challenges and recovery

The impact of this year's Iran conflict and its consequences for regional tourism was among the key topics. The UAE's tourism minister praised the private sector for maintaining confidence and keeping prices moderate during the disruption, while highlighting government support through measures such as postponing fees.

He cautioned businesses against reducing prices below operating costs, saying: “If you go down more than cost price, it takes about three or four years to build that back up,”

Qatar also reported a recovery in aviation demand, with airline load factors returning to February levels by August.

“If it happened again, we wouldn’t go back to airspace fully closed,” the minister commented.

The WTTC forecast a swift recovery for tourism across the Middle East, highlighting the sector's ability to respond to geopolitical disruption and restore visitor confidence.

Climate change and sustainable tourism

Environmental resilience was another major focus, particularly for African destinations facing growing climate-related challenges.

Zimbabwe's tourism minister called for greater international cooperation to address environmental pressures, saying: “Climate change knows no boundaries. In a different way, it brings us together.”

Zimbabwe is investing in deep boreholes and dam construction to improve drought resilience and protect its natural resources, which are central to its tourism industry.

“Besides saving the people, we want to save the animals because they are the cornerstone of our tourism,” the minister pointed out.

Nepal's tourism minister also highlighted the impact of climate change, following devastating floods in the country this year. He warned that the country's natural heritage, including its mountains, flora and fauna, faces increasing environmental risks.

The discussions underlined the importance of protecting natural attractions and strengthening climate adaptation strategies to safeguard destinations and the communities that depend on tourism.

Spreading tourism benefits beyond major destinations

The summit also examined how governments can distribute tourism activity more evenly, helping address overtourism while extending economic opportunities to less-visited regions.

The UK government representative highlighted the role of local authorities and regional decision-making in achieving this objective.

“devolution is a really big part of this,” she said, outlining plans to increase the spending powers of city mayors and emphasising the importance of improved transport connectivity.

Croatia is using visitor surveys and research to identify investment priorities, with health tourism emerging as one of its development areas.

The country's minister revealed that 70% of government tourism grants were being directed towards projects in less-visited inland regions, while coastal funding was largely supporting improvements to existing businesses and higher service standards.

Croatia is also participating in a project to measure tourism's environmental impact, including energy consumption and waste generation, alongside its regional economic contribution and impact on GDP. The minister said the findings had already helped change perceptions of tourism's wider value.

Measuring tourism's economic contribution

The debate also addressed the importance of measuring tourism through economic value rather than visitor numbers alone.

The UAE minister stressed that destinations should focus on the spending and economic contribution of visitors rather than simply the number of arrivals.

“It’s not the airlines that come in and how many tourists we receive, it’s about the value the tourist leaves in your city.”

Bulgaria is strengthening tourism research through closer links with education and universities. Its minister outlined ambitions for the country to become “a world leader” in universities specialising in tourism.

The government is identifying 200 universities for a major new programme, with a second phase involving the establishment of an observatory to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) across the tourism sector.

“We cannot manage any more with only a feeling” the minister stressed, highlighting the need for reliable data to guide policy and investment decisions.

Meanwhile, a UN Tourism project is helping Zimbabwe measure tourism's economic contribution, following the sector's role in supporting the national economy during mining and agriculture crises in 2024.

Supporting local businesses and communities

Sierra Leone's tourism minister highlighted the importance of connecting local businesses with wider supply chains to ensure tourism generates economic opportunities at community level.

The country is using gastronomy as a platform for development, creating opportunities for local food producers and community-based businesses. Women involved in cooking at community hubs, for example, can also become suppliers to tourism projects.

A chatbot supported by UN Tourism is also helping domestic travellers plan journeys across Sierra Leone, with the aim of inspiring further travel and supporting destination discovery.

India's minister described tourism as a “self-resilient sector”, attributing its strength to the resilience and commitment of stakeholders across the industry.

Greater public-private sector collaboration

A new format at this year's summit brought private-sector representatives directly into discussions with government ministers, highlighting the importance of collaboration in tourism planning and development.

An entrepreneur highlighted Africa's significant contribution as a source market for Middle Eastern tourism, while a representative from MSC Cruises stressed that private-sector businesses should be involved at an early stage of government tourism planning.

Visa also outlined how its spending data has helped governments better understand traveller behaviour and identify where visitors spend their money.

Gloria Guevara, interim CEO at the WTTC, highlighted tourism's importance to global employment, noting that one in nine jobs worldwide depends on the sector.

She said: “we need the public sector, we need the policies, we need the right support and to work as one voice with the private sector.”

Khanh Linh Vu, Principal Advisor to the Secretary-General of UN Tourism, also emphasised the importance of international cooperation, stating: “No one can build a resilient tourism sector alone.”

The 20th anniversary summit reinforced the need for governments, tourism businesses and international organisations to work together to address geopolitical and environmental challenges, strengthen local economies and ensure tourism growth delivers wider social and economic benefits. -TradeArabia News Service