THE WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL (WTTC) HELD ITS 25TH GLOBAL SUMMIT IN ROME
The 25th Global Summit, organized by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), of which TÜRSAB is a member, was held in Rome, Italy. Attendees included prominent figures from politics, public administration, and the tourism sector, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, WTTC Interim CEO Gloria Guevara, WTTC's new President Manfredi Lefebvre, Lazio Regional President Francesco Rocca, and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Representing our Association, Board Member Yıldırım Taş attended the summit, where the WTTC report, titled "Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2025: Global Trends," was released to the public.
At the summit, it was stated that the tourism sector would employ 357 million people in 2024 and that this number is expected to reach 371 million in 2025. It was emphasized that global investments have increased by 10 percent, exceeding $1 trillion, and that Italy continues to be a significant destination in sustainable tourism. It was noted that tourism is rapidly growing in an experience-focused manner, with developments particularly concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region.
Yıldırım Taş stated that the summit was highly productive for the sector, emphasizing the need to make tourism attractive to the new generation. It was also shared that social media influencers influence travel decisions by 72% in the high-income group and 56% in the low-income group. The summit voted to prioritize sustainability, with artificial intelligence and advanced mobile applications also among the key investment topics.
