Rome Sets the Stage for WTTC Global Summit

WTTC highlights Italy’s impressive business travel growth and global leadership.

The curtain has been raised on the 2025 World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, the most important annual gathering for the sector, with Rome playing host to this milestone edition.

The opening press address featured WTTC Interim CEO Gloria Guevara, WTTC Chair Greg O’Hara, Chair-Elect Manfredi Lefebvre, Italian Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè, President of Lazio Francesco Rocca, and Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri.

Across the next three days, more than one thousand delegates, including 310 CEOs and Chairs, will debate the forces shaping Travel & Tourism, from economic growth and job creation to the transformative role of artificial intelligence and seamless travel.

Spotlight on Italy 

This year’s Summit is also a platform to showcase Italy’s rising profile as a tourism and business hub. Sessions will explore investment opportunities, wellness and sport tourism, luxury rail, and the economic potential of hosting global mega events. WTTC will also launch new reports, including Future of the Travel & Tourism Workforce and its 2025 Environmental & Impact Research.

The event comes at a time when Italy is cementing its place as a global tourism leader. The sector is forecast to contribute €237.4 billion to the economy in 2025, support 3.2 million jobs, and see international visitor spending exceed €60 billion. Corporate travel spending alone reached €28.4 billion in 2024, placing Italy seventh worldwide and 18% ahead of pre-pandemic levels.

Global voices on stage

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will headline the Summit, joined by international leaders including Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Ian Borg, and the new UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, alongside CEOs of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies.

WTTC Chair Greg O’Hara said, “This Summit brings together the very best of our sector at a pivotal moment. Against the backdrop of Italy’s extraordinary growth story, we are reminded of the power of our industry to unite people, drive investment, and create opportunity on a scale few others can match.”

Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè added, “Hosting the WTTC Global Summit in Italy is a recognition of our renewed centrality on the world stage. It is both a showcase for our immense cultural, culinary, and landscape heritage and an opportunity to attract new investment while strengthening Italy’s role as a hub of global tourism.”

WTTC Chair-Elect Manfredi Lefebvre, welcoming delegates to his home city, said, “Italy stands as both a beacon of heritage and a model for collaboration. This summit is a unique opportunity to share insights, forge partnerships, and advance sustainable growth for our sector.”

A pivotal moment

With record visitor numbers, a booming meetings and events industry, and rising capital investment forecast to reach €12 billion in 2025, Italy is balancing its unrivalled heritage with modern innovation.

As the WTTC Global Summit unfolds in Rome, it sets the stage for dialogue, collaboration, and a shared vision for a resilient and sustainable future for Travel & Tourism worldwide.