Rome has seen it all: emperors, popes, plagues, wars and now, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Summit. From 28–30 April 2025, the Eternal City will swap gladiators for global travel leaders as ministers, CEOs and assorted industry heavyweights descend on Italy’s capital to debate tourism’s future.
And what a future it is. With travel now contributing over ten per cent of global GDP, and supporting one in ten jobs worldwide, WTTC’s annual gathering isn’t some backroom chinwag. It’s the closest thing this industry has to the United Nations, except with better catering and fewer vetoes.
Why Rome?
There’s a logic to the choice. Rome is tourism distilled: history on every corner, culture by the bucketload, and crowds that test saints’ patience. Balancing heritage preservation with modern tourism pressures is a Roman daily ritual, and it’s precisely the conversation WTTC wants to spotlight.
As President and CEO, Julia Simpson says, “Rome is the beating heart of tourism. It is where history meets innovation, and our summit will highlight how we can protect cultural legacies while driving economic growth.”
A grand ambition, though not beyond a city that managed to keep the Colosseum upright for two millennia while hosting 10 million tourists a year.
What’s on the Table?
Expect three days of heavyweight discussions on:
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Sustainability: from green fuels to cutting carbon.
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Digital transformation: how AI, biometrics and smart cities will shape travel.
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Overtourism: ensuring locals still want to live where visitors want to play.
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Global investment: where the next big tourism dollars will flow.
And yes, the panels will likely mention “resilience” more than a Roman waiter says “prego.”
All Roads Lead Here
WTTC summits have become the annual checkpoint for the global industry. Agreements hatched here ripple across continents. Whether airlines sign up to new sustainability targets, governments promise visa reforms, or hotel groups unveil billion-dollar expansion plans, Rome’s announcements won’t stay in Rome.
And unlike some conferences that vanish into the ether once the last canapé is served, WTTC tends to deliver. Past summits have influenced global travel policy and nudged companies into real change.
Rome as Stage and Symbol
There’s poetry in the choice of Rome. The Eternal City has endured empire, invasion, and Mussolini’s architectural experiments — and still manages to charm. Tourism itself could do worse than to take a few notes from Rome’s playbook: adapt, reinvent, survive.
Delegates will be reminded daily that legacy matters. Hold your summit in a generic convention centre, and you talk about the future in the abstract. Hold it in Rome, and you can’t avoid the weight of history.
What’s at Stake
The tourism sector has emerged from a bruising period over the past few years. Pandemic scars remain, climate alarms ring louder, and geopolitical tensions rattle airlines and travellers alike. WTTC 2025 is less about patting backs and more about proving the sector can grow responsibly or risk losing public trust.
It’s a moment of reckoning. Tourism wants to be seen as a money-spinner and a genuine force for good. Whether Rome will deliver the roadmap is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s sure: it will provide headlines.
And Finally…
If all this sounds heavy, remember: this is Rome. The summit will run on caffeine, debate and the occasional gelato. And if delegates manage to save the future of tourism between an espresso and an aperitivo, that would be very Roman indeed.
By Sandra Jones
