The European Tourism Day 2026 is fast approaching, set to unfold on January 26th at the Charlemagne Building in Brussels. This essential gathering, hosted by the European Commission, serves as a vital platform for officials and industry leaders to review recent EU tourism policy developments and forge the path for the upcoming Strategy for Sustainable Tourism.

The event stands out in the tourism sector, offering a global audience the opportunity to tune in live via a comprehensive livestream. With simultaneous interpretation available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Greek, this initiative ensures inclusive participation and engagement in shaping the future of tourism in Europe.

Don't miss the chance to be part of the conversation and influence the future of tourism. Check out the full agenda and tune into the livestream here.

#European Tourism Day #Events #Sustainable tourism #Responsible travel #Sustainable destinations #Climate-friendly tourism practices #EU Tourism Strategy #Sustainable tourism planning

9:30 - 9:35 Opening and welcome 

• Moderator: Olaf Bruns 
• Opening speech: Maja Bakran, Deputy Director General, DG MOVE, European Commission

9:35 - 10:05 Present for the future 

Panel: Tourism CEOs’ views 

• Jean-Philippe Monod de Froideville, CEO Global TravelTech 
• Tom Jenkins, CEO of European Tourism Association (ETOA) 
• Chema Basterrechea, Global President & COO of Radisson Hotel Group 
• Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI

10:05 - 11:05 Shaping the future of destinations

Panel: Aligning the European tourism offer with demand

Digital solutions (access to data and AI), new trends (marketing and offer), media (traditional and social media) 

• Antonio Barreca, General Director Federturismo Confindustria 
• Fabrizio Orlando, Director Government Relations & Public Policy of TripAdvisor 
• Mirko Lalli, CEO & Founder, The Data Appeal Company 
• Johannes Thomas, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Trivago 
• Sunniva Hansson, VP, Head of Policy EMEA of Motion Picture Association 
• Caroline Muller, Travel writer, photographer, freelance content creator

11:05 - 11:35 Fireside talk: How to access and how make best use of data 

• Moderator: Misa Labarile, Policy Officer, DG MOVE, European Commission 
• Dolores Ordonez, Project coordinator of D3 Hub and DEPLOYTOUR 
• Sandra Carvao, Director Market Intelligence, Policies and Competitiveness at UN Tourism 
• Quim Martínez, VP, Tourism Segment Global Lead at Mastercard

11:50 - 12:55 Tourism for tomorrow: the EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy 

Keynote speech: Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism 

Political debate: Pioneering European tourism for tomorrow – priority actions 

• Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism 
• Kostas Koumis, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Cyprus 
• Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament, Vice President of TRAN 
• Shaikha Nasser Al Nuwais, Secretary-General UN Tourism 
• Mato Franković, Mayor of Dubrovnik Alexandros Vassilikos, President of HOTREC 
• Eric Drésin, Secretary General at ECTAA

14:30 - 15:30 The accessible destination: strategic mobility, accessibility, and the path to rebalance tourism flows 

Panel: Towards more balanced and accessible tourism Mobility (urban and rural mobility), unbalanced tourism (seasonal/territorial distribution and the locals’ perspective), accessibility (inclusion and accessibility in tourism) 

• Axel Volkery, Head of Unit Innovation & Research, DG MOVE, European Commission 
• Luis Campos, Turismo de Portugal and chair of T4T Horizontal TaskForce "Unbalanced Tourism" 
• Jelmer Peter, Program Manager visitors economy, Amsterdam City Anton Nikitin, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Vilnius 
• Ance Svajnzger, General Manager East Europe & Caucasus at Intrepid Travel 
• Nikos Mertzanidis, Executive Director, Europe, CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association

15:30 - 16:00 Fireside talk: Capitalising on the future: How to unlock private investment in tourism 

• Moderator: Andrea Beltramello, Head of Unit, Savings and Investments Union Coordination, DG FISMA, European Commission 
• Bobby Demri, Founder and Managing Partner, Roch Ventures 
• Susanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures at Amadeus IT Group 
• Michael Gregory O'Hara, Founder & Senior Managing Director at Certares Management LLC

16:20 - 17:20 The regenerative shift 

Panel: Making sustainability a competitive advantage Sustainability, resilience, regenerative tourism 

• Mònica Santa Eulàlia, Head of Tourism model unit at Agència Catalana de Turisme 
• Maiju Viiki, Account Manager at Visit Tampere - 2026 European Capital of Smart Tourism 
• Isabel Yglesias, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee 
• Romana Tomić, Senior Associate at DEŠA, Dubrovnik Chiara Solimini, Space Downstream Market Officer, EUSPA 
• Thodoris Tzoumas, Mayor of Skiathos Island, Greece

17:20 - 17:30 Destination Europe: our tourism, our brand 

• Eduardo Santander, Executive Director, European Travel Commission (ETC)

17:30 - 17:40 Ukraine: Tourism as a Catalyst for Territorial Resilience and Local Identity 

• Alona Shkrum, First Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, Ukraine

17:40 - 17:50 Closing 

• Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission