Deputy Prime Minister Borg Leads Malta’s First Participation At WTTC Global Summit

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, led Malta’s first official participation at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, which was held in Rome.

The WTTC Global Summit was the premier annual gathering of tourism leaders, bringing together ministers, senior executives from international travel and tourism companies, destination marketing organisations, and global media. This year’s edition, hosted by Italy, attracted over 1,000 delegates from across the world.

This marked the first time a Maltese delegation had attended this influential international event, months after Malta became a member of the WTTC.

On Sunday, Dr Borg joined fellow tourism ministers and industry leaders for the Summit’s Global Leaders’ Dialogue. Speaking during a discussion themed ‘Sharing European Best Practices with the World’, he outlined Malta’s strategy for sustainable growth. His focus included reducing seasonality, diversifying the tourism offering, investing in authentic, value-added visitor experiences, and integrating environmental responsibility and digitalisation throughout all stages of tourism development.

Minister Borg said, “European tourism continues to face mounting pressures, from the climate emergency to geopolitical uncertainties and shifting traveller expectations. Meeting these challenges requires innovation, transformation, and solutions that ensure effective destination management, sustainability, and resilience. Ultimately, the key is to strengthen our ability to keep delivering unforgettable, authentic experiences to our visitors.”

Maltese Member of the European Parliament, Daniel Attard, in his role as the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on sustainable tourism, also addressed the Summit. He emphasised that the future of European tourism should be built on four pillars: culture as the core of the tourism offering, connectivity as the key for islands and peripheral regions, regional development to ensure prosperity reached everyone, and economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

The Maltese delegation at the Summit included Carlo Micallef, Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority, Ambassador of Malta to Italy Daniel Azzopardi, and other senior officials. On the sidelines of the Summit, the delegation also held talks with tourism authorities from other countries and key executives from major international players.