What is Beyond Tourism Day?
Beyond Tourism Day is the World Economic Forum’s first meeting dedicated to the travel and tourism sector. It was held at the Forum’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 September 2026, under the theme “Resilient Growth. Renewed Impact”. More than 80 senior leaders representing over 70 organizations took part. The programme had three strands: the inaugural meeting of the Beyond Tourism initiative, the announcement of the first Beyond Tourism Impact Stars cohort, and the 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index.
When the World Economic Forum devotes an entire meeting to a single sector for the first time, that is itself a signal. Tourism has for decades been treated as an activity measured by visitor numbers and accommodation revenue, rather than as an economic system warranting discussion at the level of policy and investment.
On 25 September 2026, two days before World Tourism Day, more than 80 senior officials and leaders from business, government, civil society and international organizations gathered in Geneva for the first Beyond Tourism Day.
Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment took part as one of six global initiatives selected for the inaugural cohort of Beyond Tourism Impact Stars, and the only Egyptian and regional initiative in that cohort.
What is the Beyond Tourism initiative?
The World Economic Forum’s Beyond Tourism initiative, supported by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, brings together leaders from across the travel and tourism ecosystem to drive toward a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future for the sector.
It pursues three connected aims: strengthening collaboration across sectors and geographies, opening new avenues for growth and impact, and accelerating the development of solutions that benefit businesses, destinations and communities at once.
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Event | Beyond Tourism Day |
Status | The World Economic Forum’s first meeting dedicated to travel and tourism |
Date | 25 September 2026 |
Location | World Economic Forum headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland |
Theme | Resilient Growth. Renewed Impact |
Supporting body | Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism |
Participants | More than 80 senior leaders |
Organizations | More than 70 organizations |
Timing | Two days before World Tourism Day on 27 September |
Three strands in one day
The inaugural Beyond Tourism meeting
The first strand launched the initiative itself, with leaders from business, government, civil society and international organizations convening to shape the sector’s future direction. Discussions focused on how destinations can strengthen competitiveness and resilience, while advancing workforce readiness, technology and innovation, investment and scalable solutions.
Announcing the first Impact Stars cohort
The second strand was the inaugural Beyond Tourism Impact Stars ceremony, at which the first cohort of winners was announced and celebrated. The cohort comprised six private sector-led initiatives, among them Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment for Reviving Downtown Cairo.
The Impact Stars programme was developed with the consultancy Kearney, and rests on a mechanism for identifying solutions that deliver positive economic, social and environmental impact not at the expense of commercial return, but in ways that reinforce and support it.
The 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index
Strand | Content |
|---|---|
Inaugural meeting | Launch of the Beyond Tourism initiative and the sector’s future direction |
Impact Stars | Announcement and celebration of the first cohort of six initiatives |
Development Index | Tenth edition of the Travel and Tourism Development Index |
Why the event matters
The World Economic Forum recognizes private sector-led initiatives that have already proven the effectiveness of applicable solutions: solutions with commercial viability and measurable impact that create real value for businesses, destinations and communities.
The central premise of the event is that impact and commercial viability are not competing objectives. That is worth pausing on, because the prevailing assumption for decades has been that environmental and social responsibility is a cost deducted from profit. The argument here is different: positive impact strengthens and supports commercial return.
Hence the emphasis on proven solutions rather than intentions. The programme does not recognize future plans. It recognizes models that have already operated and produced measurable results.
A sector facing a defining decade
The event comes at a pivotal moment. Travel and tourism is expected to generate 16 trillion dollars in GDP by 2034, accounting for more than 11 per cent of the global economy.
Yet that growth comes amid rising costs, geopolitical and climate disruption, workforce shortages and mounting pressure on infrastructure and communities. This duality of opportunity and pressure is what explains why the meeting was convened at all.
The range of the first cohort
The members of the first cohort represent a diverse set of approaches, from rural destination development and urban neighbourhood revival, through the use of data and technology to protect nature, to investment in the skills and talent needed to build the sector’s future.
Al Ismaelia’s participation falls under urban neighbourhood revival, a category it represents alone in this cohort through the Reviving Downtown Cairo project.Â
Initiative | Focus | Region |
|---|---|---|
Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment | Urban neighbourhood revival and architectural heritage | Egypt |
Accor | Water conservation across hotel operations | Global |
Iberostar | Science and data to reduce environmental impact | Global |
Discova | Community-led rural tourism enterprises | Southeast Asia |
GHE Impact Ventures | Community-owned visitor economies | India |
Sommet Education | Building hospitality sector talent | Saudi Arabia |
Launching a movement, not handing out awards
This was not simply an awards ceremony. It marks the start of a new movement. The first Impact Stars cohort offers concrete examples of what transformative tourism looks like in practice, and opens the way to partnerships, investment and the replication of successful models.
Selection marks the beginning of a year-long journey with the World Economic Forum, intended to highlight proven and successful solutions, strengthen knowledge exchange, and explore opportunities to scale their application and maximise their impact.
The stated ambition goes beyond recognizing individual successes, toward helping travel and tourism move from scattered, limited-scope solutions to impact that can scale across the entire system.
FAQ
The World Economic Forum’s first meeting dedicated to travel and tourism, held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 September 2026 under the theme “Resilient Growth. Renewed Impact”.
More than 80 senior leaders representing over 70 organizations, from business, government, civil society and international organizations.
The inaugural meeting of the Beyond Tourism initiative, the announcement of the first Impact Stars cohort, and the 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, while the Impact Stars programme was developed with the consultancy Kearney.
Yes. Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment took part as one of six initiatives in the first Impact Stars cohort, for Reviving Downtown Cairo.
It was held two days before World Tourism Day on 27 September, providing a platform to carry the conversation into a broader global discussion.