Global tourism ministers join the line-up at WTM London 2026

The Ministers of Tourism for Angola, Belize, Portugal, Guatemala, Jamaica, Uruguay and Montenegro are among the latest speakers to be announced for WTM London’s Wanderlust Headliner stage.

Sustainability is a key theme across several of the ministerial sessions, with leaders sharing how their countries are making tourism work better for people and places. Among the highlights, Pedro Machado, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, will share how the country’s new Tourism Strategy 2035 puts inclusive, resilient growth at its heart.

Resilience is another strong thread running through the program. On Nov. 5, Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, will join tourism leaders from Uganda, Armenia, Cambodia and Valencia to discuss how destinations prepare for, and recover from, crisis in Built to Last: Destination Resilience in an Uncertain World.

On the business side, senior figures from Virgin Group and its travel brands Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Hotels Collection and Virgin Voyages will share their expertise in Redefining the Customer Experience in Travel on Nov. 5.

Matt Long, EMEA Managing Director for Delta Air Lines, and Garry Wilson, CEO of easyJet holidays, will discuss innovations in aviation and package holidays respectively, while Benoît Racle, Global Brand President of Premium Brands at Accor, will look at the guest experience in hospitality. Intrepid CEO James Thornton and WeRoad co-founder Fabio Bin will also explore how the next generation of travellers is seeking deeper connections with local communities.

Hosted and curated by WTM’s official consumer media partner Wanderlust Magazine, the UK’s leading travel magazine, and chaired by Wanderlust’s Editor in Chief George Kipouros, the stage brings a fresh, outward-facing perspective to the programme. The newly confirmed speakers join an already impressive line-up, including:

• Andrew Flintham, Managing Director, British Airways Holidays
• Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
• Sir Michael Palin, Actor, Writer, Traveller
• Patricia Yates, CEO, VisitBritain/VisitEngland
• Rob Ransom, SVP and Chief Strategy Officer, Booking Holdings
• James Thornton, CEO, Intrepid Travel
• Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, ABTA Ltd

On day one of the show (Nov. 3), the WTM Wanderlust Headliner Stage will host the unveiling of the WTM Global Travel Report, this session will rerun on Day 3 Nov. 5). Produced in partnership with Tourism Economics (an Oxford Economics company), the report is a key part of WTM London, tracking changing traveller behaviour and highlighting important new trends for the year ahead.

The presentation of key findings will be followed by a panel discussion with travel industry CEOs and leaders, which will also be streamed on WTM TV and on the Trends Stage within WTM TrendFest.

The latest agenda for the WTM Wanderlust Headliner Stage can be found here.

Chris Carter-Chapman, WTM London Event Director, commented: “Sessions on our four stages this year are built around the theme Resilience, Rebound & Reinvention: The next era of global travel.”

Carter-Chapman continued: “As the world’s most influential travel show, we are proud to be able to bring together global leaders, industry experts and new voices to tackle the biggest opportunities and challenges shaping travel today.”

Go to www.wtm.com for more.