Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit 2026: Five of the key takeaways

Figures from across the travel industry joined Euronews in Brussels on 29 September. Here’s the most important things to know.

Political leaders, policymakers and industry experts all gathered at the Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit 2026 in Brussels to discuss everything from overtourism and undertourism to climate change.

Here’s what you missed from the one-day summit in the Belgian capital.

In a lively chat with Euronews’ Maria Tadeo, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke about his country’s incredible tourism story – going from the “North Korea of Europe” to somewhere everyone is travelling to right now.

“We are not the Black Hole of Europe – we are the shining little jewel of Europe,” he told the summit. He explained that neighbouring countries such as Croatia have had longer to work on their own tourism development, but that now it is “our turn”.

Rama also revealed that now the focus is on a “higher quality” of tourists, noting that hotel brands such as Waldorf Astoria and Aman are planning on opening hotels in the country. Atlantis, the famed hotel brand in Dubai, is also going to open its first property on the continent in Albania.

He also touched on the ongoing protests over the Sazan Island and Zvërnec resort project, which is backed by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, saying that Albania would be releasing documents related to the project in the coming weeks.

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