A recap of WTTC Global Summit 2024: Ancient land, new perspectives
The 24th WTTC Global Summit, held in October 2024, took place in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia, marking the organisation’s first major event in the Oceania region. The summit, hosted at the Exhibition Centre, convened leaders from across the Travel & Tourism ecosystem to steer the future of the sector toward resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.
The theme of the event, “Ancient Land: New Perspectives,” spotlighted Australia’s deep Indigenous heritage alongside its burgeoning innovation in tourism and sustainability. Perth’s striking natural landscapes, cultural vibrancy, and connectivity with surrounding biodiversity made it an ideal host. The city served as both stage and exemplar with its rich local stories and ecological diversity enriching the summit's dialogue on regenerative and community-oriented tourism.
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The 24th WTTC Global Summit, held in October 2024, took place in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia, marking the organisation’s first major event in the Oceania region. The summit, hosted at the Exhibition Centre, convened leaders from across the Travel & Tourism ecosystem to steer the future of the sector toward resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.
The theme of the event, “Ancient Land: New Perspectives,” spotlighted Australia’s deep Indigenous heritage alongside its burgeoning innovation in tourism and sustainability. Perth’s striking natural landscapes, cultural vibrancy, and connectivity with surrounding biodiversity made it an ideal host. The city served as both stage and exemplar with its rich local stories and ecological diversity enriching the summit's dialogue on regenerative and community-oriented tourism.
During her opening keynote, WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson reflected on Perth’s symbolic role as “more than a gateway to Australia”, stressing connectivity, technology adoption, and community empowerment as the needs of the future. The summit featured a diverse roster:
John Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State, participated in a fireside chat with Simpson and explored international collaboration and diplomacy’s role in crafting a sustainable tourism future. Robert Irwin, conservationist and TV personality, shared vivid stories from his wildlife adventures, emphasising how responsible tourism can both celebrate and protect the natural world.
“It is undeniable the issues facing our climate…however, we certainly do have the power to turn things around and we must act now, together. I believe tourism will change the world because of something my dad (Steve Irwin) used to say. He said that people want to save the things that they love. So, in this increasingly digital world, people need to re-connect with wildlife and the natural world. The gorillas in Rwanda are the best example of how tourism can protect nature and support conservation. Because people want to see the gorillas, the living animal has become more important now,” Irwin said, pointing out the importance of tourism in wildlife conservation.
Industry thought leaders including Greg O’Hara (WTTC Chair), Audrey Hendley (American Express Travel), Matt Goldberg (TripAdvisor), Jane Sun (Trip.com), Frank Marini (Railbookers), Jason Waters (Perth Airport), Kelly Craighead (CLIA), Francis Gatare (Rwanda Development Board), and Christie Travers-Smith (Google EMEA Partnerships), delved into topics around consumer trends, digital transformation, and the intersection of travel, technology, and sustainability.
You can watch all of the sessions from the 24th Global Summit here.
Together in Travel launches
Julia Simpson and Vice-Chair of Membership Matthew Upchurch unveiled Together in Travel, a new, free-to-subscribe platform offering SMEs worldwide access to content, networking and educational support.
The very first subscriber, Ryan Mossny from Perth’s Matagarup Zip+Climb, was on stage at the Summit and officially named the programme’s inaugural subscriber. His presence embodied the initiative’s promise: empowering small businesses by giving them a voice and practical tools to thrive in the travel sector.
The launch drew strong interest from delegates, highlighting the critical role SMEs play in shaping Travel & Tourism. By connecting entrepreneurs across markets and providing access to global best practice, Together in Travel seeks to foster inclusivity and resilience within the sector.
Government engagement and regional focus
The summit was officially opened by Julia Simpson, Greg O’Hara, and Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook. At the opening press conference, Rita Saffioti, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, spotlighted efforts to enhance aviation connectivity, highlight cultural events like sports and concerts, and elevate regional and Indigenous tourism as core to the state’s tourism identity.
Representatives from over 70 countries, including G20 economies (Argentina, Australia, China, Mexico, South Africa, U.S.) as well as countries like Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand, and the UAE, attended, with the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Bahamas and Fiji also present, reinforcing the summit’s global breadth.
A new summit feature, the Investors’ Nest, invited university students worldwide to pitch sustainable tourism ideas in a Shark-Tank style competition, culminating in a winner chosen at the event’s conclusion. Further, Julia Simpson encouraged reinvestment of tourism-generated tax revenues into sustainability and highlighted a positive trend of reducing travel-sector greenhouse gas emissions from 7.8% in 2019 to 6.7% in 2023.
The upcoming WTTC Global Summit, which will be held from 28-30 September in Rome, Italy, will be available to watch on demand, giving audiences worldwide the chance to experience the sessions at their convenience. Register for on-demand access here.
