The Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit 2026 took place at the Albert Hall in Brussels, with discussions on how the travel industry is responding to challenges such as geopolitical disruption, airspace closures, and extreme weather.
Kyrgyzstan's Ambassador to Belgium, Aidit Erkin, announced that direct flights from Kyrgyzstan to Europe are being planned, potentially launching as early as 2027. This follows the removal of Kyrgyzstan-certified carriers from the EU Air Safety List in June, and the envoy also mentioned a proposed 'Silk Road visa' to allow travel across Central Asia with a single visa.
At the summit, the Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, highlighted the city's 'Respect the City' initiative, which has helped manage tourist numbers and cruise ship arrivals. Despite regulations, the city received 35% more guests than in 2017, with a focus on better distributing visitor flows throughout the day.
The Michelin Guide's Head of Business Development for Hotels, Marie-France Perrel, discussed the expansion of the guide to include hotel curation based on human evaluation, using five criteria. She noted a trend where travelers increasingly seek a sense of place and connection to their surroundings in luxury travel.
For travelers, the potential direct flights from Kyrgyzstan to Europe could offer new routing options, while the proposed Silk Road visa may simplify multi-country travel in Central Asia. Meanwhile, Dubrovnik's measures aim to improve visitor experience by reducing overcrowding.
