The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced on 9 October 2026 that India will host its Global Summit in 2027, bringing travel and tourism chief executives and government leaders to Delhi. The council said the announcement came during this year’s Global Summit in Malta.
According to WTTC, India was selected following what it called a highly competitive process involving 22 destinations that had expressed interest in hosting the event. The council said the 2027 summit will give India a platform to showcase its tourism offering, the strength of its domestic visitor economy and its growing appeal to international travellers. It described the event as bringing together the public and private sectors to address the opportunities and challenges facing travel and tourism.
India’s Minister and the Malta Summit
WTTC said India’s Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, took part in discussions on the future of the sector in Malta and was recognised with a WTTC Global Champion Award for his leadership and contribution to travel and tourism. The council’s chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, said WTTC was delighted to bring the event to India, chosen from among 22 destinations. WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara described India as a country of “extraordinary tourism potential”.
The Figures WTTC Cited
Citing its own economic impact research, WTTC said travel and tourism contributed US$263.6 billion to India’s economy in 2025, growing by 7.3 per cent and supporting 46.2 million jobs, which it said was more than one in every ten jobs in the country. The council forecasts the sector’s contribution will grow by 8.5 per cent in 2026 to US$286.1 billion, supporting 48.1 million jobs, and that the sector could almost double in economic size over the next decade to reach US$527 billion by 2036.
WTTC said domestic visitor spending reached US$203 billion in 2025, or 86 per cent of total travel and tourism spending, while international visitor spending represents a significant opportunity for further expansion. Its research projects India moving from the world’s 10th-largest travel and tourism economy to fourth by 2036. These are WTTC’s own estimates and forecasts rather than independently verified outcomes.
The council did not give a date for the 2027 summit in the announcement reviewed.
Why It Matters
Hosting the WTTC summit puts a destination in front of the industry’s senior decision-makers, from hotel and airline executives to ministers, at a time when WTTC itself says India’s next phase of growth will rely on expanding its international visitor economy. For hotels, airlines and investors, the choice signals where the council sees opportunity. What to watch is the confirmation of dates and venue, and how India’s tourism authorities use the platform ahead of 2027.
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