Travel and tourism (T&T) has moved beyond recovery. International arrivals and visitor spending are now above pre-pandemic levels. Between the 2024 and 2026 editions, 92% of economies improved their TTDI score, reflecting broad-based progress in the conditions that support the sector.

However, the TTDI also points to a shift in the sector’s challenges. As activity has recovered and tourism development conditions have improved, new constraints are emerging. Three pressures stand out. Affordability is weakening. Investment is struggling to keep pace with demand. Sustainability pressures are becoming more complex, from crowding and environmental stress to how widely tourism’s benefits are shared.

In 2026, the challenge is no longer recovering pre-pandemic activity. The opportunity is managing growth. Air transport, accommodation, tourist services and natural, cultural and business-linked assets are all stronger than they were in 2024 and in 2019, reflecting how rapidly the sector’s operating base has been rebuilt.

The question is no longer whether destinations can attract visitors. It is whether they can convert demand into sustainable and resilient tourism development that creates lasting value for businesses, communities and destinations. This means keeping travel affordable, ensuring infrastructure and services keep pace with growth, managing pressure on communities and natural assets, and creating more local benefits from visitor spending.

At the same time, destinations have less room to absorb disruption. Geopolitical conflict, economic uncertainty, climate pressures and technological change are reshaping the environment in which tourism operates. What separates successful destinations is not only the strength of their tourism assets but also their ability to adapt and continue functioning when circumstances become unstable. This reinforces the need for T&T to have a stronger voice in policy discussions on infrastructure, workforce development, climate adaptation and economic resilience.

For governments, industry and investors, the task has shifted from supporting recovery to strengthening the conditions that underpin longterm tourism performance. The challenge is no longer simply generating demand, but ensuring that infrastructure, services, investment and destination management keep pace with growth while maintaining resilience to disruption. Increasingly, this will depend on smarter infrastructure, stronger regional connectivity and tourism systems that can adapt to changing patterns of visitor behaviour, mobility and risk.

Section 5 sets out five practical responses: diversify activity and reduce concentration risk; protect access, visibility and operating continuity; compete on value, not price; manage growth to maintain social licence; and strengthen workforce capacity and the systems that support delivery.

None of these works in isolation. A destination cannot compete on value without people to deliver it, manage growth without the trust of residents or protect access without coordination among airlines, hotels, regulators and destination managers.

The destinations that do best in the years ahead will be those whose tourism systems continue to function, adapt and create positive outcomes for visitors, businesses and communities. Achieving this will require greater collaboration across governments, destinations, businesses and international tourism organizations on the issues that matter most for the sector’s future: resilience, sustainability, connectivity, workforce development and inclusive growth.