The 11th Mediterranean Tourism Forum will take place in Malta from 24 to 27 November 2026, bringing together tourism professionals, policymakers, researchers, academics and students for a four-day programme focused on innovation, sustainability, technology and the future of Mediterranean tourism.
The 11th Mediterranean Tourism Forum (MTF26) is set to take place in Malta from 24 to 27 November 2026, alongside a programme of research, policy exchange and talent development initiatives designed to strengthen cooperation across the Mediterranean tourism sector.
Organised by the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation, the event will bring together tourism professionals, policymakers, researchers, academics, students and destination stakeholders from across the region and beyond.
The programme will begin on 24 November with the Mediterranean Tourism Research Writing Retreat at Hilton Malta. The retreat, directed by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, is aimed at established and early-career researchers working in Mediterranean tourism.
Sessions will focus on collaborative research in areas including regenerative and sustainable tourism, tourism policy and planning, artificial intelligence and smart technologies.
Hilton Malta, located in St Julian’s, has dedicated facilities for conferences and events, with more than 4,000 square metres of event space and capacity for up to 1,330 delegates.
Research and policy at the centre of the programme
A key component of MTF26 will be the Mediterranean Tourism Knowledge Exchange and Policy Conference, which will bring researchers and policymakers together to examine tourism development through evidence-based research and policy discussions.
The programme is expected to feature research presentations, policy sessions and BRAIN Think Tanks. Topics include tourism forecasting, destination management, artificial intelligence, pricing and trust, innovation ecosystems, spatial planning, regenerative tourism and the future of tourism employment.
Among the announced academics and tourism specialists are Professor Haiyan Song, Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Professor Giampaolo Viglia, Associate Professor Maria Teresa Borges Tiago, Dr Efi Sarantakou, Professor Filipa Brandao and Professor Adele Ladkin.
The research programme will also explore the relationship between tourism innovation, sustainability and destination governance, reflecting growing industry interest in evidence-based approaches to managing tourism growth.
Students to compete in tourism hackathon
MTF26 will also place a strong emphasis on the next generation of tourism professionals through the Mediterranean Tourism Future Talent Competition and Hackathon 2026.
University teams from the Mediterranean and beyond will work on tourism-related challenges covering sustainability, cultural heritage, technology, community resilience and destination development.
The competition and hackathon are scheduled to run from 24 to 26 November, with final presentations on 26 November. The winners will be recognised during an awards ceremony on 27 November as part of the Mediterranean Tourism Forum.
Forum to conclude four-day programme
The Mediterranean Tourism Forum plenary on 27 November will bring together participants from the various strands of the programme for the closing sessions and masterclasses.
The wider programme is also expected to include networking activities, the Mediterranean Tourism Awards, a concert, photography and art activities, and additional masterclasses.
The organisers say the previous Mediterranean Tourism Forum attracted more than 2,500 delegates from 32 countries, underlining the event’s role as a meeting point for tourism stakeholders from across the Mediterranean and international markets.
The 2026 research programme also has a thematic connection with Tourism Review, with selected research papers eligible for further development towards a planned thematic issue in 2027.
Registration information for the research programme lists 30 October 2026 as the early-bird deadline. The four-day programme will conclude on 27 November with the Forum plenary and masterclasses.
With tourism destinations across the Mediterranean facing increasing pressure to balance economic growth with sustainability, technology adoption and community resilience, MTF26 is positioning research, policy cooperation and talent development at the centre of its agenda.
