World Tourism Day 2025 & World Tourism Conference 2025 | UN Tourism

Preliminary Programme

Friday, 26 September 2025
19:00- 21:00	Gala Dinner hosted by the state of Melaka, Malaysia^*

^{* (by invitation only)}

Saturday, 27 September 2025 \| World Tourism Day: Tourism and Sustainable Transformation (Venue: Level 13, Grand Ballroom DoubleTree by Hilton, Melaka)
10:00– 10:15	Welcome Remarks: H.E. Dato' Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UN Tourism H.E. Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
10:15– 10:30	Photo Session
10:30 - 10:45	Keynote 1: From Social Innovation and Education to Sustainable Investment: Transforming Tourism from the ground up Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, UN Tourism
10:45 - 11:30	Panel Discussion: "People-Centered Tourism: Unlocking opportunities through education, innovation and investments" Moderator: Ms. Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, UN Tourism This panel will examine how investing in human capital, especially youth and women, can create a more resilient, equitable, and future ready tourism ecosystem by highlighting successful models and forward-thinking policies. Panellists will address how targeted investments can scale up their impact, fostering entrepreneurship, digitalization, and long-term sustainability across destinations. Panelists: Prof. Amran Hamzah, Director of the Centre for Innovative Planning and Development (PCIPD), Universiti Tecknologi Malaysia Victor Chua, Founding and Managing Partner, Vynn Capital (TBC) Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO, Diriyah Company (TBC) André Mack, Director at EHL Advisory Services, Business Management Microsoft Malaysia (TBC) Plug and Play Malaysia (TBC)
11:30 - 12:30	Lunch
12:30 - 12:45	Keynote 2: Transformative Pathways for Building Resilience in Sustainable Tourism Dirk Glaesser, Director, Sustainable Development of Tourism
12:45 - 13:30	Panel Discussion: Pathways to Resilience: Strategic Routes to Sustainable Tourism Moderator: Dirk Glaesser, Director, Sustainable Development of Tourism Panelists: William Rodríguez López, Minister of Tourism, Costa Rica. Chair, Committee on Tourism and Sustainability, UN Tourism (TBC) Tonci Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Republic of Croatia Co-Chair, Committee on Tourism and Sustainability, UN Tourism (TBC) Director – UN Tourism Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific, Nara, Japan (TBC) Harald Pechlaner, Professor and Head, Center for Advanced Studies, EURAC Research, Italy. Scientific Coordinator, INSTO South Tyrol Rural Observatory (TBC) Glenn Mandziuk, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (WSHA), United Kingdom (TBC) Sérgio Guerreiro, Senior Director, Knowledge Management and Innovation, Turismo de Portugal, Chair, Tourism Committee, OECD (TBC)
13:30 - 13: 45	WTD Handover Ceremony
13:45 - 14:00	Closing Ceremony
19:00 - 21:00	Visit Malaysia 2026 Dinner Co-hosted by Tourism Malaysia & the state of Melaka^*

^{* (by invitation only)}

Sunday, 28 September 2025 \| World Tourism Conference (Venue: Level 13, Grand Ballroom DoubleTree by Hilton, Melaka)
09:00 – 09:15	Opening Remarks: Chief Minister of Melaka
09:15 – 10:00	SESSION 1 Keynote Address
10:00 – 10:15	Coffee Break
10:15 – 11:00	Panel Discussion 1
11:00 – 11:30	SESSION 2 Keynote Address
11:30 – 12:30	Panel Discussion 2
12:30 – 14:30	Lunch / Break
15:00 – 15:30	SESSION 3 Keynote Address
15:30 – 15:45	Coffee Break
15:45 – 16:45	Panel Discussion 3
16:45 – 17:00	Closing Ceremony Closing Remarks, Malaysia Closing Remarks, UN Tourism
20:00 – 22:00	Hosted Dinner (TBC)^*

^{* (by invitation only)}

Monday, 29 September 2025
09:00 – 10:00	ASEAN Tourism Minister’s Summit Roundtable Discussion
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee Break
10:30	Assemble^*
11:30 – 18:00	Technical Tour/s^*

^{*(registered international participants only)}

Related Events