Australia will host the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit 2026 on the Gold Coast, bringing global tourism leaders together to advance sustainability, regeneration, and responsible destination management.
Australia has been confirmed as the host country for the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit 2026, with the event scheduled for 2 to 5 June 2026. Supported by Summit Partner Tourism Australia and proudly hosted by the City of Gold Coast, the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit will run in line with World Environment Day. The summit will bring together tourism leaders, policymakers, destination managers, and industry stakeholders from around the world to address the future of sustainable and regenerative tourism.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Summit is recognised as one of the leading international platforms for advancing sustainability in tourism. The event focuses on practical solutions, policy alignment, certification standards, and innovation that support long-term environmental protection, community wellbeing, and economic resilience in tourism destinations.
The 2026 edition will place particular emphasis on the role of destinations in balancing growth with responsibility, highlighting themes such as climate action, nature-positive tourism, indigenous and community engagement, sustainable investment, and the transition from sustainability to regeneration.
The summit builds on the legacy of previous editions, which have been held in destinations with a firm commitment to sustainable tourism development. The 2025 Global Sustainable Tourism Summit was held in Stockholm, Sweden, where discussions centred on climate resilience, biodiversity protection, sustainable urban tourism, and the integration of global sustainability standards into destination governance and tourism operations.
Over the years, the summit has evolved into a key meeting point for governments, tourism boards, hotel groups, tour operators, certification bodies, and technology providers, serving as a forum for knowledge exchange, case studies, and cross-sector collaboration.
Hosting the summit in Australia reflects the country’s growing focus on sustainable tourism practices and its ambition to position tourism as a contributor to environmental conservation and regional development. The event is expected to generate international visibility for Australia’s tourism sector while supporting knowledge transfer across Asia-Pacific and global markets.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Summit 2026 will feature keynote sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities to support destinations and tourism businesses in implementing measurable, credible sustainability strategies.