In recent years, the tourism industry and destination marketing have undergone significant change, driven in part by evolving visitor expectations. According to a 2025 Booking.com survey, for the first time in a decade, more than half of travellers (53%) report being aware of tourism’s impact on the environment and local communities.
Drawing on previous conferences on sustainable tourism, this session will provide an overview of the latest trends shaping travel across Europe and examine what the future may hold for tourism and its implications for major cultural venues.
We will begin by exploring current dynamics: where visitors are travelling, how their behaviours are shifting, and what these developments mean for the tourism sector as a whole - while considering how museums are adapting to these new patterns.
Drawing on insights from the EU 2025 Strategic Foresight Report on European Tourism, the panel will then turn to the longer-term outlook for tourism in Europe.
How might interest in Europe’s culture and heritage evolve? What structural changes should destinations and their flagship cultural institutions anticipate?
