The OECD has published its latest report, Tourism Trends and Policies 2026, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of tourism and the key trends shaping the future of the sector.
According to the report, international tourism has rebounded strongly following the pandemic, with several countries already surpassing their pre-pandemic records. This recovery has been driven by the resurgence of international travel, pent-up travel demand, as well as advances in digitalisation and innovation.
At the same time, the report highlights several major challenges that continue to affect the tourism sector, including:
- inflation and rising operating costs,
- labour shortages,
- geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
The OECD identifies the following as key drivers of the sector's long-term competitiveness:
- accelerating digitalisation and data-driven decision-making,
- promoting sustainable development,
- strengthening workforce skills,
- fostering cross-sector collaboration and actively engaging local communities.
The report also presents a range of international best practices, demonstrating how policy measures can help build a more resilient, sustainable and competitive tourism sector.
The full report is available here.