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Tourism Seasonality Summit 2026
Rimini, Italy • Palacongressi Rimini
• 17 – 18 May 2026
Summit Agenda
Sunday, 17 May 2026
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Opening Remarks
Setting the tone for the summit by linking Rimini’s unique positioning and the momentum from Routes Europe with the broader need for pan-European collaboration on tourism seasonality.
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Keynote Address: High Season is Not the Problem: Why We Need to Rethink Tourism Demand
Alessandra Priante, President, Italian Government Tourist Board (ENIT SpA), Italy
We explore how seasonality fits into Europe’s post-pandemic tourism evolution, highlighting challenges and new opportunities for building a more resilient, balanced visitor economy.
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Panel Discussion: Year-Round Cruising: Building Sustainable, Extended Seasons
Cruise deployment patterns are evolving, and more regions are exploring the potential of extending operations beyond traditional peak months. While year-round cruising offers economic opportunity, it requires alignment between cruise lines, ports and destinations to ensure operational readiness, compelling guest experiences and sustainable visitor flows. This panel presented in collaboration with Seatrade Cruise brings together representative from CLIA, leading cruise lines and destination perspectives to examine what it takes to support extended seasons, from infrastructure and airlift to product development and collaborative marketing. With destinations around the world seeking to address seasonality challenges, how can stakeholders work together to create viable, balanced and long-term year-round cruise strategies?
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Networking Break
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Panel Discussion: Rebalancing Demand - How destinations and industry are redesigning the seasonal year
A fast, insight-driven conversation exploring how destinations and industry players are reshaping the traditional seasonal calendar. The panel examines the forces shifting demand; climate, airlift, consumer behaviour, and destination identity, and highlights the practical actions destinations can take to influence their seasonal curve rather than react to it.
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Innovation Keynote: Harnessing AI for Smarter Seasonality Planning
Emilio José Inés Villar, Head of International Tourism, The Data Appeal Company
Demonstrates how artificial intelligence can power demand forecasting, product development, and marketing to better balance tourism flows across the calendar.
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Networking Lunch
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Panel: Seasonality in the Skies: How Airlines Plan, Adapt, and Find Opportunity
Airlines face sharp seasonal swings that shape everything from route viability to fleet deployment. This session explores how network planners assess the impact of seasonality, the strategies they use to adapt, and where future opportunities may lie.
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Panel Discussion: Beyond Summer - Crafting Low Season Experiences
Our panel of experts share proven strategies to package and promote off-season travel, from wellness retreats and winter festivals to nature-based and cultural immersion experiences.
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Panel Discussion: Seasonality Meets Sustainability - Building Climate Resilience
Our panel discusses how climate change is shifting tourism patterns, and how destinations can build seasonal flexibility into their climate adaptation and sustainability planning.
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In an era where AI scales faster and thinks quicker, the question isn't just what machines can do, but what we as humans and organisations still uniquely bring to the table. How can we harness AI’s 100x power without losing our human touch? What truly sets us apart from machines, and how do we build organizations that SCALE without losing SOUL? Technology moves business, Soul moves people. The future truly belongs to those who understand and play with both. Will you be one of them?
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Routes Europe 2026 Welcome Reception
Delegates join the airlines and airports from Routes Europe to be welcomed officially to Rimini for an informal evening highlighting how culture, heritage, gastronomy, and atmosphere can be part of a year-round tourism narrative. Find out more.
A dedicated transfer from the event venue will take place at 5pm.
Monday, 18 May 2026
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Welcome Back - Day 2 Objectives
We outline the goal of transitioning from strategic dialogue to hands-on innovation and co-creation of actionable solutions.
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Innovation Lab: Pitching the Future of Seasonality
Startups pitch solutions tackling real-world seasonality problems, from dynamic pricing and weather-resilient experiences to demand prediction and regional dispersal tools.
09:10 - 09:30
Tarek Habib, Murmuration
09:30 - 09:50
Richard Lindberg, One Planet Journey
09:50 - 10:10
Emma Valahu, Inbox Journeys
10:10 - 10:30
Saverio Bertolucci, VDB Luxury Properties
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Generation 365: Who Really Owns the Future of Tourism?
Young travellers and young professionals are already reshaping how, when and why we travel. Their flexibility, values and digital habits naturally support year-round tourism, yet their perspectives are rarely integrated into destination strategy. This session explores how youth can become genuine co-creators of 365-day tourism models and what destinations must change to harness this shift.
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Networking Break
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Interactive Workshop B: Ending the Blame Game – Co-Creating New Seasonal Business
Main Stage
What happens when airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and tourism boards stop talking about each other – and start talking with each other?
In this workshop, we dive into the friction zones of the off-season and turn blame into bold ideas. It’s about shared visions, honest conversations, and new alliances that go beyond business as usual. If you’re ready to shift perspectives and explore what’s really possible together – this is your space.
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This session supports DMO and tourism authority teams in crafting tailored strategies to extend seasons, drawing on data, case studies, and co-design frameworks.
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Networking Lunch
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Collaborative Workshop Wrap-up: Seasonality Action Manifesto
Synthesizes workshop outputs into a practical action framework, this manifesto will guide attendees’ future work and represent the summit’s collective commitment.
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Summary of the key takeaways, recognising contributors, and setting the direction for follow-ups, including potential collaborations, toolkits, and a roadmap for 2027.
* Please note like all events, the programme is subject to change.
Speakers
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Rajan Datar
Broadcaster, BBC -
Tita Butić
Hospitality and Tourism Management Student, RIT Croatia -
Miguel Ángel Perez
Vice Deputy Director, Visit Valencia Foundation -
Martyn Griffiths
Director Government Affairs, Cruise Lines International Association -
Alessandro Santi
Italy Ambassador and Owner/Micro Santi Ship Agent , Welcome Ashore -
Marjan Gostič
Director of Contracting– Europe, Collette