Al-Rihla newspaper

World Tourism Day is no longer an occasion for celebration, but rather a space for thinking about the future of travel. The 2026 celebration comes under the slogan “The Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” to demonstrate the ability of technology to make the trip easier, open small cities to visitors, and reduce congestion, without tourism losing its human spirit.

El Salvador prepares the stage

San Salvador will host the official celebration on September 27 inside the Hilton San Salvador hotel, in the presence of officials, experts and representatives from the travel and technology sectors. The Ministry of Tourism is working to receive delegations and organize their movement between the airport, hotels and the event site from September 25 to 28, while September 11 has been set as the deadline for registration. The agenda includes investment forums and conferences on the future of digital tourism. Morena Valdes, Minister of Tourism, says that the program focuses on “integrating artificial intelligence into tourism and a family-friendly tourism strategy.”

Celebrations turn into actions
In parallel, Delhi is hosting an event on September 26, bringing together a thousand professionals, including more than 100 hosted buyers. It focuses on partnerships, marketing destinations, and linking the sector to new markets. It is a parallel event and not the official celebration.

An influential Arab presence

In Riyadh, the Arab debate began. Artificial intelligence and innovation have topped the sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations Tourism Organization in 2025, and the “Riyadh Declaration” called for measuring countries’ readiness, protecting data, and developing workers’ skills.

In the Emirates, the transformation appears in the details of the trip: smart visas, tourist platforms, connected transportation, and digital hotel registration. The Emirates News Agency indicates that 39% of hospitality operators use chatbots or virtual assistants.

As for Egypt, it expanded its tourism presence by hosting the Global Leaders Trip of the World Travel and Tourism Council in May 2026 through the Suez Canal, in an event that combined marine tourism, history and investment.

The real test of new tourism
For Arab tourists, this future could mean digital services in Arabic, easier family trip planning, simultaneous translation, and more accurate information about crowding, weather, and transportation.
But the real test will not be in the number of applications, but rather in their ability to make the trip more comfortable, while leaving room for the person, place and memory. Travel is not measured only by the speed of arrival, but by what it leaves in the heart after returning.