Welcome to your strategic calendar for brands, founders, and industry leaders
In luxury travel and travel technology, being present matters — but being present in the right rooms matters more.
Each year, a relatively small number of global events quietly shape narratives, partnerships, and commercial momentum across travel, hospitality, destinations, media, and travel tech. Some events are bold and not to be missed affairs, while others are more on the discreet, invitation-only, and relationship-driven site.
Below is a curated calendar by Luminar Collective team of the industry moments worth noting. These are the ones to consider attending and building relationships, strategic alignment, storytelling, and brand positioning.
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
Davos, Switzerland | 19-23 January 2026
Not a travel event, yet Luminar Collective have always recognised it as deeply influential for the travel and tourism sector.
Davos sets the tone for global economic, political, and sustainability conversations — many of which directly impact aviation, mobility, hospitality investment, and destination strategy.
Why it matters
- Strong presence from airline CEOs, hotel groups, sovereign wealth funds, and policymakers
- Increasing focus on climate responsibility, infrastructure, and regenerative tourism
- Shapes narratives long before they reach trade shows
Best for
Global brands, destination leadership, investors, policy-adjacent travel organisations.
Forbes Travel Guide Summit
Monte Carlo, Monaco | 24-27 February 2026
An invitation-only gathering of luxury hospitality leaders, owners, and innovators.
This is not a trade show — it’s a leadership and perception-shaping forum.
Why it matters
- Ultra-luxury hotel groups and owners in one room
- Focus on service excellence, leadership, and innovation
- Powerful for brand positioning at the highest level
Best for
Founders, owners, GMs, and senior brand leaders.
ITB Berlin
Berlin, Germany, 3–5 March 2026
Arguably the largest and most commercially significant travel trade show in the world.
Why it matters:
- Serious deal-making environment
- Strong presence from destinations, airlines, travel tech, and hospitality
- Less “showy” than ILTM, more operational and strategic
Virtuoso Travel Week
Las Vegas, 8–14 August 2026
One of the most commercially influential events in luxury travel, bringing together Virtuoso advisors, preferred partners, hotels, cruise lines, and destinations.
Why it matters:
- Access to the world’s most powerful luxury travel advisors
- Relationship-driven deal-making at scale
- A bellwether for luxury travel demand and traveller behaviour
PURE Life Experiences
Marrakech, Morocco, 7-10 September 2026
PURE is deliberately intimate, selective, and experience-led — favouring depth over volume.
Why it matters:
- Exceptional for experiential, adventure, and transformational travel brands
- High-quality media, DMCs, and travel designers
- A strong environment for meaningful storytelling and long-term partnerships
Skift Global Forum
New York, USA, 22-24 September 2026
A thought-leadership-heavy event focused on trends, disruption, and future strategy rather than selling.
Best for:
Founders, CEOs, CMOs, travel tech leaders, and investors.
Independent Hotel Show
London, UK, 5-6 October 2026
A key moment for boutique hotels, designers, and independent hospitality brands.
Why it matters:
- Strong crossover between hospitality, design, architecture, and branding
- Excellent for identifying emerging trends in guest experience and operations
- Valuable networking with owners and senior decision-makers
World Travel Market London
London, UK, 3-5 November 2026
WTM is where the global travel industry converges — destinations, airlines, tech platforms, media, and hospitality under one roof.
Why it matters:
- Unmatched scale and international reach
- Ideal for brand visibility, partnerships, and media engagement
- A key moment for announcements, launches, and future planning
HIX Event
London, UK, 25–26 November 2026
Where hotel design, experience, and storytelling intersect.
Why it matters:
- Strong focus on interiors, placemaking, and sensory experience
- A natural fit for luxury hospitality brands with a design-led narrative
APL Travel Media Awards
London, UK, November 2026
A celebration of excellence in travel media, journalism, and storytelling.
Why it matters:
- An opportunity to strengthen relationships with editors and journalists
- Insight into evolving media standards and narratives
ILTM Cannes
Cannes, France, 30 November-3 December 2026
The most prestigious and commercially powerful luxury travel trade show globally.
Why it matters:
- One-to-one appointments with top-tier buyers
- Where serious luxury travel business gets done
- Essential for brands targeting UHNW and high-end travel designers
Travolution Innovation Summit
London, UK
A focused summit for senior leaders in travel technology, distribution, and digital innovation.
Why it matters:
- Sharp insight into travel tech, retailing, and innovation
- High-calibre, senior-level audience
- Particularly valuable for founders, CEOs, and product leaders
A strategic note on attendance
Lets be honest, even with the biggest budgets and vast teams not every brand needs to be everywhere. So be strategic about where you want to spend your time and money.
The most effective luxury travel and travel tech brands:
- Choose 2–4 anchor events to meet your core audience and goals for the next 1-5 years
- Build narrative arcs around them (launches, announcements, press activity)
- Treat events as relationship accelerators, not box-ticking exercises
When approached strategically, the right events are here to shape perception, partnerships, and growth. Here’s to a year full of opportunities and prosperity.
P.S. this is not a fully exhaustive list. If you would like to get an expert view on which event to invest get in touch with the team on hello@luminarcollective.com.
