Workforce shortages. Investment gaps. Climate shocks. Cities pushing back. The forces reshaping tourism are structural, not seasonal. What separates the leaders of the next decade will be a simple discipline: growing without consuming what you grow in.

Bold business leadership and ecosystem collaboration are how we get answers fast enough to matter.

The pressures we’re here to address

We are looking for initiatives that tackle at least one of the following sector tension points:

Risk of global disruptions. Initiatives that build resilience against geopolitical instability, economic volatility, and climate shocks, protecting destinations and economies from systemic disruption

Friction between visitors and residents. Initiatives that ease tensions between visitors and local communities by fostering more equitable tourism flows, participatory planning, and benefits that are genuinely shared

Pressure on nature. Initiatives that reduce tourism’s environmental footprint by safeguarding ecosystems, cutting emissions, and driving down resource use and waste across the sector

Talent and skills shortage. Initiatives that grow and sustain a skilled tourism workforce, creating pathways that attract new talent, develop existing workers, and keep people in the industry

Limited local capacity and SME readiness. Initiatives that equip local businesses and communities with the tools, skills, and financing they need to meaningfully participate in and benefit from tourism growth

Infrastructure and investment gaps. Initiatives that lay the groundwork for sustainable tourism infrastructure and mobilize the capital needed to keep pace with rapidly growing global demand

Pressure on culture and heritage. Initiatives that preserve the cultural fabric and heritage of destinations, ensuring the communities and traditions that make places distinctive are strengthened, not sidelined, by tourism

Five solution categories where real change shows up

Impact Star initiatives can sit in any of five domains, from frontline operations to investment models:

Technology and data

People and skills

Infrastructure and real estate

Finance and investment

Business models and governance

Why apply?

Recognition is only the beginning. Impact Stars get a platform, a peer group, and a working community to scale what they’ve already proven.

Global visibility. Winners will be featured at World Economic Forum events, in the media, and on digital channels, and in front of the leaders, investors, and policymakers who are shaping the future of the sector.

A network worth being in. Join a curated group of innovators, decision-makers, and experts across travel, tourism, and adjacent industries.

Knowledge that compounds. Workshops, site visits, and roundtables will be built around what's actually working. Share ideas, and scale the ones that fit.

Influence the conversation. Shape published case studies, contribute to industry insights, and help define what best practice looks like for the next decade.

Timeline

From application to announcement, here’s how the Beyond Tourism Impact Stars initiative is unfolding in 2026: