Zagreb is about to become the center of the travel world's most pressing conversation. From October 5 to 7, 2026, the Croatian capital will welcome the 10th edition of the TOURISM 365 Conference, drawing tourism professionals from more than 30 countries. This is not your typical industry gathering. It is a place where the people who shape how we travel, from airline executives to social media influencers, sit down to figure out what comes next.

The theme for this milestone edition is 'The Next Decade of Year-Round, Sustainable and High-Value Tourism.' That is a mouthful, but the questions underneath are simple. How do destinations get discovered in an age of endless scrolling? What makes a place worth the trip when everyone has seen the same Instagram reel? And how can tourism actually benefit the communities that host it, rather than just the platforms that sell it?

One of the big topics on the table is influence. Who really decides where you go on vacation? Is it the algorithm on your favorite app, the review from a stranger on a forum, or the feature in a glossy magazine? The conference will bring together experts to unpack these forces, including Simon Calder, the British travel journalist known for his sharp commentary, and Rajan Datar, a BBC presenter with a knack for storytelling. They will be joined by executives from Expedia, Rome2Rio, and Signature Travel Network, all of whom have a front-row seat to how travel decisions are made.

Another thread running through the program is the infrastructure behind high-value tourism. That means energy, digitalization, and smarter resource management. It is a reminder that a great trip depends on more than just a pretty beach or a historic old town. It depends on whether the lights stay on, the Wi-Fi works, and the water is clean. The conference will explore how destinations can build for the long term, not just for the next peak season.

For the first time in its decade-long history, TOURISM 365 will also host the T365 Excellence Awards. These international professional awards celebrate people, places, and projects that show how tourism can create real value for local communities and travelers alike. Applications have already poured in from 12 countries, and the winners will be announced during a special ceremony on October 6 in Zagreb. It is a chance to see what good tourism looks like in practice, not just in theory.

The event is not all talk. The T365 B2B Marketplace, organized with London-based New Deal Europe, will connect destinations, hotels, and tour operators with carefully selected international buyers and travel advisors. That is where the deals get done, the partnerships form, and the next big travel trends start to take shape. If you are in the industry, this is where you want to be.

Zagreb itself is a fitting host. The city has quietly become one of Europe's most intriguing capitals, with a vibrant café culture, a medieval upper town, and a food scene that punches well above its weight. It is also a gateway to the Adriatic coast, which means attendees can easily extend their stay and see why Croatia has become a favorite for travelers seeking both culture and sea. For those who cannot make it in person, the conference will be streamed online for free, so the conversation can reach a global audience.

As tourism continues to evolve at breakneck speed, events like this matter more than ever. The industry is facing big questions about sustainability, overtourism, and the role of technology. The answers will not come from any single person or company. They will come from conversations, from the clash of ideas, and from the willingness to ask uncomfortable questions. That is exactly what TOURISM 365 aims to provide.

If you are curious about where travel is headed, keep an eye on Zagreb this October. The future of tourism might just be decided there. And if you want to see how other destinations are rewriting their own stories, check out how Uzbekistan is rewriting the Silk Road story or how Malaysia is quietly becoming Southeast Asia's tourism heavyweight. The world is full of places that are thinking differently about travel, and Zagreb is one of them.