WiT Phocuswright Middle East has been relocated from Dubai to Barcelona and rescheduled to June 15, one day before Phocuswright Europe, after disruption to the region’s travel sector forced a change of plans.
The 2026 edition will carry the theme “The Next 20: Game On — When The Ground Shifts,” addressing the sudden reversal in the Middle East’s trajectory as one of travel’s fastest-growing markets, fuelled until early this year by aviation expansion, capital investment, destination ambition and accelerated digital adoption.
Up until February 2026, the Middle East stood as one of travel’s most dynamic growth engines. Then almost overnight, the ground shifted, raising new questions across the industry about what has truly changed and what remains fundamentally intact.
Originally launched by WiT in Dubai in 2014, the Middle East conference entered a new chapter in 2024 as a co-branded event with Phocuswright, blending Phocuswright’s industry research with WiT market insights in digital travel, focusing on technology, innovation, distribution and marketing trends shaping the region.
The co-branded one-day conference is designed as a meeting point for Phocuswright’s market intelligence and WiT’s digital travel insights, examining how technology, innovation and new distribution and marketing models are reshaping travel in the Middle East.
Phocuswright’s 2024 Middle East Travel Market Report projected 40% growth in the region’s travel sector by 2027, with bookings anticipated to surge from $91bn in 2023 to over $127bn, underscoring the stakes involved in any regional disruption.
Pete Comeau, managing director of Phocuswright, has previously noted the market’s transformation from one where online penetration was less than 20% in 2012 to a market where over half of sales were expected to be processed online by 2026. — Web in Travel, February 1, 2024
The programme includes sessions on next-generation tours and activities in the region, corporate travel disruption, innovation startups and a Global Startup Pitch, with winners to be decided at Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona on June 16 and 17.