In this episode of Balancing Tourism, host Ged Brown moderates a panel at the CAPA Airline Leaders Forum in Athens on one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: overtourism.

Ahead of the forthcoming Tourism Seasonality Summit and with international arrivals surging past pre‑pandemic levels, destinations across Europe and beyond are facing grassroots protests, new regulations, and mounting pressure to rethink tourism flows. Airlines, often seen as enablers of mass travel, are now being asked: what role can they play in creating more sustainable, balanced tourism?

Panelists:

• Peter Glade, Chief Commercial Officer, TUI Airline

• Majid Khan, CEO, Saudi Air Connectivity Program

• Sascha Feuerherd, Senior Associate Partner, Aviado Partners

Key Themes:

• Why “overtourism” is really about mismanagement of tourism capacity

• How airlines can diversify routes and extend seasons to ease pressure on hotspots

• The impact of tourism taxes and regulations on demand and network planning

• Aligning aviation strategies with national tourism visions

• The importance of engaging local communities and stakeholders in shaping tourism futures

Takeaway: Airlines cannot solve overtourism alone, but they can be powerful partners in redistributing demand, supporting sustainable destination strategies, and ensuring tourism remains in harmony with local communities.

The conversations will continue in Rimini at the forthcoming Tourism Seasonality Summit no doubt.