WFGT Conference 2026: In Pursuit of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur

Setembro 19, 2026

For five days this September, Kuala Lumpur became the meeting place for the world’s great towers.

From 14 to 18 September 2026, more than 70 delegates from over 16 countries gathered in Malaysia for the Federação Mundial das Grandes Torres Annual Members Conference, hosted by the iconic Torres gémeas PETRONAS.

Under the theme “In Pursuit of Excellence,” the WFGT Conference 2026 brought together the people behind some of the world’s most recognized towers and landmark attractions, alongside tourism leaders and industry experts, for a week of conversation, collaboration, knowledge sharing and discovery.

But the conference was about more than towers! It was about people, new experiences and new ideas. It was about the destinations our landmarks represent, the visitors who come to experience them, and the shared responsibility of ensuring that the world’s great landmarks continue to inspire generations to come.

A global community meets in Kuala Lumpur

We are the Federação Mundial das Grandes Torres, a non-profit international association founded in 1989. Today, the WFGT brings together more than 50 iconic towers in 25 countries, with our member towers collectively welcoming more than 45 million visitors each year.

The annual conference is one of WFGT’s most important opportunities for members to come together. Here, we collectively exchange best practices, share operational experiences and consider the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of landmark tourism.

This year, the WFGT Conference took place in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is home to three WFGT member towers, including the Torres gémeas PETRONAS, one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks and a worldwide known symbol of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia.

As our Executive Director, Jean-Yves Ghazi, highlighted during the conference that Kuala Lumpur provided an inspiring setting for conversations about the future of tourism, visitor engagement and destination development. And the week demonstrated exactly why!

The week begins with a view to remember

Before the official opening of the conference, delegates gathered for a Welcome Reception at Sky Garden, Menara Permata Sapura, with the PETRONAS Twin Towers rising behind them against the Kuala Lumpur skyline. It was a fitting way to begin a week centered on connection.

For many delegates, it was a first opportunity to meet colleagues from around the world. For others, it was a chance to reconnect with familiar faces and continue conversations that had begun at previous WFGT gatherings.

The evening combined Malaysian hospitality with cultural performances and a spectacular light display illuminating the PETRONAS Twin Towers. Against that backdrop, conversation flowed easily. A phenomenal start to the week!

Officially opening the WFGT Conference 2026

On 15 September, the WFGT Conference 2026 officially opened at the Torres gémeas PETRONAS.

The Opening Ceremony brought together more than 70 delegates from over 16 countries, including representatives of more than 25 landmark towers, tourism leaders and industry experts.

The ceremony was officiated by YB Datuk Lo Su Fui, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), alongside Datuk Sr. Mohd Salem Kailany, Group Chief Executive Officer of KLCC (Holdings) Sdn Bhd, and Jean-Yves Ghazi, Executive Director of the World Federation Of Great Towers.

The opening provided an opportunity to reflect on the distinctive role played by iconic landmarks. They are symbols of cities and countries, and play a vital role in introducing international visitors to places, cultures and experiences, while contributing to the wider tourism economy.

Speaking at the WFGT conference 2026 opening, Datuk Lo Su Fui highlighted the role of landmarks such as the PETRONAS Twin Towers as ambassadors for Malaysia, showcasing the country’s culture and its commitment to excellence.

For Malaysia, the WFGT conference 2026 also aligned closely with the aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026–2027. It offered an opportunity not only to welcome tourism leaders from around the world, but also to showcase Malaysia as a destination for international events, collaboration and innovation.

In Pursuit of Excellence

The theme of WFGT conference 2026, “In Pursuit of Excellence,” was the thread running through the conversations of the week.

Across the program, delegates explored the changing expectations of visitors and the many ways iconic attractions can continue to evolve.

Discussions ranged from visitor engagement and commercial sustainability to technological innovation and operational excellence, reflecting the increasingly complex landscape in which landmark attractions operate.

Visitors today are looking for experiences that are immersive, meaningful and memorable. Technology is opening up new possibilities for attractions, while sustainability and commercial resilience are becoming ever more important. At the same time, the world’s great landmarks face a familiar challenge: how to remain relevant and engaging for new generations of visitors. These are shared challenges. And that is why we are so grateful for our valuable global community.

Every tower operates within its own city, country and cultural context. Yet an idea that works in one destination may spark something entirely new in another. A solution to a visitor experience challenge in one part of the world may offer inspiration somewhere else.

The WFGT conference 2026 created space for members to ask questions, share successes, discuss challenges and, perhaps most importantly, learn from one another!

Experiencing Kuala Lumpur from above

The WFGT conference 2026 also gave delegates the opportunity to experience Kuala Lumpur beyond the conference room, and to see the city through the eyes of some of its most distinctive landmarks.

On 15 September, we visited the Torre de Kuala Lumpur, another Malaysian member of WFGT!

The evening included a warm welcome, panoramic views, an engaging blind box activity, visits to the Sky Terrace and Merdeka Glass Box, and a networking dinner at ORBIT Revolving Dining.

With its constantly changing 360-degree views across Kuala Lumpur, the evening offered another perspective on the city and demonstrated the importance of collaboration between landmark attractions.

The evening was complemented by a journey aboard the KL Hop-On Hop-Off bus, generously supported by Elang Wah Sdn Bhd.

Together, these experiences allowed delegates to see how attractions, transport partners and tourism operators can work together to create a broader and more connected visitor journey.

From Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan

The WFGT conference 2026 experience continued beyond the capital! Our journey took us to Kuantan 188, another WFGT member tower, where we were given the opportunity to discover a different side of Malaysia.

For the Kuantan 188, the visit was also an important moment.

The delegation’s first visit to the tower provided an opportunity to showcase Kuantan as a tourism destination and demonstrate how membership of WFGT can create connections between towers, cities and tourism communities around the world.

Delegates experienced the tower after dark, taking in beautiful nighttime views of Kuantan from the open-air deck while enjoying local cultural performances including dance, silat and music.

The visit also extended beyond the tower itself, with delegates experiencing local attractions and Malaysian culture.

Reaching new heights at the Kuantan 188

For three WFGT delegates, the Kuantan 188 experience went quite literally higher!

Representatives from OVNI Bratislava e Torre Latino México took part in an Antenna Climb at Kuantan 188.

Daniel Cecetka from OVNI Bratislava, together with Miguel Amerlink and Mariana Ferruzca from Torre Latino México, took on the climb and experienced the tower from a perspective few visitors ever see!

Looking towards the future

As the week came to a close, the conversations did not end. If anything, the WFGT conference 2026 provided the starting point for new ideas, new collaborations and new ways of thinking about the future of landmark tourism.

The challenges facing our industry will continue to evolve.

Technology will change the ways visitors discover and experience destinations. Expectations will continue to shift. Sustainability and commercial resilience will remain important considerations. And iconic landmarks will continue to look for ways to remain relevant to new generations while protecting the qualities that make them distinctive.

No single tower can answer all of these questions alone. But a global community can help. By sharing experiences, exchanging ideas and being open about both successes and challenges, WFGT members can learn from one another and continue to raise the standards of our industry.

That is the value of belonging to a global network. We may operate in different cities and cultures, but we are all part of the same conversation about what comes next.

Thank you, Kuala Lumpur

As WFGT Conference 2026 comes to a close, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who made this year’s conference possible.

To our host, PETRONAS Twin Towers Sky Xperience, and the teams at Petrosains Sdn Bhd, thank you for the extraordinary welcome and for the tremendous work that went into bringing our global tower community together in Kuala Lumpur.

To the Torre de Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan 188 e Elang Wah Sdn Bhd, thank you for opening your doors and giving our members the opportunity to experience more of Malaysia.

To all of our speakers, partners, contributors and the many people working behind the scenes, thank you for your support and for helping make the week such a memorable one.

And, most importantly, to every WFGT member and delegate who travelled to Kuala Lumpur, thank you for bringing your experience, ideas, curiosity and enthusiasm. It is your willingness to share, to listen and to learn from one another that makes WFGT what it is!

Thank you, Kuala Lumpur. 🇲🇾

Federação Mundial das Grandes Torres

A WFGT foi fundada em 1989 como uma organização sem fins lucrativos e apresenta as grandes torres do mundo, que se tornaram símbolos das suas cidades.