World Travel & Tourism Council

🌍 Today is #WorldTourismDay, a moment to recognise the social, cultural, political and economic value of Travel & Tourism. Our sector drives 10% of global GDP, supports livelihoods, connects cultures and brings nations closer together. ✈️ As the sector grows, AI and digital innovation are increasingly shaping which destinations travellers choose and the experiences they enjoy. Digital standards and biometrics are also making journeys safer and more seamless. 🤝 Together, the public and private sectors can shape a stronger future for Travel & Tourism. #TravelAndTourism #TravelTech #WTD26

Yesterday at Tourism Expo Japan in Tokyo, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), and the Tourism EXPO Japan Executive Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration between Japan's Travel & Tourism sector and the global industry, supporting Japan's long-term sustainable tourism development. Signed by WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara Manzo, JATA Chairman Yuji Hara, and Tourism EXPO Japan Executive Committee Chairperson Eijiro Yamakita, the MoU provides a framework for collaboration, innovation, knowledge exchange, and international engagement. Japan continues to demonstrate what is possible when Travel & Tourism is treated as a national priority and supported by strong public-private partnership. Today, it is the world's fifth-largest Travel & Tourism economy, with the sector growing four times faster than the wider economy. Driven by booming inbound tourism, Japan's international visitor spending reached a record US$63 billion in 2025, generating a Travel & Tourism trade surplus of US$39 billion - nearly triple the level recorded in 2019. Tourism Expo Japan has become one of the world's leading platforms for bringing together industry leaders, governments, and innovators to shape the future of Travel & Tourism. WTTC is proud to deepen our partnership through this MoU and remains committed to supporting Tourism Expo Japan as a global platform for dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, strengthening the connection between Japan and the international Travel & Tourism community. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePkuAr7P #WTTC #TravelAndTourism #TourismGrowth JTB Corp.

Tim Gray is coming to Valletta. The founder of the Health Optimisation Summit joins the WTTC Global Summit for a conversation on longevity in travel - how the pursuit of living better and longer is reshaping what people want from a destination, and what the sector builds for them. 📍Valletta, Malta · 7–9 October Learn more about the Global Summit, "FUTU[RE]SET": https://bit.ly/47dsr5t #GSMalta #WTTC

"The next chapter of tourism will be defined by collaboration at a scale we have never seen before." – Gloria Guevara Manzo, WTTC President & CEO Travel & Tourism continues to outpace the global economy. Last year, the sector's GDP grew 4%, compared with 2.8% for the global economy. In Saudi Arabia, growth reached 7%. At the announcement of the TOURISE 2027 Summit in Riyadh, Gloria pointed to four conditions behind this performance: a clear long-term vision, committed leadership, dedicated resources, and sustained public-private cooperation. Few destinations bring all four together. Over the past five years, Travel & Tourism has generated one in three new jobs worldwide. Maintaining that contribution will require deeper cooperation between governments and the private sector to address shared challenges and unlock long-term growth. We thank the Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb, for the invitation to take part in the announcement, and for World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to join the Summit's Advisory Board. We are happy to contribute to this important initiative. The Summit will convene public and private sector leaders from 23–25 March 2027 under the theme "Alliances That Move the World." #WTTC #TOURISE27 #FutureOfTravel

Our President & CEO Gloria Guevara Manzo delivered the keynote speech at UK House of Lords, at the Unlock Futures: Protecting Children in Travel, Leisure and Entertainment event hosted by Baroness Sandy Verma  Child protection has long been a priority for us. In 2019, during Gloria's first term as President & CEO, WTTC launched a Human Trafficking Task Force.  Yet the need for stronger, collective action remains critical  ECPAT's analysis of 162 countries found only two fully met its criteria for prosecuting child sexual exploitation offences. A new UNICEF report found nearly 1 in 5 adolescents across 21 countries experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year, yet less than 1% of cases were reported. Around 1.8 million children worldwide are victims of sexual exploitation. 'Legislation alone is not enough. Standards alone are not enough. And commitments alone are not enough. What will make the difference is what we do together.  And when it comes to children in travel and tourism, and we need to protect them as not only they are part of our future, it is our responsibility' -  Gloria Guevara Manzo, President & CEO, WTTC Gloria was joined by Desiree Bollier, Chair and Global Chief Merchant of The Bicester Collection (WTTC Member); Najat Maalla M'jid, UN SRSG on Violence Against Children; Guillaume Landry, Executive Director of ECPAT International; Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer of The Bicester Collection; Massimo B., Vice President Europe and Asia of The Palace Company (WTTC Member) Jane Lasonder, International Survivor Leader and Anti-Trafficking Consultant; Marc Leone Director, Tech Coalition.  Thank you to our Members who joined us at this gathering Audrey Hendley President of  American Express Travel; Ayhan Bektas, Chairman of Coral Travel Group; Hamish Keith CEO, EXO Travel; and Helen Jones , VP Privacy, Ethics and Compliance and Data Protection Officer of IHG Hotels & Resorts, among others. #UnlockFutures #DoGood #WTTC

🇲🇹 Malta recorded the largest annual increase in Travel & Tourism's total GDP contribution of any European economy in 2025. 📊 +16.8%, against a European average of 2.6%. Behind the figure sit two deliberate choices in Malta's national tourism strategy: value over volume, and year-round access over summer peaks. Airlines were brought in on off-season routes to make the second possible. International arrivals have risen from 2.75 million in 2019 to more than 4 million in 2025. Malta has emerged as a reference point for how destinations can balance strong tourism growth with quality, sustainability and year-round value creation. 📅 This October, the 26th WTTC Global Summit takes place in Valletta - in the capital of the economy currently outpacing the continent. #GSMalta #Malta #TravelAndTourism #EconomicImpact Malta Tourism Authority

Valletta, Malta, will host the 26th World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit on 7–9 October 2026, bringing together global leaders to shape tourism's future. As mayor of Valletta, I look forward to welcoming this important dialogue to our capital. Sustainable tourism must protect our heritage, support local businesses, and improve residents’ quality of life. This is an opportunity to build partnerships that turn innovation and sustainability into tangible benefits for our communities. ▶️ www.olafmckay.com #Valletta #Malta #WTTC #SustainableTourism World Travel & Tourism Council VisitMalta #tourism

We're excited to have Gloria Fluxà Thienemann join us in Valletta this October. As Vice-Chairman & Chief Sustainability Officer of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Gloria brings more than a decade of experience embedding purpose into the core of this global hospitality business -demonstrating how responsible tourism can strengthen business performance, build more resilient destinations and contribute to a thriving ocean economy. 📍 Valleta, Malta. 7-9 October #WTTC #GSMalta

🇺🇸 His Excellency, U.S. Ambassador Nick Adams is the first U.S. Tourism Minister - and the first Special Presidential Envoy for Tourism the United States has appointed. He joins the 26th WTTC Global Summit, bringing the voice of the world’s largest Travel & Tourism market to Valletta. Public-private collaboration sits at the centre of his work: unlocking investment, removing barriers to growth and strengthening the sector for the long term. 🗓️ 7–9 October 📍 Valletta, Malta FUTU[RE]SET: Shaping the Future of Travel & Tourism. https://bit.ly/4h0KjoJ #GSMalta #WTTC

🇪🇸 José María Aznar led Spain through a period of profound economic transformation as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2004. He joins the 26th WTTC Global Summit alongside more than 200 of the world's leading Travel & Tourism CEOs, senior executives and government leaders. His perspective speaks to Europe's competitiveness, global cooperation and the role of Travel & Tourism as a bridge between economies, cultures and people. 🗓️ 7–9 October 📍 Valletta, Malta https://bit.ly/4h0KjoJ #GSMalta #WTTC