– **History**:
– Formed in the 1980s by business executives led by former American Express CEO James D. Robinson III.
– First meeting held in Paris in 1989 with a speech by former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
– Officially established in 1990.
– First annual general meeting in Washington, D.C., in 1991 with 32 members.
– Expanded activities in the 1990s to include education, air transport liberalization, and sustainable development.
– **Organisation and Membership**:
– Headquartered in London.
– Led by the president and CEO with seven directors heading different sections.
– Members are chief executives, presidents, or chairs of companies in the travel and tourism industry.
– Two membership types: global members and regional members.
– Includes a category for companies providing services to the industry.
– **Current and Past Presidents**:
– 1990–2001: Geoffrey Lipman.
– 2001–2010: Jean-Claude Baumgarten.
– 2010–2017: David P. Scowsill.
– 2017–2021: Gloria Guevara Manzo.
– 2021–present: Julia Simpson.
– **Activities**:
– Conducts research with Oxford Economics on the economic and social impact of the industry.
– Produces annual Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Reports globally and regionally.
– Provides forecasts for economic impacts.
– Supplies data for publications like Forbes and Bloomberg News.
– Contributes to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum.
– **Summits and Awards**:
– Organizes global summits annually with up to 1,000 attendees.
– Summit attendance by invitation only.
– Established the World Travel Awards in 1993.
– Took over the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in 2004 to recognize sustainable tourism.
– Recognizes developments in sustainable tourism through various award categories.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a forum for the travel and tourism industry. It is made up of members from the global business community and works with governments to raise awareness about the travel and tourism industry. It is known for being the only forum to represent the private sector in all parts of the industry worldwide. Its activities include research on the economic and social impact of the industry and its organisation of global and regional summits focused on issues and developments relevant to the industry.
 | |
| Company type | Non-profit, non-governmental |
|---|---|
| Industry | Travel and tourism |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Key people | Arnold Donald, Chairman, Julia Simpson, President, CEO |
| Website | www |