The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) confirmed that Dubai, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have each shown strong and proactive interest in hosting the organisation’s new office location. Their engagement underscores the strategic value these destinations place on closer collaboration with WTTC and the high regard governments and private-sector leaders hold for the organisation’s global role.
A new location would provide WTTC with many benefits while complementing its global operations and crucially provide greater mobility for staff and visiting delegations. Such a location would reduce costs, attract global talent, and enhance WTTC’s ability to respond quickly to sector developments while strengthening partnerships across established and emerging markets worldwide.
Over recent weeks, the five countries (six cities) have outlined the major benefits of hosting a WTTC office, highlighting opportunities to drive sustainable growth, create even stronger global advocacy and reinforce WTTC’s leadership in the international travel and tourism industry. Reduced costs will help WTTC to focus on passing greater benefits through to members worldwide.
The cities now being considered are: Barcelona, Dubai, Geneva, Madrid, Milan and Paris.
The respective governments have presented high-level incentives to support WTTC’s establishment of a new office, including favourable business conditions, fiscal benefits, streamlined administrative frameworks, access to a global talent pool and fast-track visa arrangements. Together, these incentives demonstrate each country’s readiness to host WTTC for the benefit of members and the wider industry.
WTTC is now conducting a structured assessment process, with all five countries actively considered. A final decision by the Operating Committee on the preferred location will be announced in the coming weeks.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC Interim CEO & President, said:
“We are highly encouraged by the strong interest shown by these countries in hosting WTTC and making it a global success. Their engagement and the incentives they have outlined reflect the value they place on collaborating with WTTC, and I’d like to thank those governments for their strong support. A new office will generate operational efficiencies, thanks to favourable business conditions and location advantages and these savings will allow us to deliver greater value to our members worldwide.”
Manfredi Lefebvre, WTTC Chairman, added: “Our global network will be enhanced by the new office location and its attractiveness to global talent. This office will serve as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development, strengthening the private sector’s leading role in the travel & tourism sector around the world.”
WTTC will provide further updates as the evaluation process progresses.
