The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is one of the most influential organisations in global travel, yet many people have never heard of it. This article explains what the WTTC is, who its members are and what it does.
What is the World Travel and Tourism Council?
Founded in 1990, the WTTC is a global forum for the travel and tourism industry. Made up of leaders from the private sector, the World Travel & Tourism Council works with governments around the world to raise awareness of the economic and social importance of the industry.
The WTTC is headquartered in London. It is a non-profit organisation that represents the private sector of the travel and tourism industry worldwide. Since 2021 it has been led by President and CEO Julia Simpson. It should not be confused with UN Tourism (formerly the UNWTO), the United Nations agency that represents governments rather than businesses.
Who is involved in the WTTC?
The WTTC’s members are the chairs, presidents and CEOs of around 200 leading travel and tourism businesses. They represent hotel groups, airlines, airports, cruise lines, tour operators, online travel agencies, car rental companies, technology providers and more – from well-known brands such as Hilton, Expedia Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to smaller specialist firms.
Membership gives access to the WTTC Global Summit and regional events, which provide networking opportunities throughout the year. Members also gain access to research, best-practice guidance and policy papers, and help to shape the organisation’s advocacy work with governments.
What does the World Travel & Tourism Council actually do?
Although it is not something most travellers think about, the WTTC does a great deal within the industry and has an indirect impact on everyday travel. By bringing businesses and governments together, sharing research and lobbying on policy, it helps to shape everything from visa rules and border technology to sustainability standards in hotels and airports.
Research
One of the WTTC’s main roles is research. Every year it publishes its Economic Impact Research (EIR), produced with Oxford Economics, which covers around 185 countries and 26 regions. According to the 2025 report, travel and tourism contributed around US$10.9 trillion to the global economy in 2024 – roughly 10% of global GDP – and supported about 357 million jobs. The reports measure the economic impacts of tourism, including:
- Direct and total GDP impact
- Direct/indirect employment
- Investment
- Exports
- One and ten year forecasts
Global Summit
The WTTC also hosts an annual Global Summit, which brings together around 1,000 or more invited leaders from business and government. The summit is held in a different city each year – recent hosts have included Riyadh (2022), Kigali (2023) and Perth (2024) – and follows a theme reflected in its talks, interviews and panels. Speakers include company CEOs, heads of government, tourism ministers and advisors from around the world.
Awards and recognition
The WTTC is sometimes confused with the World Travel Awards (founded in 1993), which are often described as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’. However, the World Travel Awards are run by a separate private company and are not organised by the WTTC.
The WTTC’s own awards programme was the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which recognised businesses and destinations leading the way in responsible tourism. Recent categories included:
- Social Impact Award
- Destination Stewardship Award
- Climate Action Award
- Investing in People Award
- Changemakers Award
Each category highlighted how travel and tourism can deliver economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits for places and people. Entries came from businesses across the industry, including resorts, airlines, hotel chains and destinations. More recently, the WTTC has focused on initiatives such as its Hotel Sustainability Basics and the Net Zero Roadmap for Travel & Tourism.
What is the World Travel and Tourism Council particularly interested in?
While the WTTC provides advice, statistics and research on many aspects of travel and tourism, it focuses on a small number of strategic priorities, including:
Security and Travel Facilitation
The WTTC works to show that easier visa processes and smarter border management help to drive GDP growth and job creation. It argues that travel can be both secure and seamless, and promotes the use of digital identity and biometric technology to reduce queues and strain on border systems as passenger numbers grow.
Crisis Preparedness, Management & Recovery
The WTTC helps the industry understand emerging, escalating and ongoing risks, from pandemics to natural disasters and geopolitical events. It works with public and private sectors to develop tools, protocols and solutions for preparing for and responding to crises – work that became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it developed the ‘Safe Travels’ global health and hygiene protocols.
Sustainable Growth
As the travel industry continues to grow, the WTTC aims to ensure it does so in a sustainable way. Key sustainability issues for the organisation include:
- Climate and Environment Action
- Destination Stewardship
- Future of Work
- Illegal Trade in Wildlife
- Human Trafficking
- Sustainability Reporting
Through these priorities, the World Travel & Tourism Council provides guidance and advocacy for the travel and tourism industry as a whole. Many decisions made by airlines, tour operators, travel agents, hotels and tourist boards are informed by WTTC research and policy work.
In short, while most travellers will never deal with the WTTC directly, its work influences many aspects of how people travel today.
World Travel and Tourism Council: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about the World Travel and Tourism Council.
What is the WTTC?
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a London-based non-profit organisation, founded in 1990, that represents the private sector of the global travel and tourism industry.
Who are the members of the WTTC?
Its members are the chairs, presidents and CEOs of around 200 leading travel and tourism companies, including hotel groups, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators and travel technology firms.
What does the WTTC do?
The WTTC conducts economic research, lobbies governments, hosts an annual Global Summit and leads initiatives on sustainability, travel facilitation and crisis preparedness.
What is the difference between the WTTC and UN Tourism?
The WTTC represents private businesses in travel and tourism, while UN Tourism (formerly the UNWTO) is a United Nations agency whose members are national governments.
How much is travel and tourism worth to the global economy?
According to WTTC research, travel and tourism contributed around US$10.9 trillion, or roughly 10% of global GDP, in 2024 and supported about 357 million jobs.
Further reading
If you found this article helpful, the following posts may also be of interest:
- Types of travel and tourism organisations
- The economic impacts of tourism
- What is sustainable tourism?
- Facts about the travel and tourism industry
- International tourism explained
- How to become an independent travel agent
