Global priorities

Date: 4 June 2026

WTTC announces the Global Priorities approved by its Executive Council to Unlock Growth and Drive Transformation in Travel & Tourism Foward

· Eight strategic priorities approved by WTTC's Executive Council and developed following a months-long consultation process with more than 200 industry leaders and Members.

· WTTC underscores the critical role of public-private collaboration.

· WTTC members and the global private sector play a leading role in delivering these priorities, working alongside governments and stakeholders to drive meaningful progress across Travel & Tourism.

04 June 2026, Madrid, Spain: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has defined eight strategic priorities, now formally approved by its Executive Council, to guide the future of the global Travel & Tourism private sector. These priorities reflect the needs and perspectives of the global private sector, reinforcing WTTC's commitment to unlocking growth, maximizing the sector's potential guiding investment decisions, and driving meaningful transformation across the industry.

The priorities are the result of an extensive consultation process carried out over several months, including more than 200 interviews with CEOs and industry leaders. The outcomes, presented during WTTC's last Executive Council in Egypt, now form the foundation of a renewed strategic agenda focused on addressing the sector's most pressing challenges while enabling long-term, sustainable, and resilient growth.

Through this process, WTTC identified key structural and emerging issues, including complex and fragmented traveller journeys, challenging visa processes and identity digital systems, limited connectivity, and disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions, pandemics, and climate-related events. Additional challenges include uneven digital transformation

and AI adoption, labour shortages, investment constraints, environmental pressures, and growing tensions between travellers and local communities.

In response, WTTC has defined eight strategic priorities which will underpin its work moving forward:

1. Enabling safe and seamless journeys through digital standards and biometrics

2. Strengthening destination stewardship and addressing overcrowding (unmanaged travel)

3. Advancing climate and environmental sustainability initiatives

4. Harnessing emerging technologies, including AI and robotics

5. Enhancing crisis preparedness, management and recovery

6. Expanding global connectivity and developing new travel corridors

7. Supporting workforce development, talent retention, and mobility

8. Promoting policies that drive investment and new growth opportunities

These strategic priorities are embedded within a broader working strategy built around a clear vision of achieving long-term sustainable growth for global Travel & Tourism.

Complementing these priorities, WTTC has also identified a set of strategic enablers that will support delivery and impact: economic, social and environmental research and data insights, global convening power, policy and advocacy capabilities, partnerships and coalition-building efforts, global campaigns and initiatives, as well as a strong digital agenda. Together, these enablers ensure that WTTC is uniquely positioned to translate strategy into action at a global scale.

WTTC members and the destinations network are the core of our organization, and WTTC has a firm belief in the importance of public-private collaboration. The organisation works closely with governments, international organisations, and industry stakeholders to co-create solutions, drive policy alignment, and deliver meaningful progress for the sector worldwide. SMEs also play an important role, and WTTC's 'Together in Travel initiative' currently engages more than 4,000 SME's that work with WTTC.

WTTC also highlighted the critical role of its Members in shaping this agenda, noting that their insights and leadership have been instrumental in defining both the challenges and the opportunities ahead. The organisation continues to place its Members at the heart of its work, ensuring their priorities are reflected in its global advocacy and initiatives. Advocacy is central for the organisation, while sharing best practices remains a cornerstone of WTTC's work, helping governments unlock potential, foster investment, and create jobs.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, said:

"These priorities reflect the breadth, diversity and expertise of our membership. Representing every segment of Travel and Tourism, including airports, airlines, hotels, cruises, car companies, technology enterprises and destinations among others; they are a statement of what the sector believes is needed to unlock growth, resilience and opportunity.

Just as importantly, they reaffirm our commitment to working hand in hand with governments and international organizations, because lasting progress is only possible when the public and private sectors move forward together."

With this new working strategy, WTTC reinforces its role as the global voice of the private sector in Travel & Tourism, committed to driving innovation, strengthening partnerships, and supporting its Members to deliver long-term sustainable growth for the sector worldwide.

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^{About the World Travel & Tourism Council}

^{The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the global body representing the private sector of Travel & Tourism and the leading authority on the sector's economic and social contribution worldwide. Its members include Chairmen, Presidents and CEOs of the world's leading travel and tourism companies across hotels, airlines, airports, cruise lines, tour operators, technology platforms and destinations, spanning every major region globally.}

^{WTTC works to advance sustainable growth across the Travel & Tourism sector by driving collaboration between industry leaders and governments, shaping global policy, and providing authoritative research on the sector's economic impact worldwide.}