Julia Simpson travel tips

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today launched its new groundbreaking report, ‘Water Roadmap for Travel & Tourism’, revealing total water intensity by global Travel & Tourism continues to decrease as the sector continues to grow

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has unveiled its first-ever global Travel & Tourism report focussing on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) during its Global Summit, taking place in Kigali. The report “Creating Belonging: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in Travel & Tourism” is the result of a collaboration between WTTC and HospitableMe, a global leader in inclusive hospitality.

During the closing session of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global Summit in Kigali, Western Australia was announced as the host for 2024, marking the first time the event will visit Oceania. The 24th Global Summit will be taking place in Perth in late 2024, in partnership with Tourism Western Australia.

In a defining moment for the global Travel & Tourism sector, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) initiated by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia today released the latest industry-shaping Environmental Impact Research data.

In a milestone event that promises to reshape the contours of the global Travel & Tourism sector, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today unveils the bold theme and agenda for WTTC’s 23rd Global Summit taking place in Kigali, Rwanda: “Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future”.

In a significant milestone, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia have announced the extension of their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Leaders from across the global tourism sector will meet in Riyadh tomorrow for this year's World Tourism Day (WTD).

Details of the speaker lineup have been revealed for this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD), to be held in Riyadh from 27th – 28th September. With more than 500 government officials, industry leaders and experts from across 120 countries set to descend on Riyadh for the event, the level of attendance demonstrates the significance of WTD 2023 in charting the future of the global tourism sector’s growth.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals the UK Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to exceed the 2019 peak this year. The sector is set to contribute £252.4BN to the UK economy this year, surpassing the 2019 pre-pandemic high of £248.5BN.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) partnered with Hotelbeds to bring sector leaders together in Palma, Mallorca, to delve into the ever-evolving dynamics of global Travel & Tourism. Titled “Global Trends in the Tourism Sector”, the event provided a platform for attendees to gain valuable insights into the current state of Travel & Tourism through presentations and discussions led by Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, and Hotelbeds’ CEO Nicolas Huss.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Hotelbeds shared insights at an event called “Global Trends in the Tourism Sector,” in the growing Spanish destination of Palma de Mallorca. 

A thought leadership event exploring the significant untapped potential of retail tourism took place at La Roca Village, part of The Bicester Collection, in Barcelona, concluding with a resounding call for attention to the importance of retail tourism. The event featured the launch of a ground-breaking report, “Global Retail Tourism: Trends and Insights”, a collaborative effort between the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), The Bicester Collection and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With a strong focus on data and insights, the report seeks to define the future of retail tourism, highlighting the key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the sector.

Strong travel growth spurred rise in sector investment in 2022; Asia-Pacific and Africa see investment up 161% in 2022 over 2000.

Retail tourism was worth US$178.2 billion, equivalent to 6% of the Travel & Tourism sector, and can represent more than 15% in some destinations.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the U.S. remains the preferred choice for shopping holidaymakers, as revealed at Virtuoso Travel Week, taking place in Las Vegas, from 13 to 18 August.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2023 Global Trends Report today reveals an encouraging resurgence in Travel & Tourism investment, overcoming pandemic setbacks and signalling a strong return to growth. From 2010 to 2019, investment grew steadily at 4.3% CAGR, growing from $754.6BN in 2010 to $1.1TN in 2019, or 4.5% of all economy-wide investment. COVID-19 hit hard, leading to a 24% decline in 2020 and a further 8% in 2021.

Saudi Arabia announced its masterplan for King Salman International Airport — touted to be one of the world’s largest airports. Public Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, will build the more than 57 square kilometres airport, and it will include the current King Khaled airport. With plans for six parallel runways, and including the existing terminals, the airport aims to accommodate up to 120 million travelers by 2030. By 2050, the airport is expected to accommodate up to 185 million passengers and process 3.5 million tons of cargo. The masterplan would boost Riyadh’s position as a global logistics hub, stimulate transport, trade and tourism, and act as a bridge linking the East with the West. The new airport is expected to contribute $7 billion annually to the country’s non-oil gross domestic product and to create 103,000 direct and indirect jobs, in line with Saudi’s Vision 2030 objectives. The kingdom has plans to attract 100 million annual visits by 2030.

India’s travel and tourism sector is poised to contribute $200 billion (Rs16.5 trillion) to the country’s economy in 2023, just 3.5 percent below 2019, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The sector is also set to create over 1.6 million additional jobs this year, nearly restoring the employment levels lost during the Covid-19 pandemic to reach almost 39 million.

Anyone who has taken a trip this summer can tell the tourism sector is exploding with packed flights, soaring hotel rates and cruise ships buzzing with passengers.