On November 3, 2026, WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara convened the inaugural Leaders’ Summit at ExCeL London during World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026. The invitation-only event focused on tourism investment, destination development, and fostering public-private partnerships.
The Leaders’ Summit created a dedicated forum for senior tourism executives and industry leaders to engage in meaningful high-level networking. Designed to overcome the typical challenges of WTM’s busy opening day, the summit provided time and space for leaders to discuss collaboration opportunities outside of standard trade event schedules.
Key Industry Leadership Contributions
Phillipa Harrison, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, highlighted that tourism accounts for
roughly 5% of the emirate’s GDP with plans to expand this share to between 20% and 30% within five to ten years. She cited strong political support, infrastructure investment, extended master planning through 2040, and community engagement as central to this vision.
Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, outlined Egypt’s extensive investments in airport infrastructure and clean energy projects. He emphasized efforts to diversify visitor markets through the ‘We Are Egypt’ campaign and initiatives involving local communities. Meanwhile, Michelle Fridman, Secretary of Tourism for Jalisco, Mexico, addressed the necessity of investor confidence, local infrastructure improvements, destination promotion, and
the management of safety perceptions.
Accessible Tourism and Spain’s Initiatives
The summit also placed emphasis on accessible tourism, with representatives from the Spanish Tourist Office presenting Spain’s accessibility programs including the Spain for All and Spain, a Country for All campaigns. Barbara Couto, Chief Marketing Officer at Turespaña, discussed the role of content creators in promoting accessible travel experiences. Jesús Ruiz, Head of Sustainability and Impact at the Spanish Tourist Office UK, explained how minor physical and informational barriers, such as inadequate signage or a single step, significantly impact traveler accessibility.
These initiatives demonstrated that tourism leadership extends beyond large-scale infrastructure projects to include ensuring
greater inclusivity for travelers with diverse needs. Cooperation across governments, businesses, transportation providers, and communities was presented as essential for expanding accessible tourism.
WTTC Leadership and Strategic Tourism Investment Principles
Gloria Guevara, combining experience as a former Mexican Secretary of Tourism and a private-sector leader, emphasized destinations as central to the tourism industry. She advocated for close collaboration between governments and businesses to drive sustainable tourism growth. Guevara reaffirmed the World Travel & Tourism Council’s seven principles for attracting investment, including the need for legal certainty, regulatory stability, political commitment, stakeholder engagement, investment incentives, and long-term destination planning.
WTTC Executive Vice President for Destinations Maribel Rodríguez Gamero
contributed to the summit’s panels, advancing the dialogue on public-private partnerships and practical destination development strategies.
WTM London’s Evolving Role in Tourism Leadership
The Leaders’ Summit complemented the longstanding WTM Ministers’ Summit, which marked its 20th edition on November 4, 2026. WTM London continues to evolve beyond a trade show, creating platforms for tourism leaders to establish relationships and exchange ideas that shape the future of international travel.
WTM London Event Director Chris Carter-Chapman introduced the Leaders’ Summit as a new leadership forum, recognizing the need to facilitate focused discussions among key decision-makers in an otherwise packed event schedule. The initiative reflects the WTTC’s broader mission to
connect public and private sectors through practical engagement rather than rhetoric.
The summit addressed challenges facing tourism growth, including political commitment, investor confidence, community involvement, infrastructure development, and accessible tourism. The event acknowledged that sustained progress depends on relationships formed through direct, purposeful conversations among senior tourism leaders.
