The inaugural ITB Americas travel trade event was held from November 10 to 12, 2026, at Expo Guadalajara, Mexico, organized by Messe Berlin Americas. The event featured over 300 exhibiting companies representing more than 60 countries and regions, alongside qualified buyers from over 40 countries across the Americas.
WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara Highlights Tourism Economic Impact at ITB Americas
Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), participated in the official opening ceremony with Mexico’s Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus, Jalisco Tourism Secretary Michelle Fridman, Messe Berlin Senior Vice President David Ruetz, and Vicente Salas, Vice President and Director for the Americas
at Messe Berlin.
Guevara emphasized tourism’s economic significance across the Americas, stating that “travel and tourism represent almost 10% of global GDP” and underlining ITB Americas as a platform to generate business with economic and social benefits. She called the event “a great opportunity to build a legacy for the tourism industry in Mexico and across the continent.”
Tourism Economy in the Americas Shows Growth and Workforce Gains
WTTC presented key data at ITB Americas showing that travel and tourism contributed $3.5 trillion to the Americas’ GDP in 2025, accounting for 8.6% of the regional economy. The sector supported 51.2 million jobs last year, with employment forecast to rise to
52.1 million in 2026. The tourism GDP contribution for 2026 is projected at $3.54 trillion.
Domestic visitor spending in the Americas is expected to increase by 1.9% to $2.09 trillion in 2026. However, international visitor spending is forecast to decline by 2%, indicating a divergence in spending trends within the region.
Mexico and Regional Air Connectivity Influence Travel Patterns
Mexico was identified as the world’s fourth-largest market for leisure tourism spending, with $237.6 billion recorded. In 2026, Americans are projected to make approximately 150 million outbound trips, with Mexico remaining their top international destination.
Air connectivity challenges were highlighted by WTTC as a structural issue affecting tourism growth
in Latin America and the Caribbean. The region has approximately 2,020 international airport-to-airport routes, significantly fewer than the 9,530 routes available in Western Europe. Additionally, only 63% of international passengers in Latin America and the Caribbean fly directly to their destinations.
WTTC Priorities and Challenges for Sustaining Tourism Growth
WTTC outlined six priorities for governments and the private sector to address: facilitating safe and seamless travel, expanding connectivity and diversifying markets, strengthening the workforce, improving crisis preparedness, attracting investment, and managing tourism growth responsibly.
The long-term success of ITB Americas as a business platform will depend on its ability to generate measurable trade and investment outcomes beyond the
inaugural event. WTTC projections reveal a tension between rising overall tourism contributions and declining international visitor spending, underscoring the need for enhanced regional competitiveness and better air access.
These patterns present challenges for smaller tourism operators and emerging destinations to fully benefit from regional growth. The capacity of ITB Americas to transform international visibility into sustained commercial relationships will determine its influence as a marketplace across the Americas.
