At a time when travel is once again booming, the global tourism industry faces an old question with a new urgency: Who truly benefits from growth?
That question was at the heart of this year’s WTM London Ministers’ Summit, held in partnership with UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Ministers and industry leaders from around the world agreed that tourism investment must become more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable — not just larger.
Antonio Lopez de Avila, representing UN-Tourism, and Gloria Guevara, representing WTTC
The man who should be in charge of UN-Tourism, Zurab Pololikashvili, did not attend but was represented by Antonio Lopez de Avila, Director of Innovation, Education, and Investment.
At the WTTC Summit in Rome, Julia Simpson, the CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, was out sick and represented by Interim CEO Gloria Guevars. Also at WTM in London, Gloria attended, showcasing her refreshing style as a seasoned professional in this position, as she led the tourism industry through the COVID-19 crisis. She reminded ministers that if tourism were a country, the travel and tourism industry would be the third-largest country in the world.
Why not teach Tourism in Schools?
The most interesting contribution was made by a new member of WTTC, Christini Reti, Founder and CEO OF Canadian-based CDR. In a truly passionate speech, she wondered why tourism, a large industry that shapes lives, would not be a subject in schools to prepare new generations for the hospitality industry and all that tourism stands for.
For decades, nations have competed to attract visitors and capital through incentives, mega-projects, and marketing campaigns. But as the conversation in London revealed, the next phase of tourism growth will depend on more nuanced and long-term thinking — one that aligns private capital with public priorities and social impact.
Investing in Tourism’s Future – Smarter, Fairer, and More Human
Several governments are using tax incentives and economic zones to direct investment toward sustainable development. The Philippines is offering fiscal incentives to tourism projects that promote green innovation and job creation, alongside plans to privatise its airports — an admission that private efficiency can sometimes achieve what state budgets cannot.
In Kenya, the government is courting investors to unlock tourism along its 500-kilometre coastline while working to expand air connectivity. Costa Rica, facing a dip in visitors from the United States, is diversifying its tourism base by targeting Europe and expanding direct air links.
Ecuador is going a step further, offering incentives for projects that engage rural and Indigenous communities, and even allowing private firms to co-manage conservation areas. These are not just investment strategies — they are social contracts in the making.
Airports and Access: The Gateway to Growth
Air connectivity remains the lifeblood of global tourism, and many ministers have acknowledged that airports are now central to their investment strategies.
Lebanon, for example, is building a new airport in the north to attract low-cost carriers, while its main international airport in Beirut undergoes modernization through private partnerships. Beyond infrastructure, Lebanon is also retraining government staff to be more tourism-oriented ahead of the Pope’s visit — a symbolic move that highlights the importance of people in the tourism equation.
Investing in People, Not Just Projects
If there was one recurring theme that transcended geography, it was the recognition that human capital is tourism’s most valuable asset.
WTTC’s Gloria Guevara called for a reframing of tourism as a career of choice — one that offers absolute mobility and earning potential for young people. The UK’s new Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock echoed this sentiment, stressing the need for education systems that equip students with the skills employers actually need.
As Antonio Lopez De Avila from UN Tourism pointed out, data and digital literacy will increasingly define competitiveness. Collecting information is not enough; the next generation must know how to interpret and act on it.
A Shared Vision for Inclusive Growth
The underlying message from WTM London was one of partnership. The public and private sectors are no longer on opposing sides of the investment table — they are collaborators in shaping the future of tourism.
As Chris Carter-Chapman of WTM London noted, this year’s focus on investment extended far beyond the traditional lens of incentives and infrastructure. It embraced a broader vision: one where funding education, training, and reskilling is as vital as building new terminals and hotels.
As the Ministers’ Summit prepares to mark its 20th anniversary in 2026, the industry stands at a crossroads. The next decade will test whether destinations can translate this rhetoric into results — creating a tourism economy that not only grows, but grows wisely, equitably, and with purpose.
Investing in People
Because in the end, tourism’s most significant investment isn’t in bricks or runways — it’s in people.
The Next Step for Tourism
As is the case at most such summits, it’s unclear whether there will be a follow-up, a next step, or an outcome. However, a report was announced by WTTC.
