Gloria Guevara Returns as President and CEO of World Travel & Tourism Council
Guevara resumes the top role she held through the pandemic years, returning to WTTC as the organization looks ahead to its Malta global summit in October 2026.
Photo: Mike Nahlii / Unsplash
The World Travel & Tourism Council has named Gloria Guevara as its new president and CEO, returning her to the role she held from 2017 to 2021. The appointment, confirmed by WTTC’s Operating Committee, takes effect immediately as the organization enters a busy 2026 agenda of global events and advocacy work.
Guevara returns at a moment when WTTC is re-centering its operational priorities after several years of sector-wide disruption and recovery. During her earlier tenure, she led the organization through the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, coordinating closely with governments and private-sector members and helping to roll out global safety protocols adopted by hundreds of destinations.
Since leaving WTTC in 2021, Guevara has held senior advisory roles across government, healthcare, and tourism. Most recently, she served as chief special adviser to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, where she worked on the Kingdom’s long-term tourism development plans tied to Vision 2030. Her portfolio there included sustainability initiatives, large-scale destination planning, and the launch of the Sustainable Tourism Global Center, a multi-country coalition focused on emissions reduction and environmental standards.
Her earlier career includes serving as Mexico’s secretary of tourism and leading the country’s tourism board during a period marked by economic volatility, health crises, and security concerns. Before entering government, she spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles at Sabre, overseeing operations, technology, and customer service across multiple regions.
WTTC represents a broad cross-section of the private travel economy, with members spanning hospitality, aviation, cruise, technology, and related sectors. The organization positions itself as a convening and advocacy body, producing economic research, hosting global summits, and engaging with governments on policy and crisis response.
Under Guevara’s renewed leadership, WTTC has confirmed plans to continue its annual Global Summit series, with the next gathering scheduled for Malta in October 2026. A separate cruise-focused event is also slated for May. The council has indicated it will prioritize deeper engagement with existing members while expanding its base to include a wider range of organizations, including smaller enterprises alongside multinational groups.
Operationally, the organization is also focused on building its internal team to support year-round advocacy work rather than concentrating its activities around major events. That includes more direct engagement with members across regions and sectors, as well as continued emphasis on research and data-driven policy discussions.
Guevara’s return places a familiar figure back at the helm of WTTC at a time when global travel volumes have largely stabilized, but regulatory, sustainability, and geopolitical pressures remain at the forefront of industry leaders’ minds.
