The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
has elected Christopher J. Nassetta, President and
CEO of Hilton, as the Council’s next Chairman.
Mr Nassetta joined Hilton in 2007,
bringing with him an extensive background in real estate and
hospitality. Since assuming the role of CEO he has transformed the
company, bringing Hilton hospitality to 27 new countries by adding
2,200 hotels to a network of more than 5,000 properties in 103
countries and territories. He joined Hilton from Host Hotels & Resorts where he was CEO.
Chris has been a Member of WTTC’s
Executive Committee since 2011 and Vice Chairman for North America
since 2014.
Mr Nassetta will take over from current
Chairman, Gerald Lawless, following the Council’s Annual General
Meeting, which will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 17
April 2018. WTTC Chairmen are elected for a two-year term.
Mr Lawless, who has been Chairman of WTTC since April 2016, said,
“It has been an honour to serve as Chairman of WTTC for the past
two years and I am delighted to be handing over to Chris Nassetta
to steer the Council into its next phase of development. I am sure
that he and Gloria Guevara, WTTC’s President & CEO, will form a
strong team to advocate for the economic and social benefits of
Travel & Tourism.”
Mr Nassetta said, “I would like to thank
Gerald for his tireless advocacy on behalf of the global Travel &
Tourism industry. I am also honoured to accept the role as WTTC
Chair at a time of amazing opportunity and growth. I believe the
Council can play an important role to bring governments and the
industry together to deliver smart plans that support both
security and international travel. I also believe that the unique
scale and reach of WTTC Members can be used to tackle significant
global issues, including climate change and global youth
unemployment. A Travel & Tourism industry focused on these
challenges can deliver great things for this generation and the
next.”
WTTC’s latest data
shows that travel and tourism accounts for 10% of the world’s GDP,
contributing over $7.6 trillion. In 2016, travel and tourism
supported a total of 292 million jobs around the world, 1 in 10 of
all jobs.
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