The Indian capital, New Delhi, will be in 2027 the host of the annual summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, for its initials in English). In this way, it will take over from Malta, which has held from October 7 to 9 the 26th edition of the meeting, with around a thousand attendees, including more than a hundred high-ranking business and government officials from international tourism.
The announcement was made by the president of the organization, Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, during the closing of this global forum that has brought together active policymakers, former heads of state, and top executives of the world's leading tourism companies. Over two intense days, the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta has hosted presentations and round tables of experts, with coverage from 170 accredited media from the five continents.
After thanking the host country for the "extraordinary welcome," the president of the WTTC revealed that up to 22 destinations aspired to host next year's Global Summit, with India ultimately being the chosen country. "A country so large for the travel sector, which contributes 6.6% of GDP and accounts for one in ten jobs: so it has a lot to say," he emphasized before inviting the Minister of Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shehkawat, to come on stage to briefly address the audience as the representative of the country that will host the 2027 edition.
Once the official program was concluded, the CEO of the WTTC, Gloria Guevara, attended to Spanish-speaking media in the press room of the convention center, where she delved into some of the topics discussed, including the role of Artificial Intelligence. In the case of airlines, she explained, this technology has allowed some companies to cut their operating costs by up to 40%.
"AI helps us reduce expenses and improve the traveler's experience, as people use it for their itineraries or to find out what interests them most in a museum," she noted. However, she clarified that, "despite what many may believe, it will not reduce jobs as happens in other areas, such as legal or finance." "When one travels, they do not want the plane to be piloted by AI, and if they are in a taxi, they want to talk to people. Our sector is service-oriented, so we believe we will continue generating employment," Guevara emphasized.
The sessions, under the slogan 'Fut[Re]Set', featured in just two days the presence of the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Ian Borg; the special envoy of the USA, Nick Adams; the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas; the former Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the former President of the Spanish Government José María Aznar, among other high-profile figures.
Alongside the institutional leaders, executives from major hotel chains such as Hilton, Four Seasons, and Meliá also participated, as well as the top executives of ITA Airways, MSC Group, and American Express, among other representatives of the global travel and tourism industry.