The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched an international campaign to choose the seven contemporary wonders of the world, a proposal that seeks to distinguish monuments and buildings erected from 1801 onwards for their contribution to tourism, economic growth, and the transformation of destinations.
For the first time, the initiative will allow people from any country to propose and participate in the election of the places that best symbolize the modern era of travel and tourism.
With this project, the WTTC aims to highlight not only the architectural and cultural importance of these spaces but also their ability to attract tourists, create jobs, stimulate investment, and foster the progress of local communities.
As examples of infrastructures that show the effect of this type of action, the entity mentions the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, or the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, considering that they have helped to consolidate the international projection of their cities and to boost their economies.
The campaign also seeks to underline the relevance of cooperation between public administrations and private companies in the development of tourism infrastructures capable of providing sustained economic and social benefits over time, in a context where many governments are trying to diversify their sources of growth.
In addition to major globally recognized icons, the selection process will consider emerging destinations that have generated a notable impact on their surroundings and have the potential to become reference tourist hubs in the coming years. Among the evaluation criteria are contribution to tourism, economic effect, benefit to the community, destination development, and cultural and architectural relevance.
The process will extend for one year. The deadline for submitting candidacies will be open until January 7, 2027, at which point 70 nominees will be announced and the public vote will begin. Later, on April 7, a list of 30 finalists will be published, and on July 7, 2027, the seven contemporary wonders of the world will be announced.
The president and CEO of the WTTC, Gloria Guevara, has pointed out that the initiative seeks to recognize the milestones that have defined the modern era and show how investments in tourism infrastructure and cultural heritage can generate lasting economic and social value, in addition to inspiring new investments and strengthening the competitiveness of destinations.