WTTC Operating Committee unanimously approves Madrid as new location, following an extensive strategic review.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today announced that its Operating Committee has unanimously approved Madrid in Spain as the location for the organisation’s new Global Office, which will help deliver tangible value to members and ignite the sector’s growth potential.

Five destinations expressed interest in hosting the Global Office - Dubai (UAE), France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland - with the evaluation criteria based on six areas: office rental and operating costs; the tax, incentives and competitive environment; fast-track visas and work permit frameworks in the destination; government support; cost of living to attract and retain talent; and proximity to international organisations.

The decision to choose Madrid was endorsed by all 17 members of WTTC’s Operating Committee, following a comprehensive assessment of WTTC’s long-term strategic and operational needs. Members agreed that Madrid offered the most attractive option due to the city’s competitiveness, a more favourable tax environment, government support, easier visa processing for employees and overall lower operating costs. Challenges linked to Brexit, such as constraints on talent mobility, made the UK less attractive as WTTC wishes to further build its leadership position and become even more agile in the sector.

Establishing an office in Madrid gives WTTC immediate access to a significantly broader and more diverse talent pool, encompassing nearly 350 million qualified professionals across the region, as well as proximity to international organisations, enabling structured collaboration.

Madrid was also selected for its strong international connectivity via Madrid-Barajas Airport, competitive business environment, incentives from government, synergies with international organisations in the sector such as UN Tourism and alignment with WTTC’s global mission. The new office will form a central part of WTTC’s worldwide network, supporting its highly-respected advocacy, research and member engagement activities across the globe.

Manfredi Lefebvre, Chairman of WTTC, said: “The unanimous decision to establish our Global Office in Madrid reflects a clear view among the Operating Committee about what WTTC needs to succeed in the years ahead. This move ensures we operate more efficiently, deliver more value to our members, access the best global talent and maintain a truly international outlook, strongly supported by the Spanish government. 2026 will be a year in which we will reshape WTTC so it is focused on its members, stronger research capability and deeper government advocacy in the travel and tourism sector.”

Gloria Guevara, interim President and CEO, WTTC, added: “We’d like to thank the government of Spain for their support during this process to create the new WTTC Global Office. Spain has prioritised travel and tourism and clearly understands the enormous contribution the sector makes to global growth. Being based in a competitive city like Madrid will help WTTC go from strength to strength, offer closer engagement with our members worldwide and enable us to play a major role advising on good policy development, investments that help tourism growth and job creation from our members which have global impact. I’d also like to thank the other countries that expressed interest in hosting WTTC’s new Global Office - France, Italy, Switzerland and Dubai (UAE). We are humbled by their proposals and the huge interest shown by governments worldwide.”