By Abdi Ali and UNWTOWire.Com
Published August 2, 2017
A London (England)-based authority on global travel and tourism has appointed a Mexican as its President and Chief Executive Officer.
Gloria Guevara Manzo succeeds David Scowsill at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a global private sector organisation representing the global business and leisure travel industries, according to eTurboNews that says it brings together more than 150 CEOs of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies.
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Gerald Lawless, Chair of WTTC, says of Guevara’s appointment, “Gloria Guevara Manzo is a proven leader who is well known and well respected within the global Travel & Tourism sector. I am delighted that she will lead WTTC into the next phase of its development.With a career encompassing senior roles across private sector, government and academia, she brings a unique combination of experience and expertise.”
Reflecting on her appointment, Guevara says, “I am excited to be taking up the role of President & CEO of WTTC. Over the past few years, WTTC has grown enormously in stature and impact. I look forward to building on this great foundation to expand the Council’s advocacy work for Travel & Tourism, a sector which accounts for 10% of the world’s GDP and 1 in 10 jobs.”
Saying “This is a critical time for Travel & Tourism and the 292 million people whose jobs depend on it,” Guevara says the tourism and travel sector needs to come together not just to tackle challenges such as terrorism but to also show its economic importance and how it is “committed to creating sustainable livelihoods, protecting nature and cultures, and asserting itself as a responsible and leading player in this fast-evolving world.”
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Recognised as one of the most influential women in Mexico by CNN and Expansion, Manzo began her professional career in 1989 at NCR Corporation working in the Latin America, Middle East, and Africa regions. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Anahuac University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kellogg School of Business of Northwestern University, USA.
Since 1995 she has worked for the travel industry, starting at the Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Holdings, she was later CEO of JV Sabre Mexico reporting to a board of directors from Aeromexico, Mexicana, and Sabre. In March 2010 President Calderon appointed her as Minister of Tourism and two weeks after she was given in addition the full responsibility of the Mexican Tourism board.
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Under her leadership the ‘National Agreement for Tourism’ in Mexico was created and signed on February 28, 2011. Gloria Manzo received the Good Neighbour Award from the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Virtuoso awarded Mexico the best tourism board in the world due to her successful branding and repositioning efforts. In addition, she has been Special Advisor on Government Affairs to Harvard University, and part of the Future for Travel, Tourism and Aviation Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
With travel and tourism regarded as a key driver for investment and economic growth globally as it contributes US$7.6 trillion or 10.2% of global GDP, WTTC promotes sustainable growth for the sector, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, to drive exports and to generate prosperity.
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WTTC’s annual Global Summit brings together more than 900 delegates to discuss the opportunities, challenges and issues facing the sector, while its Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognise the industry’s power to be a positive force in sustainability.
