The WTTC began in the 1980s with a group of business executives led by former American Express CEO James D. Robinson III. The group was formed to discuss the travel and tourism industry and the need for more data on the importance of what some believed was a non-essential industry.
Today the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is an organization that represents the largest and most influential companies in the global travel and tourism industry. The Chairman of the WTTC is a crucial leadership role responsible for providing strategic direction to the organization and representing the interests of the travel and tourism industry on a global stage.
The WTTC promotes sustainable travel and tourism industry growth through partnerships with governments and other stakeholders. They work to provide research, advocacy, and networking opportunities for their members.
The WTTC Chairman Election
The election process for the WTTC Chairman typically involves a nomination and selection process overseen by the organization’s Board of Directors.
The Board comprises senior executives from the travel and tourism industry, who oversee the organization’s activities and set its strategic direction.
To be considered for the role of Chairman, an individual must typically be nominated by a member of the WTTC Board or a group of members. Once a nomination has been received, the Board will review the candidate’s qualifications and experience and may also conduct interviews or other assessments to evaluate their suitability for the role.
Following this evaluation process, the Board will vote on the appointment of the new Chairman. The exact voting process may vary depending on the specific rules and procedures of the WTTC but typically involves a simple majority vote by the Board members.
Overall, the election process for the WTTC Chairman is designed to ensure that the selected individual is highly qualified and capable of providing strong leadership and strategic direction for the organization and representing the interests of the global travel and tourism industry.
The process for electing the WTTC Chairman is as follows:
- Nomination: Candidates for the position of WTTC Chairman are nominated by the Council’s Executive Committee, which comprises senior executives from the travel and tourism industry.
- Selection: The Executive Committee selects a shortlist of candidates from the nominations received. This shortlist is presented to the WTTC Board of Directors for their consideration.
- Voting: The Board of Directors votes on the shortlisted candidates to determine the new WTTC Chairman. The voting process is confidential, and the candidate who receives the most votes is elected as the new Chairman.
The process for selecting the WTTC Chairman may vary slightly from year to year, depending on the specific circumstances and requirements of the organization. However, the basic steps outlined above provide a general overview of how the Chairman is elected.
The election for the 2023/24 WTTC chairman nomination will take place in April 2023.
The next WTTC Annual meeting will confirm the nomination next chairman from 1-3 November 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Manfredi Lefebvre
According to eTurboNews sources, Manfredi Lefebvre, an Italian citizen residing in Monaco, is currently being considered for the next World Travel and Tourism Council Chairman.
Based on the qualification, the state, and the standing of WTTC after a successful record summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2022, eTurboNews Publisher predicts Manfredi Lefebvre to be nominated at the WTTC Global Summit in Rwanda to be confirmed as the next chairman.
As a WTTC chairman, he would be among the most influential people in the global travel and tourism industry.
A Board of Directors leads WTTC made up of CEOs and industry leaders from various sectors of the travel and tourism industry.
Manfredi actively promotes international tourism efforts as the vice chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in charge of Europe, and a World Economic Forum (WEF) member.
Manfredi Lefebvre is Chairman of Heritage Group, a diversified conglomerate that invests in tourism and other industries.
Born in Rome on April 21, 1953, Manfredi Lefebvre is the son of Antonio Lefebvre d’Ovidio de Clunieres di Balsorano, a distinguished Italian jurist, university professor, and entrepreneur.
He worked in the family business from a young age and started his business ventures.
Heritage Group is active in the travel industry, real estate, and financial investments, and in February 2019, it acquired the majority of the luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent.
The Lefebvre family founded Silversea in the early ‘90s as a pioneering cruise line offering a personal style of ultra-luxury travel unrivaled worldwide.
In June 2018, two-thirds of Silversea, now one of the leading companies in the world of ultra-luxury cruises, was sold to Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited for over $1 billion in equity value.
The remaining one-third stake was transferred to Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited in July 2020 in consideration of a stake representing 2.5% of Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited.
Manfredi Lefebvre was Executive Chairman of Silversea Cruises Group from 2001 to 2020.
He was honored with the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre de Saint Charles & Grimaldi by H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2007. He was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ecuador in Monaco in April 2019.
From 2017-2018, he served as Chair of the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA). He currently serves on the board of Bank of America Corporation and Crown Holdings, Inc. Arnold also serves on the Boards of Catalyst and CLIA.
Manfredi Lefebvre’s net worth exceeds $ 1.5 billion.
“Nothing should stand between you and the authentic beauty of the world.”
Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio de Clunieres di Balsorano
Heritage Group, Chairman, Vice Chair WTTC
Arnold Donald
The current WTTC chairman Arnold Donald spent more than 20 years at Monsanto Company as senior corporate vice-president, consumer and nutrition, and agricultural sector president.
Following Monsanto, Mr. Donald was chairman of Merisant Company, which manufactures leading global sweetener brands Equal and Canderel.
Mr. Donald has been President & Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest leisure travel company, since July 2013. He served on the WTTC board for 12 years.
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
The WTTC’s mission is to promote sustainable travel and tourism industry growth through partnerships with governments and other stakeholders. They work to provide research, advocacy, and networking opportunities for their members, which include some of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies.
The organization is led by a Board of Directors of CEOs and industry leaders from various travel and tourism industry sectors.
WTTC is also known for producing an annual report on the economic impact of travel and tourism, which provides insights and data on the industry’s contribution to global GDP, employment, and other economic indicators. The report is widely used by governments, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to inform their policies and strategies.
