Five Candidates but only one logical choice for WTTC Chairman

by: Dmytro Makarov |

eTurboNews recently predicted the next chairman for WTTC will be billionaire Manfredi Lefebvre, replacing Arnold Donald, who is currently holding this position.

The World Travel & Tourism Council represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries.

The original vision of WTTC’s founding members remains the same: Governments must recognize Travel & Tourism’s value, not only to economies, but to the millions of livelihoods that depend on it.

Members of WTTC range from airlines to tour operators and hospitality groups. The Executive Council is comprised of Chairs, Presidents, and Chief Executives from many of the world’s most powerful Travel & Tourism businesses.

Therefore, the WTTC chairman’s appointment is important for fellow members and crucial for the global economy. Tourism contributed 10-13% to most economies, and WTTC members represent the largest contributors to the private sector of this industry.

Who is in the race for Chairman of WTTC?

When eTurboNews contacted WTTC to find out more about the Chairman election process and also who is competing, press spokesperson Elena Rodriguez said this was a confidential process.

It means everything reported in this article is based on reliable sources, but officially remains a secret and was not confirmed by WTTC leadership.

According to the eTurboNews sources, a vote on who to nominate as the chairman will occur later this month in April. The result will be presented to members at the global summit for final confirmation. The next global summit will be in Rwanda November 1-3, 2023

eTurboNews previous prediction for Manfredi Lefebvre to become the next chairman still stands, and here is why.

Qualifications for the WTTC Chairman

1) The chairman should have served on the Op-Co and two years on Executive Committee
2) The chairman should have attended all Executive Committee meetings.
3) The chairman should hold the top position in a private member company, such as a CEO or owner.
4) The chairman should have been nominated by the Executive Committee.
5) The nomination will be voted on by the Board of Directors.

Who is running?

Manfredi Lefebvre, Monaco

• Member of Executive Committee for two years
• Attended all meetings of the Executive Committee
• Holds the top position in his company
• Fulfills all requirements and voiced his willingness to address weaknesses within WTTC and his ambition to correct them

Jane Sun, trip.com, China

• Member of Executive Committee for two years
• Attended all meetings of the Executive Committee
• She holds the top position in her company
• She fulfills all requirements, but it may not serve the best interest of WTTC to elect a Chinese National to the chair.
  More than 30% of all WTTC members are from the United States. Relations between the U.S. and China are questionable. Advocacy work by a Chinese chairwoman for a global organization may be challenging.

Mark S. Hoplamazian, Hyatt Corporation, USA

• Member of Executive Committee for less than two years
• Never been a member of Op Co
• Holds the top position in his company
• Not qualified yet due to statue (length of being a member of the Exco)

Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports International, UAE

• Member of Executive Committee for two years
• Attended all meetings of the Executive Committee
• Works for the UAE government and should be disqualified due to a conflict of interest in representing the private global sector in travel and tourism as a leader of the public sector.

Glenda McNeal, American Express, USA

• Member of Executive Committee for two years
• Attended all meetings of the Executive Committee
• She doesn’t hold the top position. She is not the CEO of American Express. As a Chairwoman, she must hold the top position of a company.

Even though every single candidate can be categorized as a top player in the travel and tourism industry, it would only leave two qualified candidates. The two competitors are from Monaco and China. Taking the current political situation between the U.S. and China in consideration, it really leaves only one logical candidate.

Today WTTC announced the appointment of Zubin Karkaria, CEO of VFS Global, to the Executive Committee. In two years he may be qualified to lead this organization, making the process of new leaders to lead this organization to remain dynamic.

When asked how eTurboNews pulisher Juergen Steinmetz came to his conclusion, he says: “Having attended almost every WTTC Summit for so many years, you get to know people and make friends. Members are active and engaged. They talk and discuss.”

” The last summit in Riyadh discussed Recovery and Beyond. It appears WTTC is facing a number of challenges at this time. As far as I know only one the expected candidates, Manfredi Lefebvre indicated he was ready to confront such challenges. To be fair, Manfredi never discussed his possible candidacy with me directly”, said Steinmetz

Therefore, eTurboNews holds on to its prediction for Manfredi Lefebvre to become the next Chairman, leading the private sector in world tourism after the upcoming Global WTTC Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

Full article: Five Candidates but only one logical choice for WTTC Chairman
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