The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has added 50 members so far in 2026, with Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental taking seats on its Executive Committee, it said on October 29.
Luxury hotel groups lead the intake. Mandarin Oriental rejoins after more than 25 years as a member as it targets 100 hotels by 2033, with nine openings due in 2027 alone. Four Seasons, founded in 1961, now runs 140 hotels and more than 60 residential properties in 47 countries.
New members also include Corinthia Group, Club Med, Grupo Piñero, investment firm Investindustrial, insurer Allianz Partners and drinks group Pernod Ricard. Eight are returning members, among them Uber, Barceló Hotel Group, Meliá Hotels International and travel retailer Avolta.
“Welcoming 50 new members in a single year is a powerful vote of confidence in both our sector and WTTC,” said Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC.
Laurent Kleitman, group chief executive of Mandarin Oriental, said the group was rejoining as it entered a new chapter of global growth. Alejandro Reynal, president and CEO of Four Seasons, said joining would help advance innovation and the long-term resilience of the industry.
WTTC forecasts that travel and tourism will contribute a record $11.9tn to the global economy in 2026, or 9.9% of global GDP, and support 375mn jobs, one in every nine worldwide. Its next Global Summit will be held in New Delhi in 2027.
WTTC is the global body representing the private sector of travel and tourism, and publishes research on the sector’s economic and social contribution.
