Gloria Guevara
Former Mexico tourism secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo is the
new president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Guevara replaces David Scowsill, who stepped down as CEO in
June after a six-year tenure.
Guevara was Mexico's secretary of tourism and CEO of the
Mexican Tourism Board from 2010 to 2012. Before that, she was CEO of Sabre
Mexico. Guevara is currently special adviser on government affairs for the Centre
on Health and the Global Environment at Harvard's School of Public Health.
WTTC chairman Gerald Lawless called Guevara "a proven
leader who is well known and well respected within the global travel and
tourism sector."
"Gloria was chosen from a competitive field of
international candidates," Lawless said. "With a career encompassing
senior roles across private sector, government and academia, she brings a
unique combination of experience and expertise."
In a statement, Guevara said, "This is a critical time
for travel and tourism and the 292 million people whose jobs depend on it.
Future forecasts are strong, but with ongoing terrorism and environmental
challenges, compounded by a world which is simultaneously ever more connected
yet increasingly divided, now, more than ever, the sector needs to come
together with one voice."
WTTC's membership comprises more than 150 CEOs of travel and
tourism companies.