The World & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced in December 2025 that it’s moving its global headquarters from London to Madrid in early 2026, citing benefits like EU access, lower costs, strong government support, and better talent pool access, with the Spain's capital and largest city beating relevant candidates such as Dubai, Geneva, Milan and Paris.
The move aims to enhance efficiency, provide more value to members, and boost the global travel and tourism sector from a central, well - connected location as Madrid, which is already the headquarters of UN Tourism reinforce its position as a relevant hub in the global tourism landscape.
WTTC’s operational committee has unanimously approved Madrid’s candidacy, and the choice has been made after evaluating six key criteria:
• Rental and operating costs.
• The tax environment.
• Competitiveness.
• Visa and work permit frameworks.
• Government Support
• The cost of living to attract talent and proximity to other international organizations.
The 17 members of the committee agreed that Madrid offered the best response for the organization long-term strategic and operational needs.
Among the factors that have influenced the decision have also been the difficulties arising from Brexit, especially those related to mobility of talent, which made the United Kingdom and London less attractive as a venue.
In this context the World & Tourism Council (WTTC) seeks to strengthen its operational capacity and maintain a truly international perspective operning a new chapter in Madrid.
WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara, thanked the Spanish government for its support, stressing that being in Madrid will allow the organization to become even stronger, offering a closer relationship with the body members and playing a key role in advising on policies that boost tourism growth and employment.
The establishment of the WTTC headquarters in Madrid is in addition to the presence in the Spanish capital of the global headquarters of UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), the United Nations specialized agency for the sector, which has been in the Iberian city for decades.
This concentration of international organisations linked to tourism reinforces Madrid as a reference node to strengthen cooperation, research, advocacy, members engagement in the travel and tourism industry and the design of global policies in the field.
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