Association Partners

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the Travel & Tourism private sector globally. Our Members include over 200 CEOs, Chairpersons and Presidents of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. WTTC works to raise awareness of Travel & Tourism as one of the world’s largest economic sectors, supporting one in 10 jobs (319 million) worldwide, and generating 10.4% of global GDP.  

For the past 30 years, WTTC has conducted research on the economic impact of Travel & Tourism in 185 countries. In 2018, the Travel & Tourism sector experienced 3.9% growth, outpacing that of the global economy (3.2%) for the eighth consecutive year. Over the past five years, one in five jobs were created by the sector, making Travel & Tourism the best partner for governments to generate employment. Our priorities are: Security & Travel Facilitation, Crisis Preparedness, Management & Recovery, and Sustainable Growth. 

Tourism is a precious global product that operates as an integral product to the entire globe. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, as of 2017, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism accounted for 10.4% of GDP as well as 9.9% of jobs.

Tourism has created a conduit through which social, cultural and recreational interactions have birthed some of the most enduring relationships, inventions and even international agreements, which have benefitted the world at large. Any threat to a country’s tourism is therefore a threat to globalization and international harmony.

Tourism sectors in all countries currently face several external threats and internal challenges and disruptions. These disruptions include, among other things, climate change and natural disasters, cybercrime, cyber-security, pandemics, terrorism, war, population and the changing funding models.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre was founded to address these disruptions. The ultimate purpose of the Centre will be to assist destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally. The Centre will be called to operate in a global context that is characterised by not only new challenges but also new opportunities for tourism to improve the tourism product as well as to ensure the sustainability of tourism globally.

IGLTA, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association was founded in 1983 and is the world’s leading network of LGBTQ+-welcoming tourism businesses. We provide free travel resources and information while continuously working to promote equality and safety within LGBTQ+ tourism worldwide. IGLTA’s members include LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations, transport, destinations, service providers, Travel Advisors, tour operators, events and travel media located in over 75 countries.

The mission of IGLTA is to provide information and resources for LGBTQ+ travellers and expand LGBTQ+ tourism globally by demonstrating its significant social and economic impact.

We believe everyone, everywhere, should have access to clean water as a basic right. We want to see a world where everyone has clean water and adequate sanitation, and the increased health and prosperity this brings.

Our approach is to support marginalised people across the world through community-led development, rather than aid; and to focus on sustainability and quality, ensuring a project’s transformative impact is felt for decades to come.

Our approach is rooted in community-led development, rather than aid, as local ownership is vital to the sustainability of our projects. We work together with local partners and communities from initial proposal through to a project’s completion. Each project establishes community-based structures for the maintenance and management of a solution. This approach maintains the dignity of the local community, and ensures their investment, increasing a project’s longevity and securing its success.

The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) is a membership association that aims to promote Latin America as a tourist destination and stimulate growth of travel to the region.

LATA Members represent an ever-growing travel community with unrivalled passion and knowledge for Latin America. The association is comprised of over 360 companies including tourism boards, airlines, hotels, tour operators, representation companies and the travel press.

LATA’s core objectives are:

• Promote and grow travel to Latin America
• Be the authoritative voice in the UK for Latin America Travel and Tourism
• Encourage best practice and increase standards across all aspects of travel in Latin America

How do we meet these objectives:

• Create an effective trade hub through the LATA website for all its members.
• Provide effective promotion for all members.
• Communicate with members on a regular basis to ensure inclusion and promotion for all members.
• Produce high quality, industry leading, networking events with topical, useful and up-to-date content.
• Stimulate Latin American Press coverage through regular events and by creating a two-way channel of communication between LATA Members and the UK Media.
• Comment on any issue affecting Latin America to the UK media.
• Lobby and be the main point of contact for any media enquire for Latin America
• Lobby the UK government and FCO on issues effecting LATA Members.
• The funding and running of a far reaching Safety scheme monitoring hotels, transport companies and boats throughout Latin America
• The promotion and dissemination of information regarding sustainable travel, marketing, general best business practices

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction was created in December 1999 to ensure the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.  As the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDRR brings governments, partners and communities together reduce disaster risk and losses to ensure a safer, sustainable future.

UNDRR (formerly UNISDR) is the United Nations focal point for disaster risk reduction. UNDRR oversees the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supporting countries in its implementation, monitoring and sharing what works in reducing existing risk and preventing the creation of new risk.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and provides Member States with concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster.

The Sendai Framework works hand in hand with the other 2030 Agenda agreements, including The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda, and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.
It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR)

United States Tour Operators Association is a professional, voluntary trade association created with the primary purpose of promoting integrity within the tour operator industry.

USTOA was founded in 1972 by a small group of California tour operators concerned about tour operator bankruptcies. These founding members recognized the need for a unified voice to protect the traveling public, as well as to represent the interests of tour operators. In 1975, USTOA became a national organization with headquarters in New York.

Today, USTOA Active members represent some of the top names in travel and tourism, and account for a sizeable portion of the tour operator market in North America.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry.

In partnership with PATA’s private and public sector members, we enhance the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region. 

The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 25 international airlines and airports, 108 hospitality organisations, 72 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 36 local PATA chapters worldwide. 

The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership in Uniting Travel, a coalition of the world’s major travel and tourism organisations dedicated to ensuring that the sector speaks with one voice and acts in unison on the major issues and includes  ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC.

ARISE was started by UNDRR in 2015 to support the private sector to become a key partner in reducing disaster risk. It has grown to over 350 members and over 20 networks across the world. There is incredible energy and appetite to grow ARISE and to equip it to effect change in how the private sector invests in a risk-informed sustainable future.

ARISE focuses on three main areas:

• Global policy advice and guidance to the SRSG on global trends and opportunities to better engage the private sector at large;
• Engagement in global and regional advocacy for risk-informed investment, including in key global and regional United Nations meetings, WEF Fora, UN Global Compact events and activities and other relevant initiatives and events;
• As appropriate, facilitate the establishment and development of ARISE National Networks and provide them with advice and guidance.

New Deal Europe is focused on developing tourism to the Balkan region of Europe. New Deal Europe brings together tour operators and tourism organisations with a focus on the Greater Balkan region of Europe. As such, New Deal Europe is the only travel market platform dedicated to generating business to this growing tourism destination.

There are five elements to the platform.

We unite the travel industry and advance its positive impact to help people and places thrive.  

For nearly 20 years, Tourism Cares has been the travel industry’s non-profit network, convening members from around the globe, creating powerful connections and impactful action.

We navigate the rapidly evolving frontier of meaningful travel and responsible tourism. 

During this time of unfolding science and environmental shifts, it is imperative that travel organizations of every size, product and service actively participate in evolving. We know that progress is activated when our community is infused with connection, inspiration, leadership, enthusiasm, and celebration. 

We proudly provide this structure for the travel industry.

Join us and together we will establish the new norm of our industry. 

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UNWTO Members’ competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Advancing tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the MDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

ETOA is the trade association for better tourism in Europe.

We work with policymakers to enable a fair and sustainable business environment, so that Europe remains competitive and appealing for visitors and residents. With over 1,200 members serving 63 origin markets, we are a powerful voice at local, national and European levels. Our members include tour and online operators, intermediaries and wholesalers, European tourist boards, hotels, attractions, technology companies and other tourism service providers ranging in size from global brands to local independent businesses. We are connected with over 30,000 industry professionals across our social media channels.

ETOA offers an unparalleled networking and contracting platform for tourism practitioners, running eight flagship events across Europe and in China that collectively arrange over 46,000 one-on-one appointments every year. We have offices in Brussels and London and representation in Spain, France and Italy.