WTTC hosts historic Recovery and Leadership Cruise along Egypt’s Suez Canal with over 300 leaders

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is hosting a unique Leadership Cruise on Egypt’s Suez Canal, one of the world’s most remarkable symbols of global trade.

Event Overview
- Organizer: World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
- Date: 7 May 2026
- Venue: Suez Canal, Egypt
- Attendees: 300+ leaders from public and private sectors
- Sponsors: Antonio Lefebvre Foundation, Visit Egypt, Crystal Cruises, Coral Travel Group, Abercrombie & Kent

Key Highlights
- Gloria Guevara (President & CEO, WTTC): Praised Egypt’s resilience, noting a US$34.4 billion tourism contribution in 2025 and 19 million visitors.
- Manfredi Lefebvre (Chairman, WTTC): Called it an honor to host the first-ever Leadership Cruise aboard Crystal Serenity.

Egypt’s Growth:
- Tourism revenues surged from US$4.9 billion (2020/21) to US$18 billion (2025).
- Expansion plans: doubling hotel rooms (240,000 → 480,000), aviation capacity across 27 airports, and new high-speed rail.
- Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum opened with 100,000 artifacts, including 20,000 displayed for the first time.
- Rich heritage: 200+ museums, 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Global Context
- Travel & Tourism (2025):
- Contributed US$11.6 trillion to global GDP (9.8% of world economy).
- Supported 366 million jobs (1 in 9 globally).

Purpose
The cruise serves as a platform for collaboration on global recovery, resilience, and leadership in tourism, with sessions led by ministers and CEOs on expanding offerings worldwide.

This event is symbolic: the Suez Canal, a global trade artery, becomes a stage for discussing tourism’s role in economic recovery.