The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the voice, growth and competitiveness of millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the global Travel & Tourism sector.
The partnership brings together WTTC’s specialist Travel & Tourism expertise, economic research and industry insight with ICC’s global business network spanning more than 45 million businesses across over 170 countries. Together, the organisations will provide SMEs with practical guidance, tools, insights, connections and opportunities to help them grow and compete.
SMEs represent over 85% of Travel & Tourism businesses globally and are vital to job creation, entrepreneurship, innovation and local economic development. Yet smaller businesses are often disproportionately affected by fragmented regulation, skills shortages, limited access to markets and finance, digital barriers, connectivity challenges, visa requirements and other travel frictions.
WTTC and ICC will work together to identify these barriers and advocate for conditions that enable SMEs to compete and grow. The collaboration will include sharing research and business intelligence, engaging businesses across ICC’s international network and convening public- and private-sector leaders. It will also provide SMEs with practical tools and insights, while strengthening the evidence available to policymakers and informing practical policy recommendations.
By bringing their perspectives into global research and advocacy, WTTC and ICC aim to ensure that national and international policy better reflects the needs of the businesses that power the sector and spread its economic and social benefits throughout communities.
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “Travel & Tourism is powered by millions of businesses around the world, and SMEs are at the heart of our sector. They create jobs, drive innovation and ensure that the benefits of tourism reach local communities.
By combining WTTC’s understanding of Travel & Tourism with ICC’s extraordinary global reach, we can take evidence from businesses directly to governments and work with policymakers to remove barriers, strengthen competitiveness and unlock greater investment and employment.”
John W.H. Denton AO, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce, said: “Travel and Tourism is one of the world’s most connected industries, linking people, businesses and markets across borders every day. At a time of economic uncertainty, strengthening the operating environment for the millions of small businesses that power this sector is both an economic and strategic imperative. Through this partnership, ICC and WTTC will bring together the global business community to support entrepreneurship, expand opportunity, and ensure that growth in travel and tourism delivers benefits across economies and communities worldwide.”
The MOU establishes a framework for strategic collaboration between WTTC and ICC. Initial areas of activity will include research and business engagement, policy development, knowledge sharing and opportunities to connect Travel & Tourism businesses with wider international business networks.
The two organisations will call on governments to remove the regulatory, financial, digital and mobility barriers that constrain growth. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to practical collaboration that strengthens businesses while supporting jobs, investment and sustainable economic growth worldwide.
