WTTC hosts Suez Canal cruise for tourism recovery talks

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has brought together more than 300 public and private sector leaders aboard Crystal Serenity for recovery talks focused on rebuilding travel momentum across the Middle East following recent regional disruption.

 

Taking place from 6 to 9 May 2026 along Egypt’s Suez Canal, the first-ever WTTC Leadership Cruise is being hosted with support from the Egyptian Government and has convened ministers, tourism authorities and travel executives from across the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.

 

Discussions during the programme are focusing on recovery policy, workforce shortages, destination management, high-value tourism and cross-border connectivity, alongside broader conversations around geopolitical resilience and tourism investment. The gathering comes after the Iran war, which began on 28 February 2026 and disrupted aviation and travel flows across parts of the Middle East, with WTTC projections showing potential tourism losses of up to US$600 million per day. 

 

Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of WTTC, said Egypt had become a strong example of tourism resilience and recovery, with the sector contributing US$34.4 billion to the country’s economy in 2025 and international visitor numbers reaching 19 million.

 

“The Suez Canal could not be a more fitting location for the WTTC Leadership Cruise, as we bring together public and private sector leaders from around the world to collaborate on travel recovery and the future resilience of the sector,” she said.

 

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WTTC data shows Egypt’s tourism revenues increased from US$4.9 billion in 2020-21 to more than US$18 billion in 2025. The country is expanding tourism infrastructure, with plans to double hotel room inventory from 240,000 rooms and increase aviation capacity across its 27 airports.

 

The programme also highlighted Egypt’s broader tourism offering, including the recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which houses more than 100,000 artefacts, adding to the country’s seven Unesco World Heritage sites and more than 200 museums and archaeological locations.

 

Manfredi Lefebvre, Chairman of WTTC, said: “It is an honour to host the first ever WTTC Leadership Cruise onboard the beautiful Crystal Serenity.”

 

According to WTTC figures, travel and tourism contributed US$11.6 trillion to global GDP in 2025, accounting for 9.8% of the global economy and supporting 366 million jobs worldwide.

 

For more information,visit www.wttc.org