Incredible India

Gloria Guevara Highlights Vast Tourism Potential And New Opportunities For The Indian Travel Sector At Skift Forum India

Gloria Guevara of Mexico , one of the six candidates for the post of UN Tourism Secretary-General (other five being Muhammad Adam of Ghana, Shaikha Al Nowais of the United Arab Emirates, Habib Ammar of Tunisia, Harry Theoharis of Greece, and the current Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili of Georgia) said that has vast tourism potential during a Q&A session at the Skift India Forum this week.

Building on the momentum of her campaign, which has received support from over 200 global tourism and business leaders, Guevara addressed 400 senior industry attendees in Delhi reinforcing her commitment to fostering partnerships, promoting sustainable tourism, and unlocking new opportunities for the Indian travel sector.

During the session, titled ‘A Big Picture View on Sustainable Tourism Growth’, Guevara engaged with an audience of industry leaders to discuss India’s rapid tourism expansion, its role in global travel, and strategies to drive both domestic and international tourism.

She emphasized that India has seen a remarkable recovery and growth in tourism, noting that the Indian Government has made significant strides in further developing the sector through investment in infrastructure, workforce training, and community-led initiatives.

A Strong Vision for India’s Tourism Future

As part of her campaign for Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Guevara emphasized her four key pillars — Sustainability, Resilience, Opportunities, and Innovation — principles that she believes align closely with India’s own growth trajectory.

“India is now in a strong position to not only increase international arrivals but also elevate its position as a global leader in tourism. The Indian Government has seized this opportunity by focusing on collaboration, investment, and a shared commitment to long-term success.”

India’s Unique Strengths and Opportunities

Guevara underscored the immense contribution of India’s tourism sector to its economy.

India’s travel and tourism GDP contribution in 2023 exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with further substantial growth expected in the coming years. While international visitor arrivals continue to rise, she noted a strong focus on domestic tourism, which remains the backbone of many successful global markets.

“India has done an incredible job in growing its outbound travel segment, and the world is watching. Indian ministers are acutely aware of the importance of looking inward and developing more domestic travel experiences. This means empowering local communities, investing in skills training, and ensuring that tourism benefits all,” Guevara stated.

Partnerships and Innovation: Keys to Success

Guevara highlighted the importance of strong public-private partnerships in driving sustainable tourism. She pointed to her experience working with global leaders in Mexico and Saudi Arabia to implement strategic policies that elevated their tourism sectors. “No country succeeds in tourism alone. The private sector creates jobs and drives innovation, while the government provides the policies and infrastructure. India has a unique offering and opportunity to strengthen these partnerships and become a model for sustainable growth.”

She also discussed the role of innovation in shaping the future of travel, noting that India is at the forefront of AI and digital transformation. “The creativity and technical expertise in India can revolutionize the way we experience travel. From AI-driven sustainability solutions to enhancing visitor experiences, India is poised to lead the next wave of tourism innovation.”

Tourism as a Force for Unity and Progress

Addressing a key theme of her campaign, Guevara reiterated tourism’s role in fostering cultural understanding and global cooperation. She emphasized how travel bridges divides and creates lasting connections. “Tourism is an enabler of peace. When we experience other cultures firsthand, we develop empathy, understanding, and respect. This is why sustainable tourism growth is not just an economic issue — it’s a social one.”

Guevara’s remarks at the Skift India Forum further solidified her vision for a new era of global tourism leadership — one where sustainable development, inclusive policies, and strategic innovation drive positive change for all stakeholders.

It may be noted that Gloria Guevara is a highly-experienced and well-connected global stateswoman who joined the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia as Chief Special Advisor to the Minister in May 2021. Her role is to support the impressive transformation taking place as part of the Kingdom’s 2030 vision, and drive sustainable tourism both in Saudi Arabia & globally.

Prior to joining the Ministry, Gloria led the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) as President and CEO, having joined in 2017. WTTC represents the global travel & tourism private sector worldwide, a sector that generates 10% of GDP and accounts for 300 million jobs globally.

Gloria was the global voice for the sector and, under her leadership, WTTC led the industry’s agenda during the most difficult crisis in history, the Covid19 pandemic. WTTC successfully unified the sector and implemented measures to reduce the impact such as the creation of the “Safe Travels” global protocols and a stamp that were granted to more than 400 destinations around the world. WTTC also pursued active engagement with over 150 governments to share best practices and public policies to support workers and the private sector, including millions of SMEs, in addition to providing guidelines from lessons learned to help the strong recovery.

While at WTTC, Gloria also achieved important milestones, including defining the climate and environmental agenda for WTTC and its members in partnership with UNFCC, UNEP and HSPH. She successfully hosted important events such as the first “global environment and climate action forum”, “Regional leaders’ forums” and WTTC global summits, where she welcomed former Presidents Obama, Calderon, Santos, Aznar and heads of state such as Sanchez, Macri and several other world leaders to support the sector. Before her departure as CEO, WTTC hosted the first global international event during the pandemic, the WTTC Global Summit in Cancun Mexico, demonstrating that international travel could be reopened in a safe way.

Gloria’s career in the travel industry started in 1995 at the Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Holdings, she was later CEO of JV Sabre Mexico reporting to a board of directors from Aeromexico, Mexicana, and Sabre.

In March 2010, President Calderon appointed her as Minister of Tourism for Mexico, where she also oversaw the Mexican Tourism Board. Under her leadership the “National Agreement for Tourism” in Mexico was created in 2011 and for the first time “the importance of Travel & Tourism” was included in the G20 declaration of leaders in Los Cabos.

Gloria received the Good Neighbour Award from the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Virtuoso awarded Mexico the best tourism board in the world thanks to her successful branding and repositioning efforts. She was recognized with multiple awards from the academic world and the private sector. She was also recognized as one of the most influential women in Mexico by CNN, Forbes and Expansion.

In addition, Gloria was Special Advisor on Government Affairs to Harvard University’s School of Public Health, and was part of the Future of Travel & Tourism Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Gloria holds a BS in Computer Science from Anahuac University and MBA from Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University.

Gloria was also formerly on the boards of companies including HSBC Mexico and Playa Hotels & Resorts.