Sustained growth and legal certainty are key to attracting tourism investment, WTTC says

Tourism cannot attract long-term private investment without steady economic growth and legal certainty, the World Travel and Tourism Council warned. WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said these conditions form part of seven basic principles for encouraging investment in a sector she said could grow 50% faster than the global economy’s average.

Guevara also highlighted tax incentives, attractive financing and a single administrative window to simplify the requirements investors face. She said those measures would have little effect without leaders who place tourism at the center of government policy and establish a clear tourism strategy, including master plans.

The WTTC plans to evaluate countries against these principles and recognize those that meet them. Guevara compared the initiative with Destination Ready, a program used during the pandemic to recognize countries that met requirements intended to build confidence.

“These principles are key priorities, the recipe the private sector needs to invest in tourism,” Guevara said.

She also reported that Mexico had consolidated its position among the world’s leading tourism economies, ranking fourth internationally. The United States, China and Germany ranked ahead of it. Mexico recorded $237.9 billion in spending on leisure and recreation in 2025, while its travel and tourism activity grew 1.8%, compared with 0.9% in the United States and 1.2% in Canada. Mexico became the second-largest travel and tourism economy in North America.

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These principles are key priorities, the recipe the private sector needs to invest in tourism.