Najib Balala appointed to senior WTTC leadership role in Madrid

Former Kenya tourism minister Najib Balala has been appointed to a senior leadership role at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), where he will oversee global advocacy, government engagement, and policy research in the travel and tourism sector.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), based in Madrid, Spain, has named Balala as Executive Vice-President for Advocacy, Government Affairs and Research. He will lead the organisation’s work in shaping global tourism policy, strengthening government relations, and coordinating research initiatives that support the industry.

Balala joins WTTC after serving for more than 12 years as Kenya’s Tourism and Wildlife minister, where he helped design and implement key tourism policies and worked closely with private sector stakeholders to support industry growth.

During his time in government, he was involved in managing the sector through major disruptions in global travel, maintaining engagement between government and industry players to support stability and recovery.

In the Covid-19 period, he led efforts to support tourism recovery through policy measures and coordinated interventions. Under his leadership, Kenya became the first country globally to receive the “Safer Tourism Seal” in recognition of health and safety standards in the sector.

He also played a central role in reforming Kenya’s tourism sector, strengthening destination branding, and advancing international partnerships aimed at improving competitiveness in global tourism markets.

In his new role, Balala will report to WTTC President and Chief Executive Officer Gloria Guevara.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be selected by WTTC for this role and I am looking forward to working with the visionary WTTC Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre and President & CEO Gloria Guevara. I’ll be bringing my experience bridging the private and public sectors to WTTC’s overall strategic roadmap and ensuring it has strong relations with all the stakeholders in governments and beyond," Balala said in a statement.

“Najib Balala’s substantial experience as a Cabinet Minister on the world stage will help WTTC grow our sector even further. We are seeing many new members join us, and old members return, as we continue to build one of the finest Travel & Tourism teams globally, offering world-class advocacy and support to the sector, WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara noted.

The World Travel & Tourism Council is the global private sector voice of the travel and tourism industry, bringing together leading companies from aviation, hospitality, cruise, tour operations, and technology.

It works with governments and international institutions to promote sustainable growth, investment, and job creation in the sector. For more than three decades, WTTC has produced data-driven research measuring tourism’s economic impact and guiding policy direction across the world.