This week, Mexico's Minisitry of Tourism and the Mexico Tourism Board are welcoming the leaders of the 4th T20 Ministers of Tourism Meeting and the WTTC Regional Summit of the Americas, to Merida and the Riviera Maya.
These two events are critical in strengthening the tourism sector as a pivotal driving force for the global economy.
The T20 meeting will be held on May 15 and 16 in Merida, Yucatan. At the forum, the Ministers of Tourism from the 20 most developed economies in the world will discuss the topic of "Tourism: an Opportunity to Generate Jobs". This meeting will be an integral lead up to the G20 Leaders Summit which will take place in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, on June 18 and 19. The objective of the T20 meeting is to devise proposals on how to better harness the tourism industry to fuel job creation.
In addition to the Ministers of Tourism from the G20, visiting countries particpating include Denmark, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Cambodia, El Salvador, Jamaica and Peru, as well as international organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and others.
Mexico will also host the first World Tourism and Travel Council's Regional Summit of the Americas from May 16 through the 18 on the Riviera Maya, where more than 500 CEOs from international companies in the tourism industry will gather.
The WTTC's objective is to strengthen the travel and tourism industry, which is responsible for generating 260 million jobs and contributes to nine percent of the world's GDP.