Public-private partnerships are essential for sustainable tourism development and private investment is easier in destinations with a clear tourism vision, plus strong and decisive leadership, industry leaders say.
In a best-practice example of a mature tourist destination, Málaga is taking deliberate, data‑driven decisions about the type of tourism it wants to attract, the number of visitors it can host, and the mix of accommodation it will allow. The Sustainable Tourism Observatory of Málaga outlines the local government’s plan for sustainable destination management.
In another example, the Saudi government is taking ownership and responsibility for the tourism diversification of its oil-based economy. For Radisson Hotel Group, it’s a fast-growing market, with 33 hotels either open or under construction in the Kingdom.
Federico J. González, CEO, Radisson Hotel Group, commented: “What Saudi Arabia has done over the last few years I haven't seen in many other places: a government that decides how many visitors they want and from where; how much they want them to spend and how many hotel rooms they need. They have taken those decisions, so it's much easier [for us] to collaborate and work closely and deliver.”
How to avoid overtourism
Overtourism is not the fault of visitors, but a consequence of muddled administration, said González, who previously held a role as the deputy general manager of Disneyland Paris.
“A town is similar to a theme park,” he said. “You know exactly how many people you can host in your park to have a good experience. Anyone can make a forecast of how many people are visiting Madrid or Venice this weekend. You know the flights, the transport, the hotel rooms.”
Gloria Guevara, CEO, World Tourism & Travel Council (WTTC) added: “We did a lot of research on Venice and Amsterdam and something that we learned was the lack of clear planning. They had five plans, different goals, different strategies. When you have that, it is very complicated to achieve your goals.”
Making sure that cruise ships, for instance, do not arrive on the same day of the week, is essential for crowd, waste, and utilities management.
New York City attracts ever-increasing visitor numbers, but it doesn’t feel crowded, except in Times Square, said Guevara: “They do a good job planning, and they move people to Brooklyn, to Queens.”
The value of collaboration
How important is private sector collaboration with local politicians to achieve sustainable growth? Guevara, who was the tourism minister of Mexico from 2017 to 2021, said: “The governments that understand the value of the private sector move faster. They are the governments that don't create roadblocks and complications, and then it's very difficult because you lack that certainty and that framework to allow you to make more investments and bring prosperity.”
What purpose do international hotels serve in developing countries? Radisson Hotel Group operates around 1,500 hotels including more than 200 in India and 100 across Africa.
González said: “Outside the big cities, we are often the first contact a community has with an international company. The hotel needs to gain respect as something that adds value beyond just employment, and I think the support you get in both good and bad times from the community is critical.”
Job creation
In the last five years, travel and tourism have created one in three new jobs globally, says the WTTC. “We are estimating the creation of 91m jobs over the next ten years and unfortunately around half of those, we are not going to be able to fill,” said Guevara.
Some of the reasons behind hard-to-fill vacancies include no standard curriculum, ageing populations, and tourism and hospitality not being sectors of choice for young people.
Guevara highlighted a further issue: a global trend of governments putting more restrictions on the mobility of foreign workers.
“One of our members wanted to hire a GM from Asia to train the workforce in London. To obtain a visa and the necessary permits, it cost £40,000 and took six months just to bring that individual over. That’s insane,” she said.
Ready-made policy frameworks
There is a need for the private sector, via bodies like the WTTC, to deliver ready-made policy frameworks that are easy for governments to adopt.
Guevara said: “We need to help the governments because they want the jobs and the investments; they just don't have the time to understand how to move things forward.”
González pointed to initiatives like the WTTC’s Safe Travels protocols implemented after the pandemic, and Hotel Sustainability Basics, a globally recognised set of minimum sustainability indicators.
“If you have one solution, then it's easier to go to all the governments of the world and try to implement that solution everywhere,” said González.
Guevara added: “Some governments partner with us more than others and it is crucial to continue working with them and then show the ones that don't partner so much how we can work together and be more successful.”
All quotes taken from the session ‘Hospitality powered growth: how can public, private, and people truly align?’ at IHIF EMEA 2026. The session was moderated by Chad Thomas, executive editor for Europe, Bloomberg News.