WTTC set to move head office from UK

The World Travel and Tourism Council is set to move its head office outside the UK for the first time, with Italy, Spain and Switzerland named as alternative options.

The organisation said its board had endorsed a plan to begin an “evaluation assessment”, citing Brexit as “one of the main factors” behind the move.

It added it is "consulting with all its London-based staff".

WTTC chairman Manfredi Lefebvre said: “WTTC is a member-centric organisation and we owe it to members to explore all the options for our future structure. Brexit is one of the main factors in our decision to potentially move our headquarters beyond the UK.

“The benefits of a European head office include lower operational costs, EU single market access and recruitment flexibility of a multi-lingual talent pool.”

He added: “The high standard of research services our members, governments and the stakeholders around the world receive will continue to be at the forefront of our work and we are confident we will attract high-quality talent in the wider European market.”