At the 105th General Assembly of the European Travel Commission (ETC), held in Tallinn, Estonia, Miguel Sanz of the Instituto de Turismo de España (Turespaña) was elected President for a three-year term.
Miguel Sanz had been a member of the ETC Board of Directors since July 2020. He succeeds Luís Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal, who during his tenure led the ETC through the Covid-19 crisis and recovery, while contributing to the ETC's expansion to France, Austria and Ukraine, and developing the ETC's 2030 strategy.
With fifteen years' experience in the tourism industry, Mr. Sanz has been Managing Director of the Spanish national tourism organization, Turespaña, since 2020. Previously, he held the position of General Director of Tourism for Madrid Destino, from 2016 to 2020, where he took part in the development and implementation of Madrid's tourism strategy. From 2018 to 2020, he was a board member of European Cities Marketing, an association that brings together the management and promotional entities of over 120 European urban destinations.
Founded in 1948, the European Travel Commission represents 35 national tourism organizations in Europe. Miguel Sanz has been chosen to lead the ETC's efforts towards a sustainable and inclusive future for the European tourism industry. He will lead the implementation of the recently announced Climate Action Plan, with the aim of reducing ETC's operational emissions by 2030 and helping member countries achieve "Net Zero" status. He will also be responsible for maintaining Europe's leading position in global tourism by strengthening cooperation with the European Commission and key stakeholders.
A graduate in Business Studies in the UK, he also holds a Masters in Latin American Politics and Economics from the London School of Economics. He has lived and worked in several European countries, the United States and Latin America.
Miguel Sanz will be supported by ETC vice presidents Martin Nydegger of Switzerland Tourism, Magda Antonioli of the Italian Government Tourist Office (ENIT), and Kristjan Staničić of the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB). Together, they will coordinate ETC's advocacy activities to promote favorable conditions for Europe's tourism sector.
"It is an honor to lead the European Travel Commission on behalf of Turespaña. European tourism has a tremendous opportunity to become a leader in sustainability and inclusiveness. TEC plays a central role in deepening the European brand and shaping a more responsible future for the tourism industry." - Mr. Sanz
