Brexit blowback as WTTC switches from London to Madrid

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced Madrid as its new headquarters following the organisation’s decision to leave its London base after 35 years.

The WTTC announced this week that its executive committee had unanimously approved the Spanish capital as the location of its new global headquarters, news hub Travel Mole reported.

The move is designed to deliver greater value to members and unlock fresh growth potential for the travel and tourism sector.

Madrid was selected following a competitive evaluation process in which five destinations formally expressed interest in hosting the new office: Dubai, France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Each bid was assessed against six core criteria, including office rental and operating costs; the fiscal, incentive, and competitive environment; fast-track visa and work permit arrangements; government support; cost of living to attract and retain talent; and proximity to international organizations.

All 17 members of the WTTC executive committee endorsed Madrid after an in-depth review of the organization’s long-term strategic and operational needs.

Committee members concluded that the Spanish capital offered the most compelling overall proposition, combining strong competitiveness, a more favourable tax environment, robust public-sector backing, simplified visa procedures for staff, and lower overall operating costs.

Ongoing challenges linked to Brexit - particularly restrictions on talent mobility - were also cited as factors that reduced the UK’s attractiveness.

Establishing its global office in Madrid will give WTTC immediate access to a far larger and more diverse talent pool.

The Spanish capital is already home to the UNWTO, which could provide more synergies between the two organisations.

“Madrid gives us the platform to operate more efficiently, deliver greater value to our members, access world-class talent, and maintain a truly global outlook, with the strong support of the Spanish government,” said WTTC chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio of Italy.

# The WTTC is a forum for the travel and tourism industry. It comprises members from the global business community and works with governments to raise awareness about the travel and tourism industry.

A stunning new canvas for artisan Kiwi wine producer

Artisan Marlborough wine producer Blank Canvas has upped the ante by announcing the purchase of a spectacular looking nine-hectare vineyard property in the Omaka Valley, in the Southern Valleys sub region.

The vineyard will become the sustainability focused producer's long-awaited home site and will complement fruit sourced from nine existing partner vineyards, whose grapes anchor the Blank Canvas single-vineyard philosophy.

Blank Canvas was founded in 2012 by award-winning international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson with the vision of crafting world-class wines.

“This is a defining moment in our evolution as we approach vintage number fourteen," says Sophie. "We have dreamt of the perfect home for Blank Canvas from day one and have been actively searching for it over several years. We are delighted that we have finally found it.”

The amphitheatre-shaped hillside vineyard that Blank Canvas will call home was established in 2003 and planted at very high density.

The property offers 360° views across the Wairau Valley.

The company plans substantial phased investment and careful development to realise the site’s full potential.

Winemaker Matt Thomson, who has completed an even split of 66 harvests over 33 years in Europe and New Zealand, says: “Site drives style. In the Old World, the best sites typically grow one or at most two varieties.

"In the New World we often try to force many varieties into one terroir, frequently with mediocre results. This site gives us two complementary terroirs - a cooler east face and a warmer west face - that will allow us to match variety and style to place, which is a founding ethos of Blank Canvas.”

While a small parcel of established pinot noir on the cooler eastern face will remain, Matt and Sophie plan to convert the remainder of the block, currently planted to sauvignon blanc, to varieties better suited to the microclimates created by the differing aspects.

“In New Zealand’s climate and with our high costs of production, it’s important we grow only varieties that are capable of true greatness,” says Matt.

“There is no doubt that nebbiolo, syrah and pinot noir produce some of the world’s greatest wines. These red varieties form a trifecta of great aromatic red wines of the world, and together with our belief in Marlborough chardonnay, we think we can achieve something very special from this extraordinary property.”

Blank Canvas will continue to release single-vineyard wines from its grower partners, while the new vineyard will reinforce the small-batch fine wine program.

The first vintage from the new Blank Canvas vineyard site will be harvested in 2026.

See https://blankcanvaswines.com/