ITB Berlin Power 60
Chris Nassetta
DRIVING HILTON’S GLOBAL EXPANSION President & CEO, Hilton Worldwide
Chris Nassetta has led Hilton Worldwide since October 2007, transforming the US-based operator into a truly global hospitality powerhouse. Under his direction, Hilton’s presence has expanded to nearly 140 countries and territories, with its brand portfolio, property count and room inventory more than doubling in size. He has overseen record growth in the hotel pipeline (as of 2024, one in five new hotels worldwide carries a Hilton brand) and expanded the firm’s loyalty programme to fuel owner investment incentives. His strategy unites brand-led expansion, digital innovation and sustainability, reinforcing Hilton’s status as one of the industry’s biggest names.
Walt Disney
INVENTING THE MODERN THEME PARK Founder, The Walt Disney Company
Walt Disney (1901–1966) created the modern theme park and turned it into a powerful driver of travel and tourism. Beginning with Disneyland in 1955 and later Walt Disney World, he introduced immersive, multi-day destinations built around storytelling, scale and infrastructure – a model that continues to influence global tourism development. Walt Disney World transformed central Florida into one of the world’s leading tourism regions. Today, Disney’s Florida operations generate more than $40 billion in annual economic activity and support more than 263,000 jobs, while Disney’s U.S. parks and resorts contribute nearly $67 billion to the economy each year. Disney’s approach to large-scale destination planning established a template replicated across Europe and Asia, anchoring tourism growth far beyond the parks themselves.
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