Antonio Santos del Valle

A professional specialising in tourism, culture and institutional relations, he has built an extensive international career in Europe, Latin America and the Arab world. His early achievements include his involvement in the management, promotion and development of Expo ’92 in Seville, as well as in the organisation of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. He later expanded his work into the academic, cultural and international cooperation fields.

Throughout his career he has advised public institutions and government bodies on culture, heritage and tourism development. He served as adviser to the Spanish Minister of Culture, Carmen Alborch, and took part in the Ibero-American Cooperation Platform, contributing to the design of tourism strategies, cultural policies and institutional relations projects in numerous countries.

He has also led major cultural and tourism initiatives in Spain and held senior management responsibilities in the tourism and institutional relations area of Innova TaxFree Group. Between 2010 and 2022 he was a member of the Board of the Affiliate Members Programme and of the Panel of Experts of the World Tourism Organization.

Since 2016 he has coordinated the World Shopping Tourism Network and has led international projects linked to innovation, tourism and economic development. Since May 2022 he has chaired the Tourism and Society Think Tank, promoting sustainable, inclusive tourism geared towards global development.