Thomas Woldbye
Thomas Woldbye took up the role as CEO of Heathrow in October 2023, after 11 years at the helm of Copenhagen airports. As CEO, Thomas is focused on driving innovation, improved customer service, sustainability and growth at the UK’s hub airport. This includes overseeing the airport’s multi billion pound investment plans to upgrade existing facilities, expand capacity and provide an even better service for passengers. Thomas is a member of His Majesty’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, the British American Business Advisory Board and the Jet Zero Council. Under Thomas’s stewardship, Copenhagen Airport was consistently rated as one of the world’s top airports, both in terms of customer and retail experience as well as efficiency and profitability. Previously, Thomas worked for A.P. Møller-Maersk for 27 years. He started his career as a management trainee in 1983, and over the next 20 years, held several management positions in Indonesia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Denmark.
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TOURISM RISING: A NEW ERA OF INFLUENCE & IMPACT
Tourism is no longer just an economic contributor, it is a strategic force in shaping how nations are seen, how they prosper, and how they recover. From soft power and national branding to job creation, poverty reduction and investor confidence, tourism has the power to elevate entire societies and reposition countries on the global stage. As a driver of cross-cultural understanding and tolerance, it also builds bridges where politics cannot. In a world where perception drives investment, diplomacy, and opportunity: How can governments place tourism at the heart of national transformation?
