It is common to be reciprocal with the government of the country of residence when selecting the location of the headquarters of an international organization. On the basis of fairness and openness, out of five candidate cities, Hangzhou was voted as the location of the WTA’s headquarters.

On December 17, 2017, the World Tourism Alliance signed a strategic cooperation document with China’s Zhejiang Province to advance the construction of the WTA headquarters, which is crucial for the long-term development of the organization.

Taking into full account of the WTA’s mission, functions, needs, and development, construction of its headquarters and the World Tourism Museum began on March 23, 2019, with the former put into use on December 20, 2022. In January 2023, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China signed an agreement with the Zhejiang Provincial Government to jointly support the WTA.